The 312 Comedy Festival is set to roll across Chicago from November 5 to November 15, packing more than a week of stand-up into neighborhood clubs and big downtown stages. National touring heavyweights Joey Diaz, Bert Kreischer, Nikki Glaser, Michelle Wolf and Ali Siddiq top the initial bill, with headline nights set for The Chicago Theatre, the Vic and Wintrust Arena. The festival is stacking arena-size sets alongside club shows to serve up a cross-section of comedy styles all over the city.
Lineup and venues
According to the festival schedule, Joey Diaz kicks things off November 5 at The Chicago Theatre, with Bert Kreischer following on November 6. Nikki Glaser is slated for multiple nights at the same venue November 13 through 15. The lineup also places Michelle Wolf at the Vic for two shows on November 14 and Ali Siddiq at Wintrust Arena that same night for a larger event. Those listings were summarized by Q98.5.
Tickets and what to know
Primary tickets for the headlining events are running through major ticket vendors and the individual venue box offices. MSG and the Vic list seating options and entry policies on their event pages. The Wintrust Arena listing for Ali Siddiq notes that the November 14 show will be a phone-free Yondr performance, with devices locked in pouches upon arrival. Fans are encouraged to check venue sites and the festival page for presales, seating maps and any sold-out flags before locking in plans.
Promoters and what this means for Chicago
The multi-venue setup is being pulled together by a mix of local and national players. Jam Productions is handling shows at the Vic, Riviera and Park West, and its event pages carry a "Jam & Outback Present" billing on several Vic dates. A recent press release via Shore Fire Media credits Outback co-founder Mike Smardak as a co-creator of the 312 Comedy Festival. That kind of promoter mix is helping knit together big rooms and club dates in a format that has grown more common as comedy touring stretches beyond traditional club circuits.
Plan ahead
Organizers rolled out the full day-by-day schedule this week, with ticket links attached to each listing. The complete calendar is maintained by 312 Comedy Festival. For quick checks on house rules and logistics, including the phone-free setup at Wintrust, it is worth skimming the individual venue pages before heading out. Expect cozy club sets, big-room energy and a dense run of national names pulsing through Chicago’s comedy circuit all in the span of eleven days.
