Stand-up comedy: Culture and Travel Context

Stand-up comedy is a minimalistic performing art, which originated in the United States and has spread around the world. It is performed on many levels, from free open-mic shows at dive bars, to stadium performances with world celebrities.

Most large English-speaking cities have a stand-up comedy scene, or at least comedians on tour. English-speaking comedy venues can be found even outside the Anglophone world, and are a good place to find English-speakers if you travel alone.

New York City is considered the cradle of modern stand-up comedy. The urban decay in the 1970s and 80s brought venues of alternative culture.

Jamestown, New York – hometown of iconic comedienne and TV star Lucille Ball and also, beginning in 2018, of the National Comedy Center, a combination museum dedicated to the history of stand-up and performance venue for the annual Lucy Comedy Fest each August.

Montreal is home to the annual Just for Laughs Festival (Festival Juste pour Rire) of stand-up comedy, which takes place each July.

Hong Kong — Has one of Asia's most vibrant stand-up comedy scenes, with regular performances in both English and Cantonese.

1 Quatsch Comedy Club, Original club in Berlin other venues in Hamburg, Stuttgart and Düsseldorf. A famous (they claim to be Germany's first) comedy club that has many of its shows broadcast on TV under the same name (updated May 2018)

Some high-end shows are available by pre-booking only. While some comedy clubs are free of charge, others are supported by tipping, or have a minimum drink policy for visitors.

Japan is home to two minimalist styles of comedy, namely rakugo (落語), which involves a single performer seated on stage telling a story, with his only props being a fan and a handkerchief, and manzai (漫才), which involves two performers misinterpreting each other and making puns.

China is home to a style of comedy known as xiàngshēng (相声) or crosstalk, which involves two performers having a dialogue in a strong Beijing accent, making use of exaggerated facial expressions and body language, wordplay and banter for comic effect.

This cultural overview is an excerpt of a community travel guide. Confirm current access, schedules and prices with the venue before planning a visit.

Source and licence

Text adapted from Stand-up comedy by Wikivoyage contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0. Paragraphs have been selected and abridged, and formatting adjusted. This adapted text is shared under the same licence. Contributor history.