Comedy Central Launches Festival

The television network Comedy Central is known for classic celebrity roasts, unapologetically crass scripted shows, and stand-up specials. However, new Viacom CEO Bob Bakish has a few plans to shake things up in order to make the network more attractive and accessible to young viewers – starting with a three day long comedy and music festival called “Colossal Clusterfest” in June.

Taking notes from massively successful events like Bonnaroo, Governor’s Ball, and Lollapalooza, “Colossal Clusterfest” will be a weekend long event complete with musical performances, stand-up acts, attractions, and more. Headlining the festival are Jerry Seinfeld, Kevin Hart and Bill Burr. Other performers include popular comedians Sarah Silverman, Hannibal Buress, and Tig Notaro. A few of the musical performances include shows by Tegan and Sara, as well as the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

Comedians Tig Notaro (L) and Sarah Silverman participate in Day 2 of the Cinema Cafe during the 2015 Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2015 in Park City, Utah.

One of the main draws of the festival is the unique on-the-ground immersion experiences that will be available to attendees. The festival site will feature attractions that imitate the infamous Paddy’s Pub from the popular tv show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” in addition to the iconic apartment from “Seinfeld.” Attendees will also be able to snack on themed foods from the show’s classic eateries “Monk’s Cafe” and “Soup Nazi.”

Host Chris Hardwick speaks onstage at 'Comedy Central's @midnight Live' during the 2016 SXSW Music, Film + Interactive Festival at The Parish on March 11, 2016 in Austin, Texas. — Host Chris Hardwick speaks onstage at ‘Comedy Central’s @midnight Live’ during the 2016 SXSW Music, Film + Interactive Festival at The Parish on March 11, 2016 in Austin, Texas.

Another integral part of the festival is the “Comics to Watch” showcase that will be hosted by Chris Hardwick. Aspiring comedians from all across the country will perform as the network attempts to find the best new up and coming stand-up comics. The television special will include a combination of footage of taped performances, collaborations, interviews, and live content.

The @Clusterfest is out of the bag.

A post shared by Comedy Central (@comedycentral) on Feb 28, 2017 at 8:00am PST

The festival will take place at San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza and Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, with a portion of the proceeds going to San Francisco-based charities. It will take place from Friday, June 2nd to Sunday, June 4th. There will also be a 90-minute long live taping of the event airing on Comedy Central on the final day of the festival. Tickets go on sale on March 2nd at 10 am on clusterfest.com.