The Workout: The Official Warm-Up Room of the 2026 New York Comedy Festival

The 22nd annual New York Comedy Festival runs Friday, November 6 through Sunday, November 15, 2026 — 200+ comedians, 100+ shows across all five boroughs, and headliners at Carnegie Hall, the Beacon Theatre, Town Hall, and Kings Theatre.

And this year, Upper East Side Comedy Club is the official Workout Room of the festival.

We're proud to introduce The Workout — a nightly series during festival week where headliners drop in to test new bits, road-map upcoming specials, and share the stage with the best up-and-coming comics in New York.

What Is The Workout?

Every big comedy special starts the same way — a comic in a small room, trying jokes that haven't quite landed yet, in front of an audience that gets to be first.

The Workout is that room.

During NYCF week, festival headliners will stop by Upper East Side Comedy Club between their theater dates to work out material that hasn't been on stage yet. Between drop-ins, you'll see the sharpest rising comics in NYC delivering their most polished sets — the ones they've been building all year for exactly this crowd.

You get:

• Festival headliners testing brand-new material

• NYC's top up-and-comers presenting their tightest sets

• A room where every set matters — because everyone is working

It's the show comics wish existed at every festival. Now it does.

When and Where

Dates: Nightly during the New York Comedy Festival — Friday, November 6 through Sunday, November 15, 2026

Venue: Upper East Side Comedy Club at Bedford Falls NYC206 E 67th St, New York, NY 10065 (between Second & Third)

Subway: 3 minutes from 86th St (4/5/6), 6 minutes from 86th St (Q)

Why the Upper East Side?

The Upper East Side has been quietly rebuilding itself as one of New York's most exciting comedy neighborhoods — and our room seats fewer than 80 people. That intimacy is exactly what makes The Workout work:

• When a festival headliner walks in with a fresh premise, they can hear every reaction in real time

• Up-and-comers get to work their best material in front of a crowd that came for the comics, not the price of a two-drink minimum at a name-brand club

• Every seat feels like the front row

If you've ever wanted to see a comic you know from a Netflix special or a late-night set try something before it becomes their opener — The Workout is where that happens.

Who Will Perform?

Confirmed festival lineups typically include names like Tim Dillon, Marc Maron, Ilana Glazer, Jordan Klepper, Ms. Pat, Daniel Sloss, Ziwe, Adam Friedland, Jess Hilarious, and Mojo Brookzz — many of whom are known to drop into smaller rooms during festival week to keep sharp between headline dates.

The Workout lineups drop the week of the festival — follow uppereastsidecomedyclub.com or our email list for nightly announcements.

Tickets

The Workout uses our standard tiered pricing:

• $25

. Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.

Book The Workout → uppereastsidecomedyclub.com

About the New York Comedy Festival

Founded in 2004, the New York Comedy Festival is one of the largest comedy festivals in the world. In 2026, it brings together 200+ comedians and 100+ shows across every borough of NYC, from Carnegie Hall to intimate club rooms exactly like ours. Full festival info at nycomedyfestival.com.

We're honored to be part of it — and we can't wait to open our doors.

See you at The Workout.

Upper East Side Comedy Club206 E 67th St · New York, NYuppereastsidecomedyclub.com