Windy City Comedy Fest presents 20-plus shows

Ariel Julie’s Windy City Comedy Fest began August 6 in Chicago, opening a four-day run that organizers say includes more than 20 shows across nine venues. NewCityStage reported on August 5 that Julie founded the event and described it as “a Lollapalooza for laughs,” tying the pitch to Chicago’s summer festival calendar. (newcitystage.com) The festival website says the 2026 edition runs Thursday through Sunday, August 6-9, and calls itself the second annual fest. Choose Chicago’s event listings also show the festival running on each of those four dates. ### Which venues are part of the festival? The festival website lists nine Chicago venues: The Den Theatre, The Lincoln Lodge, The Annoyance, Lincoln Hall, de Maat Studio Theatre at Second City, iO Theater, Newport Theater, Reggie’s and Laugh Factory. (windycitycomedyfest.com) NewCityStage described them as some of the city’s most iconic comedy rooms. That venue spread gives the event a citywide footprint rather than a single-campus format. Choose Chicago’s event page also names venues including The Den Theatre and Lincoln Hall in describing the series. The official ticket page says audiences can buy passes and individual tickets for shows running across the four-day schedule. (newcitystage.com) ### How large is the lineup? The official lineup page lists dozens of performers, including Shane Torres, Em Brown, Bob Keen, Joey Reilly, Aaron Sutherland, Carly Anderson, Feraz Shere, Stephanie Dalwin and Zach Peterson. The festival website says it is presenting the “top tier of rising comics in the country,” while NewCityStage’s report put the count at more than 20 shows. (newcitystage.com) One event page for the August 6 kickoff at The Den Theatre says Isabel Hagen is headlining, with Ariel Julie hosting and Kevin Kellam, Hunter Hirsh, James Fisher, Queeny and Charlie Berens also on the bill. A separate listing for August 8 says “Comedy Legends” will be staged at Second City’s de Maat Studio Theatre, hosted by Rebecca Joey Schwab and featuring Vien Phommachanh, Raja Krishnan and others. (windycitycomedyfest.com) ### Why is the festival being compared with Lollapalooza? NewCityStage used Julie’s phrase “a Lollapalooza for laughs” in its August 5 story about the festival. The comparison points to scale and timing: Chicago had just come through the city’s annual Lollapalooza weekend, and the comedy fest is also spread over several days and venues. (newcitystage.com) Choose Chicago’s listing places the comedy festival in the city’s broader August events calendar, categorizing it under festivals, fairs, special events, music and comedy, and theater and performing arts. That framing presents the event as part of Chicago’s wider late-summer live entertainment schedule. (windycitycomedyfest.com) ### What can audiences expect over the next three days? The official shows page lists performances through Sunday, August 9, with events at venues including The Lincoln Lodge and Second City. Individual listings advertise formats ranging from showcase bills to themed late-night sets. One Lincoln Lodge page promotes “Comedy Royalty” on August 7, while another advertises “Demon Hour,” an interactive show built around anonymous audience confessions. (newcitystage.com) Tickets remain available through the festival’s website, which says all tickets are live now. Choose Chicago’s event series page also points readers to the August 6-9 run, giving audiences a public schedule reference as the weekend continues. (choosechicago.com) (windycitycomedyfest.com)