Jon Stewart and Pete Davidson are bringing a heavyweight comedy lineup to Madison Square Garden for a one-night benefit marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Dave Chappelle, Nikki Glaser, Bill Burr and several other major names are on the bill, with tickets going on sale as New York heads toward another somber anniversary.
“NYC Still Rising After 25 Years: A 9/11 Charities Comedy Benefit” is scheduled for Thursday, September 10, at The Garden, with Aziz Ansari, Bill Burr, Dave Chappelle, Ronny Chieng, Pete Davidson, Nikki Glaser, Josh Johnson and Jon Stewart listed to perform, according to the Madison Square Garden event page. The lineup is subject to change, and additional surprise guests are expected before showtime.
General ticket sales opened Friday at 10 a.m. Eastern, as reported by Time Out. The event is positioned as both a comedy showcase and a fundraiser for 9/11 charities, giving ticket buyers a reason to expect a packed Garden before the anniversary weekend even begins.
The Garden Gets Another “NYC Still Rising” Benefit
This is the second Madison Square Garden comedy benefit Stewart and Davidson have organized around a 9/11 milestone. The 2021 event featured a similarly enormous roster, including John Mulaney, Amy Schumer, Jimmy Fallon, Wanda Sykes and Michael Che.
Davidson’s connection to the anniversary is deeply personal: His father, FDNY firefighter Scott Davidson, was killed while responding to the attacks, a detail noted by Time Out. Stewart, meanwhile, has spent years pressing Congress to protect health care and compensation programs for responders and survivors, including testimony before a House committee in 2019.
Stewart’s advocacy is documented in his congressional testimony, where he urged lawmakers to permanently support the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. That history gives the benefit a more direct connection to the long-running health and financial needs left in the attacks’ wake.
No Phones, Cameras Or Smartwatches Inside
Anyone attending should expect a strictly device-free night. Madison Square Garden says phones, cameras, tablets, laptops, smartwatches and Bluetooth-enabled headphones will be secured inside locked Yondr pouches when guests arrive, with access available only at designated lobby stations.
The show is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 5:30 p.m., according to Live Nation. The no-recording rule means the night’s jokes will stay in the room—at least until the audience gets back outside.
A Benefit Tied To Programs Still Serving Survivors
The event arrives as federal programs continue serving people affected by the attacks and the toxic dust at Ground Zero. The CDC’s World Trade Center Health Program provides monitoring and treatment for responders and survivors, while the federally funded September 11th Victim Compensation Fund handles claims tied to physical harm, illness and death connected to the attacks and recovery work.
For New York, the night will be an unusual blend of arena-scale entertainment and continued remembrance: a comedy bill built around the city’s resilience, staged one day before the 25th anniversary of September 11.
