Montreal's Just For Laughs comedy festival to showcase Canadian and American stars

Cassidy McMackon · The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 08, 2025 4:22 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

Tom Segura, Russell Peters and Russell Howard are among the headliners booked for a revamped Just For Laughs that its caller proprietor says helium hopes volition bring the summertime festival backmost to its presumption arsenic an manufacture powerhouse.

JFL president and CEO Sylvain Parent-Bédard outlined a revitalized absorption helium called a "comedy first" attack portion announcing a summertime lineup that includes Toronto's Mae Martin, Pakistani-American comic Kumail Nanjiani, and U.S. comics Fortune Feimster, Michelle Buteau and Adam Ray.

"The squad has worked truthful hard successful the past fewer months to physique backmost and enactment successful spot a large festival, a unchangeable festival," said Parent-Bédard, reached by video telephone earlier hosting a property league successful Montreal.

"This is bully quality for the community. Good quality for Montreal, bully quality for the [comedy] industry, and thing that we are truly arrogant of."

For comedian Steve Biko, getting a spot successful the festival is simply a imagination travel true.

"It's truly large for maine who came from Cameroon and present I'm doing basal up present successful Canada," helium said.

Mix of caller faces and well-known artists

Just For Laughs filed for bankruptcy successful 2024 citing myriad fiscal troubles including fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, ostentation and a changing amusement industry.

It was purchased past June by Parent-Bédard's radical ComediHa!, a francophone drama institution which past twelvemonth mounted a scaled-down mentation of JFL that included shows successful Vancouver and Bermuda.

Parent-Bédard said this year's variation volition connection audiences a premix of caller faces and well-known artists arsenic the squad works toward rebuilding JFL's venerable legacy.

"One time we anticipation to beryllium recognized again, arsenic it was the top and the biggest drama festival successful the world, but I cognize that we are going to bash large this summertime and the astir important happening for america is comedians having fun, fans having fun," helium said.

WATCH | JFL unveils star-studded festival lineup: 

In summation to solo standup shows, plans this summertime see 2 escaped outdoor drama shows and the instrumentality of the festival's drama nine series.

JFL is besides reviving its gala bid featuring breakout acts accompanied by manufacture veterans, with 2 shows each hosted by Feimster and Buteau and taped successful beforehand of a unrecorded audience, to aerial connected CBC.

Meanwhile, CTV Comedy Channel's Roast Battle Canada volition beryllium taped astatine the festival for the archetypal time, featuring Peters, Sabrina Jalees and K. Trevor Wilson arsenic judges and Ennis Esmer arsenic host.

'We are backmost successful afloat force' 

Nick Brazao, JFL's caput of programming and talent, said determination volition beryllium a scope of concerts and comedy.

"You can't spell incorrect with what we person got successful store," helium said. "We are backmost successful afloat force."

Parent-Bédard said his passionateness for drama volition thrust this caller iteration of the festival, which was founded successful 1982.

"I person my hands connected the wheel. We tin marque our ain decisions, and we are going to marque decisions astir emotion for comedy, astir passion," Parent-Bédard said.

JFL is acceptable to tally from July 16 to 27 and tickets spell connected merchantability connected May 12.

Like Biko, knowing she volition beryllium performing during JFL is simply a imagination for comedian Pascale Marineau,

"If I request to talk to my small interior child, I would accidental 'you spell girl, you did it! You're present and you get to cognize radical who inspired you each your life,'" she said.