brownstein: seinfeld, yankovic, iglesias coming to just for laughs in 2026

fret not, comedy fans: it’s just been announced that jerry seinfeld, “weird al" yankovic, mike birbiglia and gabriel (fluffy) iglesias will be among the wits heading here for the 44th just for laughs festival, held from july 15 to 26.there had been some concern that no laff-fest announcements had yet been made, particularly in light of the fact that lineups for such summer staples as the montreal international jazz festival, osheaga and lasso had already been unveiled. some had feared the worst — once again.of course, concern is understandable, given the turmoil of two years ago when it appeared that just for laughs stalwarts had cracked the fest’s final one-liners. but the boss of quebec city's comediha! festival, sylvain parent-bédard, came to the rescue back then. now the jfl president and ceo, parent-bédard took over the fest from the throes of what appeared to be financial doom, and in his third year running it, he has come up with a lineup that should appeal to almost all comic tastes.

landing seinfeld — who got his big break at jfl back in the 1980s and has returned here numerous times — is always a bonus for his legion of ever-loyal local fans. he will be doing a solo show july 23 at 6:30 p.m. at salle wilfrid-pelletier of place des arts. what more need be said about seinfeld, who could have called it a career and easily got by on the residuals from his sitcom? he is simply hooked on performing and never seems to run out of material dealing with life’s minutiae.

john kenney / montreal gazette files

“weird al” yankovic — who never goes out of style — will be back to perform yet another free outdoor jfl show at place des festivals on july 25, part of his bigger and weirder world tour. best to take him at his word when he says "weirder."

bryanna bradley / montreal gazette files

birbiglia, one of the sharpest and funniest monologists on the planet, has been conscripted to host a jfl gala, july 24 at 6:30 p.m. at théâtre maisonneuve of place des arts. an emmy-nominated comedian, writer, director and actor, birbiglia has performed his award-winning solo shows to great acclaim worldwide, from the sydney opera house to london’s west end to broadway to just for laughs. shows like sleepwalk with me, my girlfriend’s boyfriend and the good life still stand the test of time, have enjoyed runs on and off broadway and have become hit netflix comedy specials.

dario ayala / montreal gazette files

iglesias — without doubt one of the most successful standups working, with over two billion views on youtube — hosts a july 25 gala at 9:30 p.m. at théâtre maisonneuve.

peter mccabe / montreal gazette files

veteran canuck comic/actor/family feud canada host gerry dee will serve as master of ceremonies for a 6:30 p.m. gala on july 25 at théâtre maisonneuve.

and keep an eye out for award-winning comic/actress atsuko okatsuka, who hosts a gala july 24 at 9:30 p.m. at théâtre maisonneuve. she brings out her high-energy spin in her second standup special, father (recently released on hulu and internationally on disney+), which has had multiple clips go viral.back again at the fest are the nasty show, the culture show and brit(ish), whose hosts and lineups have yet to be revealed. also returning is the smash smosh reads reddit stories live!nick brazao, jfl’s vp of programming and talent, is pumped about the inclusion of lesser-known up-and-coming acts like nurse john, jordan jensen, sibling rivalry, tracy and martina, ron funches, zoltan kaszas, jacqueline novak, girls gotta eat and martin amini — “the next wave of breakout talent.”“this announcement should give fans an idea of the world-class calibre of performers we are lining up for this summer,” notes brazao, who worked in the same capacity in the previous just for laughs iteration.adds parent-bédard: “we’re absolutely thrilled to be returning to montreal this summer, building on the incredible momentum of last year’s festival. that success set a high bar for us and the foundation upon which we’re excited to take things even further, expanding our vision while staying true to what makes the festival so special.”additional programming details, including the full festival schedule, the free outdoor shows, the comedypro event and the just for laughs awards show, will be announced shortly.

at a glance

the 44th just for laughs festival runs from july 15 to 26. tickets will be available for presale to just for laughs newsletter members wednesday at 10 a.m., while tickets for the general public go on sale friday at 10 a.m. at hahaha.com.bbrownstein@postmedia.com