Just For Laughs Vancouver 2025: Picks of the Fest

Just For Laughs Vancouver: Picks of the Fest

TikTok sensations, crowd work wizards, and Vancouver’s rising stars lead our list of acts you can’t miss at Western Canada's biggest comedy festival.

by Gaby Harrie

Published on February 3, 2025

From Feb. 13 to 23, comedy legends and up-and-comers alike will take the stage at venues across the city as part of Just For Laughs Vancouver’s diverse roster of performers. Jerry Seinfeld, Kumail Nanjiani, and Margaret Cho are just some of the heavy hitters headlining the 9th edition of the festival.

Widely varying in sense of humour and format, this year’s acts are taking audiences on a tour of the comedy arts, performing stand-up and improv, putting on live podcast recordings and reinventing their online content into live shows. Whether you’re looking to crack up with your favourite podcasters IRL or excited to find the next hidden gem, our faves will keep you laughing all fest long.

The Basement Yard

February 21 | Queen Elizabeth Theatre

The wildly popular Basement Yard podcast stars childhood besties Joe Santagato and Frankie Alvarez. Known for their effortless banter, the co-hosts give their takes on everyday life, pop culture and the bizarre corners of the internet, ribbing each other like brothers and speaking to their audience like family. Their chaotic and interactive live experience is bound to be an unforgettable show. | TICKETS & INFO

The Downside Podcast

February 17 | The Biltmore

It’s almost impossible to escape Gianmarco Soresi, with his hysterically cynical stand-up clips constantly re-shared by anxiety-having children of divorce everywhere. The world-famous comedian is known for bringing levity to even the most taboo subjects with his campy candour and frenetic delivery. In this live recording of his podcast, Soresi and his co-host, New York comedian Russell Daniels, invite audiences to join them for a night of bitching, hating, and, most importantly, laughing. | TICKETS & INFO

Two Idiot Girls

February 16 | Rio Theatre

Drew Afualo got her start in 2020 using her brutal roasting skills to humble TikTok misogynists. Since then, she has become one of the most recognizable voices on the platform, helping to usher in a new generation of comedians alongside the likes of Brittany Broski and Caleb Heron. Expect roasting, tea-spilling and scream-laughing as Drew and her sister, Deison, bring a reimagined live version of their podcast, Two Idiot Girls, to the Rio Theatre. | TICKETS & INFO

Ashley Gavin

February 20 | Vogue Theatre

Beloved “Angry Lesbian” Ashley Gavin is a master of crowdwork. Known for her viral audience interactions and her brutally honest podcast, We’re Having Gay Sex, Gavin’s sets pull from her own experiences navigating the Wild West of lesbianism, as well as the life experiences of those who attend her shows. With insane improv skills and a talent for finding the funny in everyone, shy folks might want to sit in the back for this one. | TICKETS & INFO

Best of the West presented by SiriusXM

Spotlighting Canadian Talent

Featuring our country’s most promising comedians and comedy acts, there is something for everyone in JFL’s Best of the West. Classic standup fans will enjoy COMEDY WORLD, one of three standup shows taking place at the legendary Vancouver comedy club China Cloud Studios. For the more experimental crowd, FISTFUL OF CRIME: An Improvised 80s Hong Kong Gangster Film brings a solid hour of non-stop drugs, crime, and improv. Queer comedy enthusiasts can also look forward to a night of subversive madness at Trans Girls Raw and Uncut.