Netflix is a Joke Fest is bringing 527 comedy shows to L.A. These are 10 of the most unique ones.

Yes, 527—and honestly, we wouldn’t be surprised if that number continues to grow. For the second time, Netflix is a Joke Fest is bringing an astonishing number of comedy shows to a couple dozen venues all across L.A.

Though it bills itself as a festival, it’s better to think of the event as more of a comedy marathon: There’s not an all-encompassing festival pass, but you can buy individual tickets to shows that run just about all hours of the day between May 1 and 12. You’ll find a pretty remarkable lineup of comedians, too, including Taylor Tomlinson, Conan O’Brien, Brett Goldstein, Chelsea Handler, Jon Stewart, Hasan Minhaj, Hannah Gadsby, Cedric the Entertainer, Rachel Bloom, Kumail Nanjiani, Wanda Sykes and literally hundreds of others.

Of course, in a city as rich with comedy clubs as L.A., you can see big names drop into intimate venues almost any night of the week. That’s not to downplay some of the fest’s stand-up stars like Bill Burr, John Mulaney or Trevor Noah who are playing the Hollywood Bowl, or Ali Wong who’s performing a staggering 12 shows at the Wiltern. But these are the sorts of folks who are no stranger to L.A. stand-up scene.

On the other hand, there are a handful of shows on the Netflix is a Joke Fest lineup that feel like truly one-of-a-kind spectacles, either due to their extraordinary lineups or unprecedented premises. With that in mind, these are the 10 shows that we think stand out as some of the most unique ones to see at this year’s Netflix is a Joke Fest.

Big Mouth Live at the Greek

Greek Theatre
May 2 at 8pm

Even if you haven’t kept up with this coming-of-age cartoon, the fact that nearly its entire core voice cast will be at the Greek is reason enough to scope out this live mix of music, stories about puberty and “hormonal comedy.” Nick Kroll, Maya Rudolph, John Mulaney, Jessi Klein, Jason Mantzoukas, Fred Armisen, Maria Bamford, Richard Kind and Nathan Fillion are all slated to appear.

Chris Rock’s Table Reads

Hollywood Palladium
May 3, 4 at 10pm

Which film scripts will Chris Rock and his famous funny friends read through? We won’t know until the show starts, but if Seth Rogen’s similar series at the last Netflix Is a Joke Fest is any indication, expect celeb-filled renditions of comedy classics.

The Greatest Roast of All Time: Tom Brady

Kia Forum
May 5 at 4pm

As with Chris Rock’s table reads, half the excitement of this arena-sized roast is in the surprise lineup. Who—alongside announced host Kevin Hart and roastmaster general Jeff Ross—will you get to see insult the football legend to his face? Peyton Manning? Gisele? A deflated football? Regardless, if you don’t feel like paying for the privilege of watching comedians take Tom Brady down a peg in person, this is one of the handful of performances that’ll be streaming live on Netflix.

The Sinbad Tribute Show

YouTube Theater
May 6 at 7pm

A fixture of ’90s stand-up and kid-friendly comedies, David Adkins—better known as Sinbad—suffered a stroke in 2020 but has more recently begun to publicly share some signs of recovery. To celebrate him, this benefit for the Sinbad Special Needs Trust is bringing together a slate of Black sitcom stars from the past few decades (Deon Cole, D.L. Hughley, Byron Allen and Mark Curry) alongside DJ Trauma and host and beatboxing savant Doug E. Fresh. And according to an Instagram post from his daughter, Sinbad himself will be in attendance.

Gods of Comedy with David Letterman

The Montalbán Theatre
May 6–8 at 7:30pm

Presumably more in the of vein his relatively serious My Next Guest Needs No Introduction series than his sardonic late-night days, this run of live interviews in Hollywood sees Letterman sitting down with an unnamed roster of “comedy titans.”

2 Bears 5K

Rose Bowl
May 7 at 9am

You could see Tom Segura and Bert Kreischer separately during their respective solo stand-up shows at the Forum. Or you could instead opt for this slightly cheaper but significantly more physical (and probably more shirtless) event: a 5K that the podcast cohosts will lead around the Rose Bowl. You can register to run (you’ll get a finisher medal, beer and shirt) or just buy a ticket for the party (you’ll still get a beer).

Seth Rogen Smokes the Bowl

Hollywood Bowl
May 7 at 7:30pm

We love a good pun, and this one gets extra credit for doubling down on the “smoke” part by adding a fireworks finale. But yes, expect lots of weed during this Seth Rogen-hosted evening of music and comedy at the Hollywood Bowl. The lineup looks pretty remarkable, with Snoop Dogg, Lil Dicky, Ronny Chieng, Ramy Youssef and Janelle James all lined up for this benefit for Seth and Lauren Rogen’s Alzheimer’s charity Hilarity For Charity.

Middle Aged Dad Jam Band

Outside Joke at the Hollywood Palladium
May 11 at 2:15pm

Set up in a parking lot behind the Palladium, Outside Joke is the closest Netflix is a Joke comes to a traditional fest. You’ll find a mix of stand-up—from the likes of Atsuko Okatsuka, Leslie Jones and Reggie Watts, among others—games, food, drinks and merch, and you can access the area (on a first-come, first-served basis) if you have a ticket to any other Netflix is a Joke Fest show, or you can guarantee entry with a $25 day pass.

So with all of that out of the way, if there’s one Outside Joke show we have our eye on, it’s this one: Middle Aged Dad Jam Band. What started as a lockdown hang by writer and director David Wain has morphed into a ’70s and ’80s cover band fixture with a cult following. Wain and Ken Marino (fellow cofounder of ’90s comedy troupe the State) are the two notable constants, but their past guests have boasted the likes of Weird Al, Paul Rudd, Natalie Morales and Tiffany Haddish, plus other alum from the State like Joe Lo Truglio and Kerri Kenney.

I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson Live!

The Greek Theatre
May 11 at 8pm

Sloppy Steaks, Hot Dog Man, the focus group: Absurd comedy series I Think You Should Leave has turned out just about as many memes as it has memorable sketches. For this live show at the Greek, creators Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin will chat about the series and reveal some unaired sketches. The L.A. date actually wraps up a brief spring tour, which has brought along special guests that have included Paul Rudd, Seth Meyers, Ayo Edebiri, Patti Harrison and Sam Richardson.

@iamthirtyaf’s Funny AF

The Bourbon Room
May 11 at noon

Millennial comedy repository @iamthirtyaf is best known for its self-deprecating ’90s-kid–targeted Instagram reposts. But here it ventures IRL with a comedy show hosted by Glennis LaRoe and Jenny Gorelick that includes stand-up from Joel Kim Booster, Courtney Bee, Andrea Jin and Hannah Pilkes, plus drag queen BenDeLaCreme and puppeteer Mallory Lewis and Lamb Chop (as in, yes, the Lamb Chop).