We’re bringing the laughs back to Union Square on June 4 with a powerhouse lineup!
The Second Annual NYLaughs Festival 2026 returns June 4–7, 2026, bringing stand-up comedy across Lower Manhattan and Union Square’s Northside Plaza with expanded programming, new venues, surprise moments, and enough punchlines to temporarily heal at least three New Yorkers from their seasonal emotional-support rage.
Presented by comedy nonprofit NYLaughs in collaboration with The Stand Restaurant & Comedy Club and Union Square Partnership, the four-day festival celebrates the city the way New Yorkers actually experience it: chaotic, creative, crowded, alive, and somehow deeply connected underneath all the yelling.
And the best part? The kickoff event is completely free. A concept currently polling extremely well with New Yorkers.
The festival opens Thursday, June 4, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM in Union Square with Comedy in the Square, a massive outdoor comedy event featuring Chris Turner, Mark Normand, Matthew Broussard, Emma Willmann, Caitlin Peluffo, and Usama Siddiquee.
Additional festival programming includes ticketed performances from Jeff Ross, Dave Attell, Matteo Lane, Bret Ernst, Joey Dardano, Steve Rannazzisi, Paul Virzi, and more to be announced. Expect full sets, surprise drop-ins, and the kind of energy only New York City can deliver.
Programming continues throughout the weekend with performances ranging from free public events to ticketed headliner shows across participating venues. Ticket prices range from free to $58 depending on the event.
Additional lineup announcements and programming details will be released soon.
Reservations are required via the following link: nylaughsfest.com. Admission is free to the kickoff event, and seating is first-come, first-served. The event will also feature closed captioning support provided in part through funding from the New York State Council on the Arts and TDF TAP Plus.
Event Details— RSVP NOW
Date: Thursday, June 4, 2026
Time: 6:00–9:00 PM
Location: Union Square
Admission: Free and open to the public. Reservations required; seating is first-come, first-served.
Lineup subject to change. For updates, follow @nylaughsfest or call 917-727-5233.
Founded in Tompkins Square Park over a decade ago with little more than a microphone, a handmade sign, and an unreasonable amount of belief in the power of punchlines to make a better NYC, NYLaughs has grown into NYC’s leading nonprofit dedicated to free public comedy programming and the first comedy nonprofit to receive more than $120,000 in New York City Council support for comedy initiatives.
Free public programming associated with the festival, including Comedy in the Square and other community-focused outdoor events produced by NYLaughs, is supported in part by public funding and institutional partners that recognize the cultural and civic value of accessible live comedy programming in New York City.
Support for NYLaughs’ public programming has been provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the New York City Council, including discretionary and Speaker’s Award funding. Additional support has been provided by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, the Theatre Development Fund, as well as the New York Foundation for the Arts, the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.
Lineup
Chris Turner
Chris Turner, the award-winning comedian and improviser, who has racked up over 40 million views on YouTube and became the first British comedian to perform on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and receive a standing ovation, began a Las Vegas residency for Cirque Du Soleil’s “Mad Apple”, the first Cirque show to feature stand-up comedy in 2022.
Emma Willmann
A regular at the Comedy Cellar and part of the inaugural season of Netflix’s The Lineup, Emma Willmann is known for her sharp storytelling, laid-back confidence, and appearances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Crashing, and The Good Fight.
Usama Siddiquee
Usama Siddiquee is a Bengali-American stand-up comedian and actor based in New York. Usama slings jokes on these topics and more with rapid-fire charisma and hilarity. He was featured on the 2020 season of America’s Got Talent. He traveled to Montreal as one of the New Faces at Just For Laughs in 2018. He made his standup television debut on BET’s 50 Central. He has been featured on Showtime’s Desus and Mero, MTV’s News, and Bravo’s Cash Cab. He was a finalist for the 2017 NY’s Funniest Competition at Caroline’s; a finalist in the 2017 NBC Standup Competition; and 1st place winner of the 2016 Laughing Devil Cup Comedy Festival in New York.
Mark Normand
A New Orleans-born, New York-based comedian widely regarded as one of the sharpest joke writers in stand-up today, Mark Normand is a fixture at the Comedy Cellar and co-host of two of comedy’s most popular podcasts. His fifth special, None Too Pleased, premiered on Netflix in March 2026 and landed in the platform’s Top 10 within 24 hours.
Matthew Broussard
A Rice University applied mathematics graduate turned stand-up comedian, Matthew Broussard writes jokes the way mathematicians write proofs: tight setups, logical turns, and punchlines that feel surprising but, in retrospect, inevitable. He has appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Conan, The Mindy Project, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
Caitlin Peluffo
Originally hailing from San Francisco, Caitlin Peluffo is a stand up comedian living in New York City. This lovable loose cannon has been seen on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Late Late Show with James Corden, and has been featured on Comedy Central. She’s opened for comedians like Matteo Lane, Maria Bamford, Brian Regan, and Fortune Feimster and is the host of the Good Time Gal Podcast. Peluffo is a regular in the NYC comedy scene performing in clubs like the world famous Comedy Cellar, New York Comedy Club, and Gotham Comedy Club.
