Milwaukee Comedy Festival Announces 2025 Line Up!
The annual comedy event celebrates 20 years with more than 30 comics
MILWAUKEE, WIS. – The Milwaukee Comedy Festival, one of the nation’s longest running annual comedy festivals, celebrates 20 years of presenting live comedy October 7-12, 2025. The Festival will begin with the Official Kick Off Event at Lakefront Brewery with Headliner Aparna Nancherla (Comedy Central, Netflix) on Tuesday, October 7, Sean Patton (Conan, Comedy Central) at The Cooperage on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, Patton Oswalt, Emmy and Grammy winning stand up comedian and actor will headline the festival at the Pabst Theater on Thursday, October 9, 2025, and Punkie Johnson (Saturday Night Live) will headline Shank Hall on Friday, October 10 2025.
Tickets are available via the Milwaukee Comedy Festival website, mkecomedyfest.com.
In addition to this years four major headliners, the Festival announces 9 total live comedy shows featuring more than 30 national stand up comedians at six different venues across Milwaukee, WI. Highlights include two shows at ComedySportz on Saturday, October 11, and two shows at Great Lakes Distillery including the highly-anticipated Closing Night Show Sunday, October 12, 2025.
Line up is subject to change. Customers are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance via mkecomedyfest.com as tickets historically sell out for this unique comedy event every year.
About the Milwaukee Comedy Festival
The Milwaukee Comedy Festival is Wisconsin’s longest running multi-day comedy event, celebrating 20 years of presenting the best local, regional, and national comedic talent. The festival has featured top-notch performers from across the country having appeared in movies and television including Comedy Central, Netflix, HBO, Saturday Night Live, MAD TV, BET, Conan, Late Nite, Hulu, and many more.
2025 Festival Headliners
Aparna Nancherla is an acclaimed comedian, writer, and actor. Praised by critics and fans alike for her distinctive dry, existential, and whimsical sense of humor, Aparna has toured her standup comedy extensively around the U.S. and the world. A true multi‐hyphenate, Aparna’s work spans film, TV, podcasts, and books. Her TV stand up appearances include Netflix, HBO, and Comedy Central.
Originally from New Orleans, Sean Patton is a comedian, writer, storyteller, and performer based in New York. Patton has appeared on Comedy Central, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Conan, and more. Additionally, Patton has appeared on @midnight, This Is Not Happening, What’s Your F@#king Deal?!, Viceland’s Flophouse and Party Legends, as well as IFC’s Maron, Comedy Central’s Inside Amy Schumer, and TruTV’s Those Who Can’t.
Patton Oswalt is known for his award-winning stand up comedy specials, his many memorable television roles including Parks and Recreation, Seinfeld, and The King of Queens, as well as multiple movie roles, most notably the voice for ‘Remy’ the rat in Pixar’s Oscar winning animated film Ratatouille. Mr Oswalt has been nominated for six Grammys and four Emmys, winning the Emmy for ‘Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special’ in 2016 for his comedy special Talking for Clapping and a Grammy Award in 2017 for his comedy album.
Punkie Johnson is a comedian and writer from New Orleans, Louisiana who joined the cast of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE in 2020. She also appeared on season 2 of HBO Max’s critically acclaimed series, LOVE LIFE, where her performance was hailed by Time Magazine as a “particular stand out.” Past credits include SPACE FORCE (Netflix), A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW (HBO), and BILL BURR PRESENTS: THE RINGERS (Comedy Central). Punkie also served as a writer/consultant on Peacock’s upcoming series reboot QUEER AS FOLK. Punkie can next be seen in Orion’s BOTTOMS, directed by Emma Seligman (Shiva Baby) and produced by Elizabeth Banks’s Brownstone Productions.
Please note the line up is subject to change. Customers are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance via mkecomedyfest.com as tickets historically sell out for this unique comedy event every year.
Official Kick Off w Aparna Nancherla!
Tuesday Oct 7 – 7pm show, doors 5:30
at Lakefront Brewery
Host – Tucker Millett (Chicago, IL) with Amanda Averell (Pittsburg, PA) and Headliner Aparna Nancherla (Los Angeles, CA)
Sean Patton
Wednesday Oct 8 – 7:30pm show, 6:30pm doors
at Cooperage
With Ramie Makhlouf (Milwaukee), Eric Wielo Los Angeles), Sasha Rosser (Madison, WI) and Sean Patton (New Orleans)
Festival Headliner Patton Oswalt
Thursday Oct 9 – 8pm show, doors at 7pm
at Pabst Theatre
Headliner Patton Oswalt with additional comics to be announced.
Punkie Johnson
Friday Oct 10 – 7:30pm show, doors at 6:30pm
at Shank Hall
Headliner Punkie Johnson (New York, NY) with additional comics to be announced.
Friday Late Laughs
Friday Oct 10 – 10pm show, doors 9:30pm
At Shank Hall
With RV (Milwaukee), Harrison Skopes (Los Angeles), Wendy Wilkins (Los Angeles), Eeland Stribling (New York)
Saturday Night Laughs
Saturday Oct 11 – 7:30pm show, 6:30pm doors
at ComedySportz
With Nora Jeffries (Brooklyn, NY), Shawna Blake (Tulsa, OK), Danny Lang (Chicago, IL), JoAnn Schinderle (New York), Damon Millard (Brooklyn, NY), Evan Hull (Chicago, IL)
Late Night Laughs
Saturday Oct 11 – 10pm show, 9:30pm doors
at ComedySportz
An all Milwaukee Line Up!
With Daniel Fuellengraben, Diego Avila, Luise Noe, Matty Field, Raegan Niemela, AJ Grill
Sunday Fun Day
Oct 12 – 4pm Doors 3pm
at Great Lakes Distillery
With Delilah Orizaba (Chicago, IL), Alan Snider (Los Angeles/Chicago), Austin Black (Denver, CO), Dana Ehrmann (Milwaukee), Amy Sumpter (Chicago)
Closing Night at MKE Comedy Fest!
Sunday Oct 12 – 7pm show, Doors 6pm
at Great Lakes Distillery
With Nora Jeffries (Brooklyn, NY), Cody Heck (Milwaukee), Connor O’Hara (Milwaukee), Christopher Schmidt (Milwaukee), Elijah Holbrook (Milwaukee), Rich D’Amore (Milwaukee)
Please Note Line Ups are Subject to Change.