The L.A. comedy scene has never been just one thing. Sure, we’re home to some of the best comedy clubs and comedians in the world. Legendary improv troupes? We’ve got ’em. Podcasts and hilarious content creators? We’re drowning in them. When it comes to variety shows, drag brunches and clowns, our town is top tier. Yet still, at some point even the most omnivorous comedy fan can hit a wall when it comes to looking for new things in this city to laugh about.
Thankfully, every other year for the last six years, the Netflix Is a Joke Festival injects L.A. with a large dose of discovery, turning our local scene into an onstage version of TV’s upfronts for the comedy world.
“Comedy is so much about discovery,” said Netflix head of comedy Tracey Pakosta. “Being able to put groups of people together, or talent that’s been doing this for so long, I think that’s what makes the festival great.”
Taking over L.A. with surprising comedy shows of all shapes and sizes has been the inspiration behind the sprawling festival since it debuted in 2022. Initially stymied by the pandemic in 2020, it was revived two years later and there had been nothing in the country like it. The two-week bonanza of major talent from all over the world supported by the world’s biggest streaming platform managed to set itself apart from longtime fests like Montreal’s Just For Laughs or the Moontower Comedy Festival in Austin, Texas. This year, NIAJ is distilled from two weeks down to one between May 4 through 10. Making use of clubs, theaters, bars and arenas all over L.A., the event encourages Angelenos to spin the block and reexamine well-trodden territory to find dozens of unique lineups, new comedians, new formats and memorable surprises all while (hopefully) finding a parking space.
These building blocks of the fest are personified by the big red “Netflix Is a Joke” blocks found on almost every stage. From the giant ones at the Hollywood Bowl the size of a Fiat to handheld ones at a small club that fit on a barstool, you will find them everywhere all week long. They’re part of the branding that unifies every show and a reminder of how big and diverse the scene really is.
“We have so many opportunities for comics to showcase themselves and we have such unique voices here and there’s such diversity,” comedian Iliza Shlesinger said about the festival. “It’s a chance to see all of your favorite comics in one place. And then about 500 other comics. It may not be great for your brake pads or your traffic time, but there’s a lot going on.”
Shlesinger’s point is evidenced by the comedians she’s sitting next to on a recent afternoon while talking about the impact of the festival on L.A. comedy. Atsuko Okatsuka, Sheng Wang and Shlesinger all took different paths to grow into marquee headliners — from indie clubs to major theaters to shooting their own one-hour specials. Part of what makes them stand out in their L.A. home base is that even at the heights they’ve all reached in their careers, they still love playing small shows all over town.
“There’s a lot of smaller shows around town that are also listed as part of the festival,” said Wang, whose special “Purple,” directed by longtime friend and stand-up star Ali Wong, recently premiered on Netflix. “I like doing those rooms just to practice and to get reps. But it’s cool that they are partnering with the festival so that they can kind of build a profile for themselves.”
Okatsuka, who is performing at the Orpheum as part of her national Big Bowl Tour, said it’s significant that the fest, which she describes as “Comedy Coachella,” is happening in the city where she found her voice in comedy. “For me it was the alt rooms that helped me grow because you know everyone has different energies and backgrounds and backstories,” she said. “I’m not someone that could start at a comedy club, my personality doesn’t allow for it.”
With over 350 shows happening all over seven days, NIAJ has the chance to continue its streak of introducing unique live formats and pairings for comedy that have room to grow. The other side of NIAJ’s impact on L.A. comes from massive shows like Gabriel Iglesias’ sold-out gigs at Dodger Stadium (only recently surpassed in ticket sales by his SoFi gig with Jo Koy), or innovations in livestreaming like last year’s roast of Tom Brady at the Forum. And let’s not forget John Mulaney’s stab at late-night experiment with the live series “Everybody’s in L.A.”
The past two installments of the festival have shown Netflix’s desire to take comedy to new heights. It continues this year with the live roast of Kevin Hart at the Forum, hosting its first all-Spanish-language show at the Bowl with Marcello Hernandez and Colombian singer Feid, and more musically-driven comedy variety shows hosted by major music acts like Lizzo and Jelly Roll. And then of course there are one-off shows like the 40th anniversary of “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” — a comedy variety show hosted by Patton Oswalt, which Wang will also be a part of.
“I’m just grateful to be part of this bigger show,” Wang said. “I’m a childhood fan of Pee-wee Herman, and I’m so grateful to be part of such a bigger tribute to him.”
There are several big variety shows including the Night of Too Many Stars at the Bowl and Seth Goes Greek at the Greek Theatre, starring Seth Rogen. And then there are true oddities like Stamptown, which is shooting its debut special for Netflix during the festival on May 8 and 9 at the Montalban Theatre, that thrive on being an uncategorizable ball of comedic energy with dancers, funny acrobats, skits and stand-up. Being around so many different types of shows also forces a lot of comedians to add more elements to their shows for the festival.
“I do think initially, when the festival started, it was about us going to talent, to try to come up with these ideas and brainstorm what is the most exciting show that could be done,” Pakosta said. “But now it’s a lot of incoming calls with talent having a really clear point of view on what they want to do.”
Some shows are obviously driven by Netflix programming as a way to cross-promote a comic and a TV show the platform is invested in. That includes live podcasts at the Wiltern where Bill Simmons interviews Shane Gillis and the cast of the Netflix sitcom “Tires,” or Tim Dillon doing a live discussion with the cast of real estate reality shows “Selling Sunset” and “Selling the OC.”
While boosting the visibility of the shows on their platform has become a big part of the fest, that also includes backing comics they support, no matter how controversial they may be. This year the fest’s inclusion of Louis C.K. at the Bowl comes on the heels of the streamer producing his latest special “Ridiculous,” slated for a summer release. It marks his first major partnership with a streaming service since allegations of sexual misconduct in 2017. Since 2020, he’s put out several specials independently on his own website.
Asked about the decision to work with C.K. again, Pakosta said Netflix is in the business of giving comedy fans the choice to see someone they think is still the best at what they do.
“I think it sort of goes back to wanting to be in business with incredibly talented people,” Pakosta said. “And a lot of comics were talking about Louis C.K. and what he was putting out recently. In order to make sure that we have the best and the most variety on-service, having him perform at the festival and then ultimately launching a special [on Netflix] gives members the opportunity to see it if they want to … when we were getting the talent that we were working with, that we have a lot of respect for, saying how great he is and that he’s doing this again, it’s like OK, we want to be able to give people the choice to see it.”
For many comics shooting specials during the week the fest is in town, it’s also a chance to bring more work back to town for film crews and below-the-line workers who need jobs.
“It’ll be almost a year since my special ‘Father’ came out on Hulu and I shot that in L.A. too,” said Okatsuka, who chose to film her 2025 special at Hollywood’s El Capitan Theater and plans to shoot her next special in L.A. later this year. “So many productions have gone to other places and so a lot of crew have lost work or have left… I purposely was like, I’m gonna try to do my L.A. play during the festival… I’m just L.A. obsessed.”
The feeling seems mutual between comics and their fans from L.A. and all over the world who come to buy their tickets for next week’s extravaganza and people continue to fuss over planning a week of shows where everything funny is happening all at once.
“It is like in a golden era right now,” Shlesinger said. “Comedy wanes and it waxes, and right now it is just everywhere. People you’ve never heard of are micro-famous, they’ve got a billion followers. They make a jillion dollars. You’ve never heard of them. And the festival is great because it keeps growing. So there’s more opportunities for that audience to find you.”
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