All the comedians to see on tour this spring
Ten stand-up tours guaranteed to make you spit out your drink
The silly stars of Hulu's "Only Murders in the Building" and a legendary podcast host are just three of the comedians heading to a city near you in the coming months. These 10 stand-up tours are sure to tickle your funny bone this spring.
Margaret Cho
Queer Korean comic Margaret Cho is not afraid to get political. Her current tour "celebrates my 40 years as a stand-up," Cho said on her website, promising to radiate "rage about homophobia, sexism, racism and the fight to stay alive in a culture that is killing us daily" onstage. "Live & Livid" tour dates are ongoing through December.
Jim Gaffigan
Gaffigan's midwestern sensibility and sheepish delivery have always made him extra-relatable. He rose to fame covering family-friendly topics like his kids and his shameful love affair with fast food, from Cinnabon to Subway In his last special, "Dark Pale," Gaffigan showed signs of pushing back "against that vanilla image," said The New York Times. "Barely Alive Tour" dates are ongoing through December.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Kevin Hart
Kevin Hart recently became the 25th person to win the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, a prestigious honor that is considered a "lifetime achievement award in comedy," The New York Times said. Hart is a household name, having built a veritable empire with successful films, restaurants and media companies. "The Reality Check Tour" dates are ongoing through June.
Jo Koy
Koy found himself in hot water while hosting the 2024 Golden Globes, a gig during which he made some widely criticized jokes. (Hosting an awards show is no easy gig — just ask James Franco.) Koy got defensive and blamed his writers. But one bad night does not an entire career make (or break), so perhaps he has a shot at redemption on tour, where he will presumably be in charge of the joke writing. "Jo Koy World Tour" dates are ongoing through November.
Marc Maron
The host of the long-running comedy podcast "WTF with Marc Maron" is currently on a 2024 tour, which comes on the heels of last year's HBO special "From Bleak to Dark." There, the "typically cantankerous stand-up turn[ed] toward grace," said Vulture, discussing the unexpected death of his partner from leukemia during the pandemic's early days. "All In Tour" dates are ongoing through November.
Steve Martin and Martin Short
If you love watching comedy legends Steve Martin and Martin on Hulu's "Only Murders in the Building," now is your chance to catch the dynamic duo together in the flesh. The tour's description promises the hosts will "make each other laugh as much as the audience," mocking Hollywood and the fickle nature of celebrity — but the comedy "truly soars when they lovingly (and relentlessly) roast each other." These two met on the set of the 1986 film "Three Amigos" and have now been friends for almost forty years. "The Dukes of Funnytown!" tour will commence on May 3 in Syracuse, NY.
John Mulaney
Simultaneously unassuming and flamboyant, Mulaney has skyrocketed to fame over the last decade. His material ranges from childhood anecdotes to overcoming addiction to his two-year-old son, Malcolm. And his charisma is so convincing, people were clamoring for him to host next year's Oscars after a short presenting stint at this year's. There are only two dates left on this tour — so get tickets while you can. "John Mulaney in Concert" runs through May 4.
Wanda Sykes
The Emmy-winning veteran stand-up recently began her first major tour in six years. Her latest Netflix special, "I'm an Entertainer," came out in May 2023 and detailed "some of the most hot button topics of the pandemic era," including "the Jan. 6 insurrection, the importance of trans rights and the murder of Black Americans like George Floyd," said Variety. "Please & Thank You" tour dates are ongoing through June.
Taylor Tomlinson
This fresh-faced comic provides particular insight into the "millennial struggle," making light of app dating, mental health and religious guilt. "Tomlinson has developed one of the smoothest, most conversational deliveries in stand-up comedy, continually honing a more and more relatable act," said Forbes. "Have It All" tour dates resume April 19 and are ongoing through September.
Ali Wong
Ali Wong became the first woman of Asian descent to win a lead acting Emmy this year for her work in "Beef," a dark comedy from Netflix and A24. Now, she's back on the road and full of unapologetic (and sexually explicit) jokes about everything from race to feminism to her divorce. "Ali Wong: Live" is ongoing through May 12.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Anya Jaremko-Greenwold has worked as a story editor at The Week since 2024. She previously worked at FLOOD Magazine, Woman's World, First for Women, DGO Magazine and BOMB Magazine. Anya's culture writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Jezebel, Vice and the Los Angeles Review of Books, among others.
-
Juror #2: Clint Eastwood's 'cleverly constructed' courtroom drama is 'rock solid'
The Week Recommends Nicholas Hoult stars in 'morally complex' film about a juror on a high-profile murder case
By The Week UK Published
-
Explore a timeless corner of Spain by bike
The Week Recommends Take a 'dawdling route through the back-country' far from the tourism hotspots
By The Week UK Published
-
Movies to watch in November, including 'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II'
The Week Recommends A major musical adaptation, a Roman Empire sequel and a movie where Santa gets kidnapped
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
Griddled salmon and vegetables with miso and melted butter recipe
The Week Recommends Hokkaido comfort food classic with a delicious twist
By The Week UK Published
-
Edmund de Waal on this year's Booker Prize shortlist
The Week Recommends The chair of judges details works by Rachel Kushner, Percival Everett and others
By The Week UK Published
-
Shattered: Hanif Kureishi's 'inspirational' memoir of accident that left him paralysed
The Week Recommends 'Exhilarating' book is composed of diary entries dictated to his son Carlo
By The Week UK Published
-
Small Things Like These: 'stylish' Irish drama 'casts a powerful spell'
The Week Recommends 'Stylish' drama starring Cillian Murphy as a devoted father
By The Week UK Published
-
Blitz: an 'odyssey through Britain at war'
The Week Recommends The 'excellent' Saoirse Ronan stars in this 'cracking' film
By The Week UK Published