The 23rd SF Sketchfest (January 15- February 1, 2026, across multiple local venues) just released its much-anticipated lineup, and it’s full of comedy gold. The festival is the one time of year that the Bay Area comedy scene really gets its due, and talents from Los Angeles and beyond collaborate wonderfully with us. The annual lineup announcement, which dropped this morning, is just as the Bay Area’s major music festivals; tickets go on sale at 10am on Sunday at sfsketchfest.com.
It was thrilling to be offered a quick peek at what’s being planned for 2026 before specific dates and places were announced, and then challenged to pick just five highlights. Because of the sheer volume of standup performances, podcasts, game shows, tributes, workshops, and other events coming (including Kids in the Hall, “Futurama,” and Brian Henson’s naughty puppets), the massive SF Sketchfest calendar deserves time to work through.
But the truth is, there isn’t much time left, because a lot of the big events are likely to sell out on Sunday or early next week. Here are five intriguing options that may require fast action to ensure entry, with the full press release announcement below:
The Women of SNL
Make way for the queens of broadcast comedy to be honored with an official SF Sketchfest Tribute, with Ellen Cleghorne, Rachel Dratch, Robin Duke, Ana Gasteyer, Laraine Newman, Cheri Oteri, Julia Sweeney, and more guests planned. This is SNL starpower to the highest degree, with multiple eras represented, and it’d be shocking if this isn’t one of the first to sell out. January 25, Great Star Theater, SF. More info here.
Joel Kim Booster: Bad Dates + Joel Kim Booster & Friends
There are always plenty of live podcast broadcasts to consider at Sketchfest, but tickets for Bad Dates with Joel Kim Booster (February 1, Cobb’s Comedy Club, SF, more info here)—the endearing host of Bravo’s Love Hotel and actor in Fire Island and Loot—will certainly move quickly. Booster is also hosting a standup night with two shows bursting with special guests, to triple your Booster pleasure (January 31, Great American Music Hall, SF, more info here.)
25th Anniversary of Wet Hot American Summer
A Sketchfest staple, the highly quotable 2001 summer camp romcom Wet Hot American Summer is now old enough to rent a car. Writer and director David Wain and stars Janeane Garofalo, Ken Marino, and special guests are expected to celebrate with songs (with Middle Aged Dad Jam Band) and storytelling. January 20, Great American Music Hall, SF, more info here.
Mark Mothersbaugh
Sketchfest always includes musical tributes led by The Red Room Orchestra in the calendar, and this year’s show with Devo head spud Mark Mothersbaugh sounds fun and intriguing. The performance will center around Mothersbaugh’s huge body of work making music in film and television. His West Hollywood production company Mutato Muzika is housed in a giant lime green spaceship on the Sunset Strip. He’s made music for smart kid-oriented shows like Pee-wee’s Playhouse and Rugrats, cartoons, comedies, and a lot more, and recently opened an art gallery. January 18, Great American Music Hall, SF, more info here.
Alex Bennett
Enter a Nineties time capsule with Bud E. Luv, Larry “Bubbles” Brown, Will Durst, Lori Thompson, and Bobby Slayton appearing to honor Bennett, 85, who hosted a popular morning radio show on Live 105 and was a real local comedy connector. Whereas a lot of this fest can feel very Hollywood, this is the most OG Bay Area lineup mentioned thus far, and it can’t help but to be super juicy. Let’s see if he’ll do an interview… January 31, Cobb’s Comedy Club, SF, more info here.
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SF SKETCHFEST runs January 15- February 1, 2026, across multiple local venues. More info here.
SF SKETCHFEST ANNOUNCES INITIAL LINEUP FOR THE 23RD COMEDY FESTIVAL
The festival features a stellar lineup of major events and special appearances, including Brian Henson’s Puppet Up! Uncensored, Kids in the Hall’s 30th Anniversary Brain Candy Live Read, Tributes to the Women of SNL, Randall Park, Mark Mothersbaugh, and more.
All-star appearances also include Pamela Adlon, Maria Bamford, Joel Kim Booster, Janeane Garofalo, The Groundlings, Tony Hale, John Hodgman, The Improvised Shakespeare Company, Thomas Lennon, Joshua Malina, Ben Mankiewicz, Ken Marino, Eugene Mirman, Adam Pally, Chelsea Peretti, Busy Philipps, Adam Savage, Kristen Schaal, Stamptown, Jennifer Tilly, Paul F. Tompkins, Blair Underwood, Upright Citizens Brigade, David Wain, Mo Willems and many more.
San Francisco, CA, November 14, 2025 — SF Sketchfest unveiled today the initial lineup for its 23rd annual festival, running January 15–February 1, 2026. Spanning stages across San Francisco, the festival will showcase more than 200 shows, featuring over 500 performers from across the comedy world. For over two weeks, audiences can experience an eclectic mix of sketch, stand-up, improv, music, tributes, live podcasts, and special events. Now in its 23rd year, SF Sketchfest remains a cornerstone of the comedy landscape, celebrated for its inventive programming, exclusive appearances, and unforgettable performances that connect fans with their favorite artists.
“We’re thrilled with how our 23rd festival has come together, with returning icons like the Kids in the Hall (to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their classic film “Brain Candy”) and The Henson Company’s hilarious and mind-blowing Puppet Up! Uncensored, alongside new faces to SF Sketchfest like the legendary Mark Mothersbaugh and the endlessly talented Randall Park,” said SF Sketchfest founders David Owen, Cole Stratton, and Janet Varney. “We’re especially proud to honor the brilliant women of SNL and to share so many incredible shows with our audiences this year.”
This year’s festival will feature exclusive tributes and live conversations with some of comedy’s most beloved figures. The Women of SNL: An SF Sketchfest Tribute brings together Ellen Cleghorne, Rachel Dratch, Robin Duke, Ana Gasteyer, Laraine Newman, Cheri Oteri, Julia Sweeney and more for a night celebrating over 50 years of groundbreaking sketch comedy. An Afternoon with Randall Park (“Always Be My Maybe,” “WandaVision,” “Fresh Off the Boat”), and an evening with The Red Room Orchestra performing the film and television music of Mark Mothersbaugh, joined by the prolific composer (and Devo co-founder) himself. The festival will also honor radio legend Alex Bennett, who will appear alongside friends and colleagues Lori Thompson, Will Durst, Larry “Bubbles” Brown, Bud E. Luv, and special guest Bobby Slayton.
Puppet Up! Uncensored returns to SF Sketchfest with its one-of-a-kind mix of improv comedy and puppetry. Created by Brian Henson and performed by members of the Jim Henson Company, the show turns audience suggestions into hilarious, unpredictable and sometimes risqué moments brought to life by master puppeteers. A longtime festival favorite, Puppet Up! is equal parts clever, chaotic, and completely unforgettable.
The festival celebrates major milestones and reunions, including Kids in the Hall’s “Brain Candy” 30th Anniversary Live Read and Middle Aged Dad Jam Band Celebrates 25 years of “Wet Hot American Summer” with songs and scenes from the film with Ken Marino, David Wain, Janeane Garofalo, and more.
Film and television fans will find plenty to celebrate at SF Sketchfest, with a lineup that bridges nostalgia and contemporary cult favorites. Dropout and SF Sketchfest team up for a trio of live events, including Crowd Control with Jacquis Neal, Dirty Laundry with Lily Du and Grant O’Brien, and Um, Actually with Ify Nwadiwe and Brian David Gilbert, bringing the beloved streaming network’s offbeat humor to the stage. The festival also reunites iconic casts for “Futurama” and Nickelodeon’s “Doug” for a 35th Anniversary Reunion with series creator Jim Jinkins and cast members.
Other returning favorites include the always hilarious Riffapalooza: Shorts Night! with “Mystery Science Theater 3000” favorites Trace Beaulieu, Frank Conniff, Bill Corbett, Kevin Murphy, and more, Found Footage Fest: Porcelain VHS Treasures, and Outtake-o-Rama: Infamous Celebrity Outtakes featuring members of the “Futurama” team. Music takes center stage with Middle Aged Dad Joel Band: Billy Joel Tribute brings Ken Marino and David Wain back to the stage, while Thomas Lennon & Friends Sing The Smiths teams with The Sweet and Tender Hooligans for a night of musical nostalgia.
Additional performances include sets from Dan Deacon, Bruce McCulloch, and Wolves of
Glendale with OCT (On Company Time).Headlining stand-up acts include Maria Bamford, Janeane Garofalo, Joel Kim Booster, Dulcé Sloan, Eugene Mirman, Todd Barry, Andy Daly, Brent Weinbach, Eddie Pepitone, Alice Wetterlund, Ed Gamble, Ify Nwadiwe, Carmen Christopher, Brittany Carney, and Jena Friedman. Highlights also include Marie Faustin’s Why Are You Single?, Jo Firestone: Friends of Single People, Sup, Bro? with Josh Gondelman and Alison Leiby, Trans-It Girls with Nori Reed and Hayden Johnson, and Armando Anto: The Maestro of Comedy.
Improv and Sketch Comedy remain at the heart of Sketchfest with returning favorites The Improvised Shakespeare Company, Upright Citizens Brigade’s ASSSSCAT, Off Book: The Improvised Musical, and Shamilton: The Improvised Hip-Hop Musical. Additional highlights include The Groundlings, Theme Park Improv with Simon Helberg, John Michael Higgins, Oscar Nunez and more, WorkJuice Improv, ASSSSKETCH NY, The Big Team, Time to Kill, and SpontTourCo.
Alternative comedy thrives at Sketchfest with Chaos featuring Natasha Leggero, Chelsea Peretti, and Sabrina Jalees. Other highlights include Smoke Show with Jodie Sweetin, Kristen Schaal’s The Legend of Crystal Shell, Scott Thompson as Buddy Cole, Asian AF, Ask A Fuckboy, and The George Lucas Talk Show. Festival-goers can also catch inventive productions like Dana Gould’s Hangin’ with Dr. Z, Drunk Shrek, and Climate Town Town Hall, plus a growing wave of modern clowning shows such as Stamptown with Zach Zucker, Stand Up and Clown with Chad Damiani, The Amazing Banana Brothers, and Courtney Pauroso’s Vanessa 5000, that blur the lines between satire, sketch, and social commentary.
Live podcasts remain a cornerstone of the festival, with fan favorites including Welcome toNight Vale, Judge John Hodgman, Stuff You Should Know, Endless Honeymoon with Moshe Kasher and Natasha Leggero, and StraightioLab. Additional shows include Bad Dates with Joel Kim Booster, Staying Alive with Jon Gabrus and Adam Pally, The Neighborhood Listen with Paul F. Tompkins, Nicole Parker, and Brett Morris, Doug Loves Movies with Doug Benson, Hey Riddle Riddle, The Headgum Podcast, Kinda Funny, E Pluribus Motto with John Hodgman and Janet Varney, and Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch and Irene Bremis.
Theatrical and variety programming returns with Varietopia, hosted by Paul F. Tompkins, The Thrilling Adventure Hour with Busy Philipps, Paget Brewster, Joshua Malina and more, and Celebrity Autobiography featuring Pamela Adlon, Tony Hale, Ben Mankiewicz, Laraine Newman, Cheri Oteri, Jennifer Tilly, Blair Underwood and more. Additional highlights include Kirsten Vangsness: Outdated, Cockettes Nouveau, Comedian Clash with Jacquis Neal, Tinder Live with Lane Moore and Fake Ted Talks with Jonathan Coulton, Paul & Storm, Andy Daly, Jean Grae and more. The funnier side of burlesque takes center stage with Tight & Nerdy: “Weird Al” Burlesque and The Craft-lesque, a parody burlesque show of the cult film “The Craft.”
The annual SF Sketchfest Dozen returns to spotlight twelve rising stars in stand-up: Aaron Branch, Tina Friml, Mike Hanford, Alison Leiby, Kenice Mobley, Dauood Naimyar,Brendan Scannell, Daniel Simonsen, Greta Titelman, Tien Tran, Martin Urbano, and Sabrina Wu.
Workshops: Sketchfest also offers opportunities for artists and fans to learn from the best, including Kevin McDonald: From Improv to Sketch and Listen for Laughs, Clown Workshop with Zach Zucker, and Character Workshop with Brian Palermo (The Groundlings). Families can enjoy Mo Willems: The Mo & Co. Show, a playful, all-ages event with special guests Kate Micucci and Cher Willems and The Groundlings Children’s Show.
More shows and performers will be announced soon. Tickets: On sale Sunday, November 16 at 10:00 AM PT at sfsketchfest.com.
SF Sketchfest takes place from January 15th through February 1st at Bayfront Theatre, Cobb’s Comedy Club, Eclectic Box, Great American Music Hall, Great Star Theater, Lost Church, Marines’ Memorial Theatre, Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, Punch Line Comedy Club, Sports Basement, and Sydney Goldstein Theater.
