The first-ever Netflix is a Joke: The Festival is finally set to go ahead next April and May, and the lineup is filled with big-name comedians.
After being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the special event will now take place from April 28th until May 8th in Los Angeles. The great and the good of the comedy world will perform on stage across 25 venues – basically if you’re a stand-up fan, this sounds like your version of Coachella.
Perhaps the most notable name is Dave Chappelle, who has been through quite the time of it with Netflix recently. After his comedy special, The Closer, debuted on the streaming platform back in October, he received widespread criticism for some derogatory jokes aimed at transgender people. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos then publicly backed Chappelle, saying his comments didn’t “translate to real-world harm.”
A comedy festival on this scale simply couldn’t leave a name like Chappelle out though. He’s joined by powerhouse pair Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, Master of None star Aziz Ansari, the iconic Chris Rock, beloved late night hosts Conan O’Brien and David Letterman, and quippy U.K. funnyman Jimmy Carr. It seems like anyone who was anyone in comedy over the last few decades is playing Netflix is a Joke.
Other stars set to appear include – brace yourself – Ali Wong, Amy Schumer, Bert Kreischer, Chelsea Handler, Ellen DeGeneres, Fortune Feimster, Hasan Minhaj and Ronny Chieng, Iliza Shlesinger, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, Jonathan Van Ness, Ken Jeong, Kevin Hart, Kevin Smith, Maya Rudolph and Gretchen Lieberum, Michael McIntyre, Mike Birbiglia, Mike Myers and David O. Russell, Nick Kroll, Nicole Byer, Patton Oswalt, Pete Davidson, Ray Romano, Seth Rogen, Theo Von, and Tim Robinson. I know I’d get massive FOMO trying to see as many of these comedians as possible over the festival.
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Netflix is a Joke: The Festival will feature a mixture of stand-up, podcasts, exclusive screenings, and intimate conversations. Fans can also buy tickets for individual shows, rather than one festival pass. Head to the official website for the full schedule of shows and events.
Pre-sales begin today, December 7th, via Ticketmaster (the pre-sale code is JOKES), with general sales following on Friday, December 10th.
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