SF SKETCHFEST Announces Initial Lineup For 2025 Comedy Festival

SF Sketchfest has announced the initial lineup for the 2025 festival taking place January 16-February 2 in venues across San Francisco.

The multi-day comedy festival will host over 180 shows, bringing major comedy stars and the best up-and-coming comedians together for over two weeks of sketch, stand-up, alternative comedy, music, improv, tributes, live podcasts and more. Now in its 22nd year, SF Sketchfest is an internationally recognized, eclectic, and critically acclaimed festival which features special programming, never-before-seen events, and the rare opportunity for audiences to see favorite performers in intimate live settings. Tickets go on sale Sunday, November 17 at 10am PST at sfsketchfest.com.

Entertainment icon Tim Curry (“The Rocky Horror Picture Show”) will appear in person for a very special Tribute evening hosted by local drag legend Peaches Christ. This year's other SF Sketchfest Tribute honorees include Kathryn Hahn (“Agatha All Along”), JB Smoove (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”) and Richard Kind (“Inside Out”), who will each sit down for irreverent and intimate conversations. 

Special music and comedy events at the festival include Bill Murray and His Blood Brothers band featuring Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia; the aptly-named Middle Aged Dad Jam Band with Ken Marino and David Wain; and festival favorites Jonathan Coulton and Paul & Storm.

The 45th anniversary of the film “Airplane!” will be celebrated along with its accompanying book “Surely You Can't Be Serious,” with a special live read of the screenplay featuring co-creator David Zucker, original star Robert Hays and surprise guests. The casts of Childrens Hospital and Futurama will reunite and the 50th anniversary of The Groundlings will be celebrated with an all-star show.

Sketch comedy favorites The State will present a live read of their unproduced musical “A Holiday Hubbub at Porcupine Corners;” and three members of The Kids in the Hall: Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, and Scott Thompson will team up with the Bay Area's Red Room Orchestra for a night of songs and sketches from the famed troupe.

The festival will present the Bay Area premiere of the raunchy, chaotic, and adults-only spectacle known as Stamptown, created by Zach Zucker, along with other shows from the Stamptown family and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, including shows by Riki Lindhome, BriTANick, Demi Adejuyigbe, Business Casual, Mr Chonkers, Zucker's alter-ego Jack Tucker, and more. In a similar vein, the alternative comedy world of Connor Ratliff will be on display with his parodic The George Lucas Talk Show, a fake Acting Class, and a parody reading of the Star Wars Holiday special called The Kashyyyk Life Day Carol. And the festival teams up with Westbeth Entertainment to present the Bay Area premiere of Cassie Workman: Aberdeen, the hit show about Kurt Cobain that captivated Phoebe Waller-Bridge at the Edinburgh festival. 

Live podcasts continue to be a major part of the festival. Podcasts making their festival debut include Naked Lunch with Phil Rosenthal and David Wild; Bad Dates with Joel Kim Booster; Go Fact Yourself; StraightioLab; The Sit and Chat Podcast; Free With Ads; and Wrong Answers Only. Returning festival favorites include Judge John Hodgman; Endless Honeymoon with Moshe Kasher and Natasha Leggero; Exploration Live!; The Bechdel Cast, Hello From the Magic Tavern; The Neighborhood Listen; Doug Loves Movies; The Flop House, Will You Accept This Rose; Hey Riddle Riddle and more.

Improvisational comedy will be well-represented with Dinner Date featuring Rachel Bloom, John Ross Bowie, Jamie Denbo, and Dan Gregor; Shamilton: The Improvised Hip-Hop Musical; The Improvised Shakespeare Company; Upright Citizens Brigade's ASSSSCAT; Dinosaur Improv; The Black Version; Theme Park; Workjuice Improv; Off Book: The Improvised Musical, and more. And next generation sketch comedy stars That's a Bad Idea make their festival debut.

In the world of theater and variety, the festival welcomes the triumphant returns of The Thrilling Adventure Hour featuring Busy Philipps, Paul F. Tompkins, Marc Evan Jackson, Joshua Malina and more; and Celebrity Autobiography with a cast including Pamela Adlon, Richard Kind, Ralph Macchio, Laraine Newman, Jennifer Tilly and Blair Underwood. Fake Ted Talks is back with Jonathan Coulton, Paul & Storm, Adam Savage and more, as are Asian AF; Hanging with Dr. Z with Dana Gould; Comedian Clash with Jacquis Neal, Sherry Cola and more; Porchlight; Tinder Live with Lane Moore; and Self Help Me with Jenny Yang.

Cinematic silliness will be on hand with Riffapalooza featuring performers from Mystery Science Theater 3000 including Frank Conniff, Bill Corbett, Kevin Murphy and Mary Jo Pehl; and the 20th anniversary of the Found Footage Festival.

Top stand-up comedians featured include Maria Bamford, Chris Fleming, Joel Kim Booster, Dulcé Sloan, Rhys Darby, Robby Hoffman, Punkie Johnson, Aparna Nancherla, The Sklar Brothers, Nore Davis, Josh Gondelman, Alison Leiby, Kate Willett, Hampton Yount, Nori Reed and the ridiculously named Comedians Named Todd with Todd Barry and Todd Glass.

The SF Sketchfest Dozen, a yearly spotlight of 12 top comedians, is once again stacked with talent featuring Sophie Buddle, Brittany Carney, Carmen Christopher, Marie Faustin, Roz Hernandez, Kevin Iso, Bo Johnson, Rachel Kaly, Saul Trujillo, Ikechukwu Ufomadu, Eagle Witt and Sabrina Wu. 

Bring the kids to Mo Willems' The Solo Mo Show with special guest Kate Micucci.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. More shows will be announced, and the complete schedule and lineup, including dozens of up-and-coming performers, can be found on the website.

Explore the SF Sketchfest lineup and schedule at sfsketchfest.com/2025-lineup/. Tickets for all shows on sale Sunday, November 17 at 10am PT/1pm ET at sfsketchfest.com. Lineups are subject to change.

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