Montreal’s Just for Laughs Comedy Festival

Montreal will be ringing with the sound of laughter all throughout July as the city plays host to the world’s largest comedy festival. Yup, the world’s largest. Twenty days packed with side-splitting comedians who will leave you breathless.

That it all takes place in Montreal is excuse enough to go.

This year’s Just for Laughs headliners are too many to print. Literally. There will be 1,700 artists performing. Artists like Dave Chappelle, Neil Patrick Harris, Trevor Noah, Mike Myers, Jane Lynch, Alan Cumming and Sir Patrick Stewart, among many, many more. Oh, what the heck, here’s a few more: Chevy Chase, Craig Ferguson, Kevin Hart, Margaret Cho and Weird Al Yankovic.

During the festival, Montreal floods with more than 2 million festival-goers navigating the galas, street art, theatre productions and stand-up performances. You can find shows all across the city but it is centered in the Latin Quarter. Many — ok, 1,200 of the shows — are free. Prices range from free street performances up to $100 for headliners. Most shows sit comfortably in the $20–30 range, however. There are also Just for Laughs festival passes available which include a number of shows plus free tickets during the last week of the festival ($99–215).

The Just for Laughs comedy festival is more than just a few shows. It’s an atmosphere. It’s a month-long street party. It’s an event you won’t want to miss.