JANN ARDEN, SHAUN MAJUMDER, AND MORE HEADLINE WINNIPEG COMEDY FEST'S 25TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR.
Winnipeg, Manitoba [February 18, 2026] – The Winnipeg Comedy Festival (WCF), presented by Manitoba Liquor Mart, is turning 25, and in true comedy fashion, it plans to celebrate with pomp, circumstance, and absolutely no guarantee of dignity. Running April 20–26, 2026, the 25th anniversary festival promises its biggest, boldest, and most gleefully nonsensical week yet.
Artistic Director Dean Jenkinson says "Since 2002 this festival has brought Winnipeg comedy fans the very best of Canadian comedy – the established stars and the funniest emerging comics. For our 25th year we really wanted to bring back a lot of our audience favourites – the comics that helped build the festival and put it on the map – as well as the country’s hottest new comics who are poised to be the stars of the future. What better way to celebrate where we’ve been and where we’re headed?”
Nick Kowalchuk (Senior Producer, WCF and Executive Director, GSAC) says “For 25 years, the Winnipeg Comedy Festival has been a safe space for diverse Canadian voices to explore big ideas and hot-button issues through a comedic lens. This year’s programming feels like the culmination of decades of tireless work, collaboration, and belief in the power of comedy to bring people together.”
But enough of the informal platitudes, let's celebrate that spirit by unveiling our hosts of the 25th Anniversary Mega Shows, recorded for broadcast at the Burton Cummings Theatre. These shows feature some of Canada’s most beloved performers presiding over nights of comedy that are equal parts sharp, silly, and gloriously unhinged.
25TH ANNIVERSARY MEGA SHOWS
Burton Cummings Theatre | 364 Smith Street
Thursday, April 23, 2026 – 7:30 PM
MY BEST LIFE
Hosted by Brooke Lynn Hytes (Judge, Canada’s Drag Race; runner-up, RuPaul’s Drag Race)
Comics live down to their potential in a show that bravely asks the question: Who self-cares?
Friday, April 24, 2026 – 6:30 PM
NEW TO TOWN
Hosted by Dave Merheje (Juno Award-winning comedian; Mr. D; Just For Laughs)
Fresh laughs for a growing country. Because coming to Canada is a culture shock to the system.
Friday, April 24, 2026 – 9:15 PM
25TH ANNIVERSARY GALA
Hosted by Shaun Majumder (This Hour Has 22 Minutes; 24; Star Trek: Strange New Worlds)
A show so good, it took 25 years to make. Featuring some of the festival’s all-time favourites.
Saturday, April 25, 2026 – 6:30 PM
CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK
Hosted by Chris Wilson (This Hour Has 22 Minutes; Second City)
A hilarious look at parents that proves some gene pools should come with life preservers.
Saturday, April 25, 2026 – 9:15 PM
YOU HAD TO BE THERE
Hosted by Jann Arden (multi-platinum award-winning singer, songwriter, actor, and bestselling author)
Totally true stories you’ll love… because they happened to someone else.
Mega Show tickets are $40, available now at wpgcomfest.com.
IN OTHER NEWS:
CBC's The Debaters is back at WCF!
Saturday, April 25 & Sunday, April 26, 2026 – 2:00 PM
Jubilee Place, MBCI | 173 Talbot Avenue
Hosted by Steve Patterson
Tickets $45 at wpgcomfest.com
Dave Hemstad is also returning at our GSAC host! He'll have his hands full with the incredible programming we've got planned for our flagship theatre - full details coming soon!
Further 25th anniversary revelations, announcements, and unexpected silliness are forthcoming. Vigilance is advised! Follow WCF on social media and keep an eye on wpgcomfest.com for updates.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Winnipeg Comedy Festival is produced by the Gas Station Arts Centre (GSAC). As GSAC’s main source of capital income, the festival helps fund mentorship programs and keeps performance spaces affordable for emerging artists.
ABOUT THE WINNIPEG COMEDY FESTIVAL
winnipegcomedyfestival.com | gsac.ca
Founded in 2002 by Lara Rae and CBC Radio’s Tom Anniko, WCF has grown from a single festival into GSAC’s flagship event—featuring year-round outreach programs, rural tours, workshops, and acclaimed TV broadcasts. With over 2 million viewers tuning in annually, WCF remains CBC Television’s highest-rated comedy festival series—proof that Winnipeg knows how to bring the laughs, on stage and on screen.
Canadian comedy legends like Russell Peters, Brent Butt, Andrea Martin, Joe Flaherty, Mark McKinney, Tommy Chong, and David Steinberg have all graced the WCF stage.