Major Comedy Festival Coming to Burlington

Published January 29, 2018 at 2:23 pm

It’s almost time to get your laugh on in Burlington.

The third annual Burlington Comedy Festival kicks off on Feb. 19 with comics taking the stage at two venues.

It’s almost time to get your laugh on in Burlington.

The third annual Burlington Comedy Festival kicks off on Feb. 19 with comics taking the stage at two venues.

“We have had full houses in the past,” said Burlington Downtown Business Association executive director Brian Dean.

Performers such as comedian/actor Kevin Pollak, The Kids in the Hall’s Scott Thompson, Canadian writer/actor Jon Dore, and rising star Nick Nemeroff will be cracking up crowds at two venues: the Burlington Performing Arts Centre (BPAC) and the Water Street Cooker.

More than a dozen comedians and variety performers will be featured in the three-day festival.

“We want to showcase our business community by bringing crowds to the downtown core for laughs and great hospitality,” said Dean. 

This is the second time organizers are using BPAC as a venue — it has 750 seats and roughly 500 tickets were sold last year, said Dean.

The festival, in support of the Canadian Cancer Society, begins with a family variety show suitable for all ages.

It features award-winning, international circus artists including a Portuguese clown who is one of the judges on Portugal’s Got Talent.

There’s a juggling and acrobatic duo who will be coming directly from China.

The show runs approximately 80 minutes with no intermission.

Seating is general admission. Tickets are $15 and showtime is 3 p.m. at BPAC.


For adults, the Best of the Fest runs at BPAC at 8 p.m. — tickets are $49.

The festival concludes with two performances at the Water Street Cooker on Feb. 20, and Feb. 21 featuring “up close and personal” comedy plus a variety act starting at 8 p.m. Tickets are $29.

The VIP Food & Funny Deal is $54 and includes admission to the reserved seating area and a $25 for dinner at Emma’s Back Porch.  

Seating is general admission.

Donations will also be collected in support of the Canadian Cancer Society’s Halton office.

Tickets are on sale and you can find also a full list of performers.

“We want to make the experience of live comedy against the backdrop of Lake Ontario an annual tradition,” said Dean.

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