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Montréal, QC - May 26, 2026 - Just For Laughs announced today additional programming for the 2026 edition taking place July 15 - 26 in Montréal including viral comedian and podcast host Ashley Gavin as well as Connor Wood’s popular Fibs & Friends show. The Festival has also revealed the comedians participating in the highly anticipated series Briti(sh), The Culture Show, and The Nasty Show including Alfred Robles, Ian Fidance, Tara Cannistraci, Nabil Abdulrashid, Comedian CP and more.
These artists join the stacked lineup of previously announced comedy programming that includes Jerry Seinfeld, Weird Al Yankovic, Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias, Atsuko Okatsuka, Gerry Dee, Lucy Darling, Chris Fleming, Dan Soder, Joel Kim Booster, Updating and Rick Glassman.
On the ComedyPRO side, the Just For Laughs Awards Show returns on July 24 with a star-studded evening honouring creatives redefining today’s comedy landscape. This year’s honourees will be announced in the coming weeks. Additionally, JFL will feature the return of New Faces of Comedy in the Stand-Up and Characters categories and the JFL Shorts & JFL Pilots programs, presented this year by Will Arnett’s Electric Avenue. The Just For Laughs Awards, New Faces and Shorts & Pilots programming are open to the public.
“This latest wave of announcements captures everything audiences love about Just For Laughs Montréal — bold voices, unforgettable live experiences, and a lineup that reflects the full spectrum of comedy today,” said Nick Brazao, VP of Programming & Talent, Just For Laughs. “From breakout stars and industry-leading ComedyPRO programming, we’re continuing to build a Festival that celebrates discovery, creativity, and the global comedy community.”
OFF JFL programming was also announced today, highlights include Maddy Kelly, Janine Harouni, Mark Watson, The Improvaneer, The Sketch Series and the return of Best of the Fest, JFL Live Sessions and Montreal Series. Click here for the press release.
Presale for JFL members begins at noon today and general on-sale begins on May 26 at noon. ComedyPRO is on sale now, with an early bird rate available until June 15.
More information and tickets are available at HAHAHA.COM.
Newly announced shows include:
Ashley Gavin
July 24, 7:00 PM | Club Soda
Ashley Gavin is a stand up comedian based in New York City. She’s been featured on Netflix is a Joke, Hulu, Comedy Central, but is best known for her viral crowd work videos on TikTok and top charting podcast We’re Having Gay Sex. Ashley is admired for her confidence, authenticity, and unrelenting energy on stage. She is the only angry lesbian beloved by all, including old, straight, white guys. If you don’t believe it, she was Carnival Cruiseline’s first openly gay comedian. She exploded on the internet this year by showcasing her rare ability to authentically engage and improvise with guests on her podcast and audience members while on stage.
Fibs & Friends
July 24, 9:30 PM | Club Soda
Connor Wood, known as @fibula across his socials, launched his comedy career online with relatable rants about life in quarantine as an unemployed person. Wood has since garnered tens of millions of likes across his videos, and co-hosts his podcast - Brooke and Connor Make a Podcast - with Brooke Averick. Wood has been recognized as an upcoming comic to know by the New York Comedy Festival, Hollywood Reporter, and Deadline.
The Culture Show
July 15 - 19, 7:00 PM | Club Soda
July 21, 7:00 PM | Studio TD *New Show Added
This cultural melting pot for comedy has become an annual favourite and a staple at the Festival. The Culture Show tears down barriers all while laughing at our differences and similarities.
Host: Dave Merheje
Featuring: Alfred Robles, Jackie Fabulous, Keith Pedro, Tara Cannistraci
The Nasty Show
July 15 - 19, 9:30 PM | Club Soda
July 21, 9:30 PM | Studio TD *New Show Added
This show once again promises to be the filthiest and most shocking show at the Festival, pushing boundaries and encouraging audiences to check their political correctness at the door.
Host: Comedian CP
Featuring: Ian Fidance, Maddy Smith, Marito Lopez, Rebecca Reeds
Brit(ish)
July 21 - 25, 7:00 PM | Gesù
A comedy showcase celebrating the sharp wit, dry humour, and distinctive style of top-tier comedians from Britain, but could also include our friends from Ireland, or elsewhere in the Commonwealth. The show offers a fresh and hilarious perspective from some of the funniest voices in comedy today.
Host: Mark Watson
Featuring: Nabil Abdulrashid, Janine Harouni
ComedyPRO programming includes:
Just For Laughs Awards Show
July 24, 3:30 PM | MTelus
The Just For Laughs Awards Show brings together industry legends, breakout stars, and the creative forces behind today’s funniest work for an intimate, high-energy celebration of comedy. The star-studded evening honors the talent redefining comedy’s current landscape, with recipients celebrated by fellow comedians, collaborators, and peers who help make each tribute feel personal, funny, and uniquely JFL. As one of ComedyPRO’s marquee events, the Awards Show brings the industry together for a celebratory night of recognition, connection, and unforgettable comedy moments.
New Faces of Comedy
The Just For Laughs New Faces showcase is one of the most anticipated events in comedy, with a long-standing track record of launching comedy’s biggest stars. Alumni include global icons like Kevin Hart, Amy Schumer, Ali Wong, Jo Koy, and Kumail Nanjiani, Saturday Night Live cast members like Jimmy Fallon, Pete Davidson, and Heidi Gardner, as well as Canadian Comedy Award winner DeAnne Smith, and Letterkenny’s K. Trevor Wilson. Recent New Faces have been rising stars like Derrick Stroup, Leslie Liao, Marcello Hernandez, and Gianmarco Soresi, whose stand-up specials and clips have racked up millions of views online. The 2026 New Faces features 30 stand-up sets, plus 7-character sets — all presented as live performance showcases. These are the comics you’ll be talking about for decades to come.
New Faces of Comedy: Stand-Up
Group 1: July 22, 7:00 PM | Club Soda
Group 2: July 22, 9:30 PM | Club Soda
Group 3: July 23, 9:30 PM | Club Soda
Encore Group 1: July 24, 7:00 PM | Studio TD
Encore Group 2: July 24, 9:30 PM | Studio TD
Encore Group 3: July 25, 9:30 PM | Studio TD
New Faces of Comedy: Characters
July 23, 7:00 PM | Club Soda
Encore: July 25, 7:00 PM | Studio TD
Just For Laughs Shorts & Pilots
Presented by Just For Laughs in partnership with Will Arnett’s Electric Avenue, this is a global discovery pipeline for emerging comedic storytellers, showcasing standout short-form work and original half-hour pilots from around the world. The program spotlights some of the boldest, sharpest, and most original comedic voices in comedy writing and filmmaking today, featuring a curated mix of live-action, animated, scripted, and unscripted work. From laugh-out-loud standalone shorts to original pilots with series potential, JFL Shorts + Pilots celebrates comedy in all its forms while introducing fresh creative voices to the ComedyPRO industry audience.
Shorts & Pilots 1
July 24, 7:00 PM | Cinématheque
July 25, 1:00 PM | Cinématheque
Shorts & Pilots 2
July 24, 9:00 PM | Cinématheque
July 25, 3:30 PM | Cinématheque
Tickets and more information available at HAHAHA.COM.
The Just For Laughs Montréal Festival is extremely grateful for the support of its valued partners: Cochon Dingue, Belle Gueule, KIA, Énergir, Consignaction, YUL – Montréal Airport; its hotel partners DoubleTree by Hilton, Hilton Québec, Delta Montréal and Hôtel Château Laurier Québec; its official media partners Radio-Canada and La Presse; and its official broadcast partners Radio-Canada, France Télévisions, Bell, Crave, Noovo, M6, Canal+, RTL, RTS, Netflix, TV5, Prime Video, CBC, and JPR+/JFL+.
The Festival also wishes to acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Québec, the Government of Canada, the City of Montréal, Tourisme Montréal, the Quartier des spectacles, Montréal centre-ville, and Place des Arts, without whom this would not be possible.
Performer images can be found HERE.
Connect with Just For Laughs:
Facebook: facebook.com/justforlaughs
Instagram: @justforlaughs @jflmontreal
YouTube: @justforlaughs
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/justforlaughs
ABOUT JUST FOR LAUGHS
Sylvain Parent Bédard founded his entertainment group in 1997 which went on to acquire the Just For Laughs assets in 2024. Today, the Group stands as a major Canadian Québécois cultural institution, internationally recognized for its mission: “Spreading laughter across the globe”.
A global leader in comedy, Just For Laughs produces the world’s largest comedy festival, held in Montréal since its inaugural edition in 1983. The Group also extends its expertise through a series of festivals in Québec City, Toronto, Vancouver, Singapore, Sydney, and Bermuda, strengthening its worldwide footprint.
Driven by passion, innovation, and excellence, the Just For Laughs team collaborates with top talent and partners across the entertainment industry. Each year, the Group entertains over 100 million fans through its digital platforms and media channels, which collectively have surpassed 100 billion views.
Just For Laughs creates, produces, distributes, and broadcasts comedic content in all its forms: films, television series, theatre, musicals, solo shows, multi-artist shows, festivals.
The Group also produces ComedyPRO as part of the Just For Laughs Montreal Festival every year : the world’s leading comedy industry marketplace, which has for decades helped launch and propel the careers of numerous renowned artists through its landmark initiatives.
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