NY Comedy Festival: Comedy Under the Stars Aug 22-23

August 22 - 23

8:00pm -9:30pm

Wagner Park, Battery Park City

We’re closing out the summer under the stars in collaboration with NYS Battery Park City Authority. Three curated shows, top-tier comics, and the Hudson River as your backdrop. NYLaughs declares itself NYC’s own DOGE… but spelled DOJ for Department of Joy. We carve out spaces for joy in public parks and plazas. We’ve been giving New Yorkers the same high as any local dispensary, but with no smoke and no smell. Just pure uncut LOLs.

Laughter? Free. Vibes? Immaculate. 

After the success of our June 2025 NYLaughsFest in Union Square—where the laughs could be heard from Northside Plaza to the 6 train. NYLaughs is partnering with NYS Battery Park City Authority and The Stand NYC to close out the season with our Comedy Under the Stars Festival, our grand finale and ultimate mic drop for summer LOLs. For two glorious nights, three curated shows will deliver joy, resilience, and ridiculousness straight to the nearly revamped Wagner Park in Battery Park City – completely free –  with vibes so good you’ll forget about your rent for at least 90 minutes. The Statue of Liberty will be side-eyeing your laughs from across the harbor (democracy in a robe and a torch), the Hudson River will sparkle like it’s in on the joke, and special guest supporter (budget whisperer) Councilmember Christopher Marte will be there to cut the ribbon and kick off the fun and make sure we didn’t go over budget on punchlines.

Please note: These performances may contain adult themes and strong language. Audience discretion is advised.

Friday, August 22, 2025 @ 8p

Ian Lara and Emil Wakim to co-headline @ 8p. Simeon Goodson Hosts. Alex Kumin to open.

Saturday, August 23, 2025 @ 6p

Standup Showcase with Jared Waters hosting. Joining him: Oscar Aydin, Reggie Conquest, Harrison Greenbaum and Anna Roisman.

Saturday, August 23, 2025 @ 8p

Hari Kondabolu to headline. Carmen Lagala Hosts. Also appearing Jordan Carlos and Liz Miele.

Stay updated! Line-ups subject to change: 917-727-5233 | @nylaughs | www.nylaughs.org 

Music by DONWILL

Funding and support provided by:

NYS Battery Park City Authority + NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, NYC City Council, NYC City Councilmember Christopher Marte, NYSCA and The Stand NYC. Thanks again to WABC-TV, our joy-spreading media partner.

 

Lineup

Ian Lara Co-Headliner - August 22 - 8p

Ian taped a set for “Comedy Central Stand up Featuring» which has garnered over 10 million views, he also made an appearance on the first season of “NBC’s Bring the Funny” and made his late-night debut on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. He was a regular player on ‘This week at the Comedy Cellar’ on Comedy Central with his second Comedy Central set hitting the 10 million views mark yet again. He’s been featured in The New Yorker Magazine and you can catch his short special streaming on HBO MAX titled “LA MEETS NY», He was named one of 2021 “JFL NEW FACES of comedy” the same week he recorded his debut Comedy Central half-hour special which debut in early 2022. He’s already signed on to do another half hour comedy special for HBO MAX.

Emil Wakim Co-Headliner - August 22 - 8p

Emil Wakim is a stand-up comedian, actor, and writer based in Brooklyn. A Just For Laughs New Face and Tonight Show alum, he’s also been featured on Comedy Central’s Stand-Up Featuring and Don’t Tell Comedy. In fall 2024, Emil joined the cast of Saturday Night Live‘s 50th season, making history as its first Lebanese-American cast member. He’s opened for Roy Wood Jr., Nikki Glaser, Hasan Minhaj, and more.

Simeon Goodson Host - August 22 - 8p

Simeon “Sim” Goodson is a New Yorker born and raised from Brooklyn, NY.  Beginning his career in New York City in 2004, he has since relocated numerous times around the world, performing and producing in a variety of countries and venues. These include Caroline’s on Broadway in Times Square, The Burj Khalifa in Dubai, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. In addition, he has performed across the United States with the “Comedy’s Best Kept Secret Tour” and as the opening act on the Hannibal Burress “Comedy Camisado Tour”. In August 2015, Simeon moved with his family to the United Arab Emirates. Diving head first into the local comedy scene, he was the winner of the Dubai Comedy Festival’s Beat the Gong contest that year and in 2017 filmed for Comedy Central Arabia’s Stand Up al Wagif Seasons 2 & 3. In 2018, Simeon moved to Wuxi, China where he continued to perform on an international level, visiting numerous Chinese cities including Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Xiamen and Wuhan. Returning to New York City in 2021, Simeon was featured on That Damn Michael Che Season 2 (HBO Max) and is currently a regular host and performer at The Comedy Cellar

Alex Kumin August 22 - 8p

Alex Kumin’s bold, whip-smart standup has made her a regular at New York’s legendary Comedy Cellar and earned her the #1 spot on Time Out USA’s “Comics to Watch in America” list. A Chicago favorite and alum of The Lincoln Lodge, she also hosts Diamond Comedy Hour at the Chicago Laugh Factory, featuring the premiere female comedians in the city and beyond. She has worked with Patton Oswalt, Maria Bamford, Tom Green, Rory Scovel, The Lucas Brothers, Aparna Nancherla, Greg Fitzsimmons, Jen Kirkman, and Todd Barry, and is known for her unapologetic honesty on everything from gender inequality to thigh chafing, with credits including NBC Universal’s Breakout Festival, Limestone Comedy Festival, and more.

Peter Revello August 22 - 8p

Peter Revello is a stand-up comedian, actor, & writer based in New York City. Born & raised in Staten Island, Peter developed his comedic sensibilities by being a part of, yet separate from, the big city. Peter’s act revolves around his marriage, observations about life, & tackles every subject with a nuanced working class sensibility.

Jared Waters Host - August 23 - 6p

Jared Waters, aka “Turbo,” is a Tampa-born comedy powerhouse now owning the New York City stage with over 1,000 shows a year and a rep as one of the city’s hottest rising comedians. A former military brat with a globe-trotting past, he mixes clean and edgy humor, turning his strict upbringing and wild stories into razor-sharp laughs that keep audiences hooked. Turbo’s already rocked ABC’s Tamron Hall Show and made his Don’t Tell Comedy debut.

Oscar Aydin August 23 - 6p

Oscar Aydin is a NYC based comedian originally from Chicago. He’s a regular at The Stand and performs all across New York City. Oscar’s appeared on NBC, BBC America and Daily Mail or you’ve heard him as the host of his hysterical podcast “Oh Oscar!”, thirty minutes of indepth queer experiences, wild hook-up stories and a spin on the GayDHD Q&A Wheel!

Reggie Conquest August 23 - 6p

Reggie Conquest, a Philadelphia-born stand-up comic, actor, and writer, has made waves in the comedy world with his appearances on Insecure, TruTV, and Comedy Central, as well as landing roles in Paramount Pictures’ SCREAM 5 and Dreamworks’ Meet the Gillmans, while also making his mark as a staff writer on Impractical Jokers and That Damn Michael Che.

Harrison Greenbaum August 23 - 6p


Harrison Greenbaum has performed more in more than 600 shows a year for the last 15 years, which is probably why both Time Out New York and the NY Daily News have called him “the hardest-working man in comedy.” He is currently starring in Cirque du Soleil’s Mad Apple at the NY-NY Hotel & Casino – the first-ever stand-up comedian to headline a Cirque du Soleil show On television, Harrison has been featured on America’s Got Talent, Last Comic Standing, Conan, Sherri, Comedy Central’s This Week at the Comedy Cellar, National Geographic Channel’s Brain Games, and many more.
Behind the scenes, he was also one of Comedy Central’s “Comics to Watch,”

Anna Roisman August 23 - 6p

Anna Roisman is a comedian, host, writer, and viral content creator known for her celebrity impressions on Instagram and TikTok, with millions of views. She’s hosted HQ Trivia, starred opposite Ilana Glazer in a Kiehl’s short film, appeared in the feature Plan B, and performed sold-out shows like Anna Roisman: Impressionista at Joe’s Pub. Named a “Content Creator To Watch” at the 2023 NY Comedy Festival, Anna also co-hosts the podcast Big Wigs and has been featured on Chelsea Handler’s Dear Chelsea and other top shows.

Hari Kondabolu Headliner - August 23, 8p

Hari Kondabolu is a comedian, writer and podcaster. The NY Times called him “one of the most exciting political comics in stand-up today” and described his 2018 Netflix special “Warn Your Relatives” as “an incisively funny and formally adventurous hour that reveals a comic in command of his powers.” It was named on many “Best of” lists, including for Time, Paste Magazine, Cosmopolitan, E! Online, and Mashable. He was also named one of 2018 “Comics To Watch” by Variety. He currently co-hosts the Netflix food competition show “Snack vs. Chef” with Megan Stalter. In 2017, his truTV documentary “The Problem with Apu” was released and created a global conversation about race and representation. The Nation described it as “a devastating critique of the ultimate comedic sacred cow: The Simpsons.” It is now used in high school, college and grad school curriculums around the country.

Hari has also released two comedy albums, “Waiting for 2042” & “Mainstream American Comic”. Additionally, he has performed on Conan, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Late Show with David Letterman and among many others. He is also a former writer & correspondent on the much loved, Chris Rock produced FX show “Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell.”

A regular on the public radio, Hari is a regular panelist on the NPR game show “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me.” As a podcaster, he co-hosted the popular “Politically Reactive” with W. Kamau Bell. He is a former immigrant rights organizer in Seattle who worked under the leadership of now-Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, Hari also earned a Masters in Human Rights from the London School of Economics in 2008. He was the “Artist In Residence” at NYU’s APA Institute for the 2014-2015 Academic Year and at Shangri La Museum in Honolulu in 2018.

Carmen Lagala Host - August 23 - 8p

Carmen Lagala is a New York City-based comedian who has performed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and gained a wide following from her viral Don’t Tell Comedy set. Her debut special Sweet Batch premiered in 2024 on YouTube and SiriusXM, hitting 100K views in its first two months. She co-hosts the indie hit Comedians You Should Know in Brooklyn and the podcast In Cahoots with comedian Corey Tindall.

Liz Miele August 23 - 8p

Liz Miele is a NYC-based stand-up comedian who has appeared on Comedy Central, FOX, Hulu, AXS TV, CBS’s After Midnight, and NPR’s Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me. Her viral jokes like “Feminist Sex Positions,” “Dating is Harder for Comedians,” and “F*ck Finland” have earned her over 6 million views across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. She tours internationally, co-hosts the podcast 2 Non-Doctors, and her latest special Murder Sheets premiered in April 2024.

Jordan Carlos August 23 - 8p

Jordan Carlos is a stand up comedian, writer and actor, who co-starred and wrote on the first season of “Everything’s Trash” (Freeform). He has also written for “Divorce” (HBO), written/performed for “The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore” (Comedy Central), and “First Wives Club” (BET). He also appeared on Black Mirror (Netflix), and the “Home Alone” reboot on Disney Plus.