Multiple Venues
Each Winter
Multi-week festival
Varied
Get ready to belly-laugh the night away
Just For Laughs Vancouver is one of the city’s biggest annual comedy festivals, bringing stand-up, improv, sketch and live podcast shows to stages across the city. The festival is produced by the legendary Just For Laughs brand, which is the same team behind Montréal’s world-famous comedy festival that began in 1983. The festival has become a major fixture in Vancouver’s arts and entertainment scene.
Originally launched as JFL NorthWest in 2016, the festival has grown into a multi-week celebration featuring international headliners, rising Canadian talent and local performers across clubs, theatres and iconic venues throughout Vancouver.
Want to explore more of what’s here and happening? Browse our full calendar of Vancouver events.
Tips for the shows
- Book tickets early: Headliner shows often sell out fast. Secure your seats as soon as the lineup drops to get the best options.
- Plan your schedule: With dozens of acts happening across multiple venues, map out your nights in advance so you don’t miss your favourites.
- Explore multiple shows: Try mixing big-name headliners with local showcases or late-night sets. Some of the best discoveries happen off the main stage.
- Arrive early: Get to your venue with time to spare, especially for general-admission shows or popular clubs that fill quickly.
- Check age restrictions: Some shows are 19+ depending on the venue, so review details before planning family or group outings.
Where is Just For Laughs Vancouver (JFL)?
Just For Laughs is not at one particular venue, but spread across multiple venues in Vancouver, with many shows hosted in theatres and comedy clubs near Granville Street, the Queen Elizabeth Theatre district, and the Vancouver Playhouse. The well-connected locations of the festival’s venues make it easy to hop between shows or explore the city before and after performances. Here are some highlights of the neighbourhoods to know, whatever the show.
Granville Street
The neon signs lining Granville Street mark out some of Vancouver’s most iconic entertainment institutions, including the Orpheum and Vogue theatre. Along with the Vancouver Playhouse and Queen Elizabeth Theatre round the corner, these represent some of the biggest theatrical venues the city has to offer. During Just For Laughs Vancouver, these stages become home to some of comedy’s biggest names and hottest rising stars, every night of the week.
Mount Pleasant
South of downtown but easily accessible by transit are the breweries, eateries, and bars of Mount Pleasant, which add some of comedy’s finest to their menu during the festival. Home to a diverse mixture of JFL venues, including art studios and theatres, the surrounding food and drink offerings of Mount Pleasant are some of the best in the city – perfect for a pre- or post-show refreshment.
Commercial Drive
East of the city’s center but central to the city’s artistic scene, Commercial Drive is always alive with the alternative and independent goings-on of East Van. Alongside The Drive’s diverse food and drink offerings, The Rio Theatre is a staple of the city’s independent cinema scene and hosts multiple shows during Just For Laughs. York Theatre adds to its legendary history every year with each show-stopping performance.
Granville Island
The home of improv and comedy in Vancouver, Granville Island continues to be the bedrock for much of the city’s arts and festival scene. As well as catching a performance at one of the city’s best-loved theatres, the island’s spectacular sprawl of galleries, boutiques, and market stalls are well worth a visit in their own right between shows.
Getting there
SkyTrain
Most downtown Just For Laughs festival Vancouver venues are within walking distance of:
- Granville Station (Expo Line)
- Vancouver City Centre Station (Canada Line)
- Stadium–Chinatown Station (Expo Line)
For shows near Commercial Drive, Commercial-Broadway Station (Expo Line) offers the quickest route to and from downtown, with buses also running up Commercial Drive.
For shows in the Mount Pleasant area, Main Street-Science World Station (Expo Line) is the closest station, with buses picking up beside the station to connect with venues further along Main Street.
Bus routes
Frequent service runs along Granville, Robson, Georgia and Burrard, making it easy to reach venue clusters downtown. Regular services run up and down Main Street and Commercial Drive for travelling to and from shows in Mount Pleasant and Commercial Drive. Connecting the city from East to West, services along Broadway allow for easy travel between these areas.
Parking
Paid parking is available at EasyPark, Impark and public parkades throughout the city. Rates vary by time and location, and evenings can fill quickly during festival nights.
Cycling
Vancouver’s downtown bike lanes make cycling simple and many venues have racks nearby. For a visual on bike paths in the city, download the Vancouver Cycling Map. Rental bikes can also be found throughout the city at dedicated stances, allowing for quick trips at pay-by-the-minute rates.
What to expect
Big-name headliners
Each year brings internationally recognized comedians, touring stand-up acts and well-known TV personalities performing in large theatres and iconic venues.
Local and emerging talent
Catch rising stars, local comics and themed showcases. Some of the best comedy discoveries happen in the smaller clubs and late-night sets.
Specialty shows
Expect live podcasts, improv performances, drag-comedy crossovers, storytelling nights, and variety shows that go beyond traditional stand-up.
Festival-energy downtown
With shows happening across multiple venues each night, the downtown core buzzes with festival energy — perfect for bar-hopping, pre-show dining, or catching multiple sets in a row.
Merch and meet-and-greets
Some performers host post-show meet-and-greets or sell festival-exclusive merch, perfect for fans looking for souvenirs.
Ask
me
about
Just
For
Laughs
Highlights from this year and more
FAQS