Laugh Hard at the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival

August 14, 2024
RC
By Rick Chung
5 min read
Aerial view of a park with a sports field and surrounding trees near a body of water, featuring a logo that reads 'The Great Outdoors Comedy Festival.'

Comedy fans, prepare to laugh outside at the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival (GOCF) live in beautiful Stanley Park from September 13-15. The open-air festival is doubling down on laughter and good times outdoors by expanding its eclectic roster of standup comedians from two to three nights here in Vancouver and from four cities to eight on its tour across North America.

Large outdoor crowd seated facing a stage with city skyline and water in the background at dusk.
Stanley Park, Photo: Sydney Butters/GOCF

Delivering a one-of-a-kind experience since 2021, GOCF is known for its stacked and varied lineup. Previous stops on its 2024 tour include Edmonton, Winnipeg, London, Ottawa, and Halifax already before heading to Calgary and Spokane (for its first U.S. show) then finally Vancouver on its cross-country summer tour.

The festival’s focus on creating opportunities for collaboration with its comedians and host cities aims to bring even more laughter to fans and audiences from coast to coast while expanding into the U.S.

Comedy Lineup

Audience watching a person on stage at The Great Outdoors Comedy Festival with a mountain landscape backdrop.
Bobby Lee, Photo: GOCF

Night one is headlined by Tom Segura on his Come Together Tour featuring MADtv alum and Tigerbelly podcast host Bobby Lee on stage on Friday. Inimitable comedian and host of the popular This Past Weekend podcast Theo Vonheadlines night two as part of his Return of the Rat Tour with opener Trevor Wallace, known for his viral comedy clips on social media, on Saturday in Stanley Park.

Co-headliners Dan Soder, Andrew Santino, and Mark Normand take over night three as the final additions to GOCF’s Vancouver star-studded lineup. Soder, famous for his role on the hit series Billions joins Santino, also an actor known for hosting multiple podcasts, alongside Normand, whom Jerry Seinfeld called “best young up-and-coming comic,” for only one night together.

A person holding a microphone on an outdoor stage speaking to a large seated audience with trees and portable toilets in the background.
Tom Segura, Photo: GOCF

Friday, Sept. 13 – Tom Segura, Bobby Lee & Jessica Kirson, hosted by Dale Ward

Saturday, Sept. 14 – Theo Von, Trevor Wallace & Maddy Smith

Sunday, Sept. 15 – Dan Soder, Andrew Santino, Mark Normand, Ralph Barbosa & Fahim Anwar

Live in Stanley Park

Aerial view of a park with a sports field and surrounding trees near a body of water, featuring a logo that reads 'The Great Outdoors Comedy Festival.'
Image: GOCF

At 1001 acres, the scenic Stanley Park is located directly north of Downtown Vancouver’s bustling core. It’s one of the largest urban parks in the world and is known for its coastal views, dense greenery, and sheer beauty.

Outdoors in the late summer and surrounded by one of the great parks makes for one of the more unique and exciting venues to take in live entertainment like stand-up comedy under the night sky in a relaxing atmosphere.

To purchase tickets, visit GOCF’s website.

Vancouver Comedy Scene

A person speaking into a microphone with one arm extended, standing in front of a dark curtain.
Ross Dauk, Photo: Jokes Please!

Vancouver is a hotbed for comedy with many stand-ups getting their start in the city. For those hungry to see local shows and talented comedians, there are plenty of regular shows performed every week inside more intimate venues to get you into that comedy feeling.

There are also still plenty of opportunities to get out and enjoy outdoor summer events in Vancouver, including Light Up Chinatown! and Car Free Day.

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