Jerry Seinfeld, Bert Kreischer & Seth Meyers to Headline National Comedy Center Festival

The National Comedy Center, the United States' museum and national archive dedicated to the art form of comedy, has announced that Jerry Seinfeld, Bert Kreischer and Seth Meyers will headline its annual comedy festival, held in Jamestown, New York, August 6 – 9, 2026. 

Jerry Seinfeld will headline on Thursday, August 6; Bert Kreischer will take the stage on Saturday, August 8; and Seth Meyers will perform on Sunday, August 9.  A mainstage Stand-Up Showcase on Friday, August 7, and showcases throughout the festival, will feature a lineup of talent from across the country. 

“The National Comedy Center's museum and archive were established to celebrate the art form's distinct voices and contributions throughout time, and this year's festival brings together artists who represent distinct approaches to the craft. I love that audiences can experience the best of live comedy while connecting it to the larger story we preserve and share every day in Jamestown,” said Journey Gunderson, Executive Director. 

Announced headlining performances include: 

• Thursday, August 6 at 7:00 p.m. – Jerry Seinfeld (Northwest Arena)  

• Friday, August 7 at 7:00 p.m. – Stand-Up Showcase (Reg Lenna Center for The Arts)  

• Saturday, August 8 at 7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. – Bert Kreischer (Northwest Arena)  

• Sunday, August 9 at 5:00 p.m. – Seth Meyers (Northwest Arena)  

Additional artists scheduled to appear include comedian, writer, producer and Emmy Award-winner Carol Leifer, whose credits include Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Saturday Night Live, Modern Family, and Hacks, plus America's Got Talent finalist Gina Brillon (Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Late Night with Seth Meyers, NBC's Stand up for Diversity Showcase), Ian Lara (The Tonight Show, Comedy Central, HBO MAX), Jenny Zigrino (CONAN, Comedy Central, MTV, Netflix is a Joke, HBO), and Drew Dunn (The Tonight Show, Dry Bar Comedy, Don't Tell Comedy, Just For Laughs Comedy Festival).

The full festival lineup will be announced in the coming weeks at ComedyCenter.org/festival.  

“Our festival has grown into one of the premier comedy events in the country, and this year's lineup reflects that momentum,” said Malachi Livermore, National Comedy Center Vice President of Programming & Guest Experiences. “With three of today's top artists and an expanded slate of performances across the city, anchored by the award-winning museum, the multi-day experience brings audiences closer to comedy's biggest stars and rising talent.” 

Tickets for headlining performances and festival events will go on pre-sale for National Comedy Center members beginning Monday, April 27 at 12 p.m. ET, with tickets on sale to the general public beginning Friday, May 1 at 12 p.m. ET at ComedyCenter.org. 

To become a National Comedy Center member in order to gain first access to available seats during the pre-sale ticket window, visit ComedyCenter.org/membership or call the National Comedy Center at 716-484-2222. 

The festival will feature more than 50 live events over four days, including late-night comedy, block parties, live music, and more – all part of a multi-day celebration of comedy's contemporary voices and rising talent. Drawing more than 15,000 ticket buyers from over 40 states each year to Lucille Ball's hometown, the festival will also commemorate the 75th anniversary of I Love Lucy – the iconic series that forever shaped television comedy.  

“We've built this festival to offer something for every kind of comedy fan,” added Livermore. “From nationally touring headliners to the stand-up showcases featuring a wide range of distinct comedic voices, along with late-night shows, block parties and special events throughout the city – audiences can experience comedy in multiple ways across the entire weekend.” 

Recently named the “Best Pop Culture Museum in the country” by USA Today, and home to the Carl Reiner Department of Archives & Preservation, the National Comedy Center will be open throughout the festival, offering visitors an immersive, personalized experience featuring interactive exhibits celebrating comedy's greatest moments and creators. 

Over its 35-year history, the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival has featured hundreds of artists in Jamestown, including Jon Stewart, Lily Tomlin, Nate Bargatze, John Mulaney, Trevor Noah, Bill Murray, Jim Gaffigan, Taylor Tomlinson, Jeff Foxworthy, Gabriel Iglesias, Jay Leno, Sebastian Maniscalco, Amy Schumer, Nicole Byer, David Spade, Margaret Cho, Brian Regan, Kevin Nealon, Ellen DeGeneres, Lewis Black, Michelle Wolf, Mark Normand, Sam Morrill, W. Kamau Bell, , Paula Poundstone, Dan Aykroyd, Joan Rivers, Bob Newhart, The Smothers Brothers and many more. 

About the Artists 

Jerry Seinfeld 

Jerry Seinfeld's comedy career took off after his first appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1981. Eight years later, he teamed up with fellow comedian Larry David to create what was to become the most successful comedy series in the history of television: Seinfeld. The show ran on NBC for nine seasons, winning numerous Emmys, Golden Globes, and People's Choice awards, was named the greatest television show of all time in 2009 by TV Guide, and in 2012 was identified as the best sitcom ever in a 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll.  

His latest Emmy-nominated Netflix projects include Jerry Before Seinfeld and 23 Hours to Kill, along with the highly acclaimed web series, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. Seinfeld has also starred in, written, and produced movies (Comedian, Bee Movie), directed and produced a Broadway hit (Colin Quinn: Long Story Short), and wrote three best-selling books (Is this Anything?, The Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee Book, and Seinlanguage) and a children's book (Halloween). He stars in the Emmy-nominated comedy film, Unfrosted, which he directed, co-wrote, and produced. Seinfeld continues to perform both nationally and internationally.  

Bert Kreischer

Bert Kreischer's career has evolved from Rolling Stone's infamous “Number One Partier in the Nation” to one of the top-grossing stand-up comedians in the world –and a powerhouse entrepreneur, actor, producer, content creator, and entertainment brand. Named by Forbes as “one of the best storytellers of his generation,” Kreischer has parlayed his signature comedy and authenticity into a dynamic media empire.  

His sixth Netflix special, Lucky, premiered in Netflix's “Top 10 Most Watched TV Shows” in March 2025. Through Berty Boy Productions, Kreischer oversees hit podcasts and series including Bertcast, Something's Burning, and 2 Bears, 1 Cave (with Tom Segura), commanding over 16 million fans and 4 billion impressions. He also founded the Fully Loaded Comedy Festival, a touring juggernaut that's expanded to stadiums, arenas, and sold-out cruises. 

Kreischer's Netflix scripted comedy series Free Bert debuted in January 2026 and quickly broke into Netflix's U.S. and global Top 10. His Permission To Party World Tour and continues to blend comedy, business, and culture into one of the most recognizable personal brands in entertainment today. 

Seth Meyers 

Seth Meyers is an Emmy Award-winning writer, New York Times bestselling author and host of NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers since 2014. Meyers began his TV career with Saturday Night Live in 2001 where he was a cast member for thirteen seasons. He served as head writer for nine seasons and “Weekend Update” anchor for eight. He has released two critically acclaimed stand-up specials to date, Lobby Baby (Netflix) and Seth Meyers: Dad Man Walking (HBO Max.) In all, Meyers has garnered 33 Emmy nominations for his work in television. 

In addition to his onscreen success, Meyers is a New York Times bestselling author, having published his first picture book, I'm Not Scared, You're Scared, in 2022. He currently co-hosts two podcasts, Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers, alongside his brother Josh Meyers, and The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast, with Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone. 

Meyers performs stand-up to sold out crowds across the country and co-headlines a monthly residency with John Oliver at the Beacon Theatre in New York. 

About the National Comedy Center 

The National Comedy Center is the United States' cultural institution, museum and national archive dedicated to presenting the vital story of comedy and preserving its heritage for future generations. Through its exhibits, archives and educational initiatives, the Center explores the full breadth of comedy's history – spanning influential artists, iconic works and the cultural moments that shaped the art form – and has collaborated with dozens of artists, estates and industry partners to preserve materials representing comedy's significant artistic, social and political contributions to American culture. 

Opened in 2018 in Jamestown, New York, the museum complex offers an unprecedented, immersive visitor experience using state-of-the-art technology, interactivity and personalization. USA Today recently named the National Comedy Center the “Best Pop Culture Museum in the Country” and previously recognized it as the “Best New Museum” in the nation. TIME named it one of its “World's Greatest Places,” and U.S. News & World Report selected it as one of the “25 Top Family Weekend Getaways in the U.S.” The museum has been featured in The New York Times, on CBS Sunday Morning and on NBC's TODAY Show, which called it “the Smithsonian of Comedy.” 

Based on the vision of Jamestown native Lucille Ball for her hometown to become a destination for comedy, the non-profit National Comedy Center's mission is to present and preserve the vital story of comedy in America across all eras and genres, providing education on the comedic arts in the form of commentary and contextualization of its bodies of work. The museum celebrates comedy's great minds and unique voices, while providing an examination of the time-honed creative processes that have elevated comedy to an art.