Winnipeg, Manitoba, April 29, 2025 – With Canada's election behind us and the NHL playoffs heating up, there's one event we can all rally behind: the Winnipeg Comedy Festival presented by Manitoba Liquor Marts! Launching today, April 29, and running through May 4, WCF promises a full week of seriously funny entertainment across Winnipeg. Forget nail-biting overtime and election night drama—this is the biggest and best result of the week, and laughter is guaranteed.
"There’s a real buzz around this year’s Winnipeg Comedy Festival," says Artistic Director Dean Jenkinson. "We’re seeing audiences excited to be back, sharing laughs together in person—and tickets are moving fast. After everything we've been through the past few years, there’s nothing better than live comedy, a packed room, and that incredible feeling of laughing together. It’s going to be an unforgettable week."
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS:
Both tapings of The Debaters are SOLD OUT!
But don’t worry—fans can still catch host Steve Patterson in his acclaimed one-person show PatterDad, a hilarious look at life, fatherhood, and survival at home.
Bruce Clark’s We Gotta Talk... Show is also SOLD OUT! But there are still lots of incredible shows happening all week at our festival home, the Gas Station Arts Centre including:
The Crowd Work Show, a 100% improvised stand-up comedy show, hosted Nash Park and Alex Forman. Comics take the stage with absolutely zero material prepared. Armed only with a microphone and their wits, they’ll find the funny by talking to the crowd and navigating their surroundings. Thursday, May 1 | 7:30pm
Bannock Bums is a powerhouse lineup of Indigenous comedians bringing bold, heartfelt, and hilarious performances to the stage.
Saturday, May 3 | 7pm
The return of our festival closer, Best of the Fest, hosted by Ivan Decker, is a family-friendly show! We're trialing a pay-what-you-can model for this show, because we believe that comedy should be accessible to all! Sunday, May 4 | 2pm
Introducing our first-ever Festival Host at GSAC:
Dave Hemstad will be keeping audiences laughing all week as the official host of the Gas Station Arts Centre, leading the Great Patio Showdown: A Comedy Game Show—a fabulously free, all-ages event on the GSAC patio!
GSAC FREE PATIO PROGRAMMING
(445 River Avenue):
Wednesday – Saturday
5 PM | Patio opens to all ages with music by DJ JPQ
6 PM | Great Patio Showdown: A Comedy Game Show
Sunday
1 PM | Patio opens to all ages with DJ JPQ
5 PM | Festival 50/50 Draw
Special Events on the Patio:
Thursday, May 1 | 5–8 PM | Beer Tasting with Good Neighbour Brewing Co.
Saturday, May 3 | 7–10 PM | Brûlée Beers with Good Neighbour Brewing Co.
Don't miss: the chance to sample our exclusive Craft Beers from Good Neighbour Brewing—Seriously... Fruity and Seriously... Lite!
And of course, our Mega Shows, which are recorded for broadcast, are not to be missed.
RECORDED-FOR-BROADCAST MEGA SHOWS:
Maybe It's Me
Thursday, May 1, 7:30 PM
A hilarious show about how sometimes your worst enemy lives in the mirror. Hosted by Ashley Callingbull, Cree actress, model, activist, and the first Indigenous Miss Universe Canada!
100% Beef
Friday, May 2, 6:30 PM
Grievances aired, nobody spared. Comics get complaints off their chests and into your ears. Hosted by Ugandan-born, Toronto-based comedian Arthur Simeon.
Sick Jokes
Friday, May 2, 9:15 PM
A funny bone-breaking look at illness and injury, because laughter is the second-best medicine. Hosted by K. Trevor Wilson (Letterkenny’s "Man Mountain of Comedy").
Old School
Saturday, May 3, 6:30 PM
Comics young and old skewer later life. It’s comedy that ages like fine whine. Hosted by Stacey McGunnigle (22 Minutes, The Second City).
Unusual Suspects
Saturday, May 3, 9:15 PM
Spend some time on comedy’s Island of Misfit Joys. Unconventional comics. Uncommonly funny. Hosted by Jon Dore (The Lake, Conan, Inside Amy Schumer).
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.
For media inquiries or to schedule an interview, contact:
E. Anne Dawson
Director of Communications
204.396.0468
anne@winnipegcomedyfestival.com