Originating long before the city had anything even resembling a sustainable comedy community, Milwaukee Comedy Festival has grown and evolved in kind with Milwaukee’s humor scene. From July 31 to August 4, the Milwaukee-curated undertaking will once again offer an eclectic blend of stand-up, improv, and sketch comedy in its 14th year. While the full lineup of humorists who will be performing more than a dozen shows at a wide variety of venues has yet to be revealed, the fine folks at Milwaukee Comedy just announced the pair of comedy kingpins who will co-headline this year’s fest.
Fresh off releasing his outstanding Netflix special, Spicy Honey, in 2017 and a pair of sold-out shows at Milwaukee’s Underground Collaborative last year, veteran comic Toddy Barry will head up an Shank Hall show on Thursday, August 1. Following Barry’s performance, seminal stand-up and This Is Not Happening host Ari Shaffir will bring Milwaukee Comedy Festival to a close with a headlining performance at Turner Hall on Sunday, August 4.
Tickets to Barry’s show are on sale now. Tickets to Shaffir’s show can be purchased at noon on Friday, April 19 (pre-sale begins Wednesday, April 17). Previous Milwaukee Comedy Festival installments have featured notable headliners like Brian Posehn, Jen Kirkman, Michael Ian Black, and Colin Quinn, but it’s safe to say that the one-two punch of Todd Barry and Ari Shaffir is a sign this year’s fest will be the biggest one yet. Stay tuned for the full lineup and expanded daily schedules in the coming months.