October 14th - 23rd 2021

PRESS RELEASE

For more information:
[email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 23, 2021
Albuquerque’s First Comedy Festival Plans a Fall 2021 In-Person Return, Featuring Local & National Comedians

Albuquerque, NM - Heartened by the announcement that the Balloon Fiesta is moving forward with plans for a 2021 event, the Albuquerque Funny Fiesta is also officially planning for an in-person return in Fall 2021, provided local and state restrictions on in-person performances and event venues are lifted. If all goes well, the festival should be one of the state’s first forays into in-person festivals, happening over ten days total between October 14th - October 23rd.

The festival programming will feature two full weekends of performances from stand-up comedians, sketch and improv teams, and more. In the weekdays between these performances, the festival will be providing daily workshops on writing and producing, among other topics, open mics at participating venues around town, online small groups where participating performers can find community, as well as industry panels and other fun activities aimed at helping participating performers hone their craft.

Unlike in the Funny Fiesta’s first year in 2019, the festival will also feature a groundbreaking new path for participating performers as well—the option to work on a team of writers who will produce a topical, humorous sketch variety show in the style of Saturday Night Live. This track will teach comedians what it looks like to write for a show like Saturday Night Live, and offer them the chance to produce their own fully hosted, high production value, live event, which will take place on the last night of the festival.

Like many other live events during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Funny Fiesta had to cancel their plans for a 2020 festival, but the festival’s planning committee and their nonprofit partner, ArtsHub, are excited about the event’s return this fall.
“After a one-year hiatus, we cannot wait to celebrate the robust and diverse comedic community in Albuquerque and other artists from around the country,” says Jeff Andersen, Funny Fiesta committee member and ArtsHub project director, “Of course, our first priority is the safety and health of our artists and audience members. We will ensure that the Funny Fiesta is a safe environment.”

While the committee is planning for a hybrid in-person and online festival, should things with the pandemic worsen or should local, state, or national restrictions prohibit live events by the fall, the festival will still take place fully online. The committee is working hard to develop flexible plans which will still provide a fun and exciting audience experience no matter what.

Submissions for performers are now open. The submission form can be found here:

For more information about sponsorship opportunities and how to get involved, please email [email protected].

About the Albuquerque Funny Fiesta:
The Albuquerque Funny Fiesta is New Mexico's own all-comedy extravaganza featuring stand up comedians, film, improv troupes, sketch performers, and so much more! We’re creating a space for a diverse community of comedic artists, celebrating everything that makes us laugh, and showcasing what makes Albuquerque amazing.

About ArtsHub:
Arts Hub’s purpose is to unleash the power of the arts as a tool to engage the community, create solutions to urgent issues, and drive the creative economy.

The arts are a thriving part of Albuquerque’s culture and community, but artists continue to face barriers to work in this city. Besides a thriving arts community, sustainable artistic creation has an added benefit: it also sustains a class of creative problem solvers. Art is a powerful tool to engage community members and catalyze positive social change.