Get Laughing at a San Diego Comedy Club—and Get Ready for the San Diego Improv Festival!
Get Laughing at a San Diego Comedy Club—and Get Ready for the San Diego Improv Festival!
Whether you regularly attend comedy shows or you’ve simply thought about doing so, you’ve got ample opportunity to yuk it up at some standout venues for standup and improv within easy reach of the Sofia Hotel.
And coming up later this week and weekend, you’ll be especially well positioned for live comedy as a Sofia guest: The 6th annual San Diego Improv Festival will be hitting the Tenth Avenue Arts Center just a few blocks away from our historic boutique hotel here in Downtown San Diego!
Read on for a quick rundown on the festival as well as an overview of a few noteworthy comedy clubs you might consider swinging by any time you pay us a visit here at the Sofia.
The San Diego Improv Festival
Finest City Improv hosts the 2019 San Diego Improv Festival at the Tenth Avenue Arts Center from Thursday, February 7th through Sunday, February 10th.
The festival, which draws quick-thinking funnypeople from across the country and the world, will be hosting better than 60 shows as well as a slew of workshops wherein ace teachers such as Kristen Schier, Emily Fightmaster, and Andy Perkins will share some tricks of the whole “Yes, and…” trade.
Beyond the festival, Finest City Improv offers shows year-round at the Hillcrest Theater each week from Wednesday through Saturday, with the house team taking the stage Friday and Saturday nights. You can also take a class here in the fine art of improv, the techniques and spirit of which are increasingly applied to the business world and everyday life.
Other Comedy Headquarters in America’s Finest City
At the Sofia Hotel, we put you within a few easy blocks of the American Comedy Co. (818 B 6th Ave) in the Gaslamp Quarter: one of the preeminent spots for standup in San Diego. This 200-seat theater is hosting Colin Kane February 14th through the 16th, Jordan Rock February 21st, Andrew Schulz February 22nd through 23rd, Nerd Comedy Starring Tim Lee February 24th, and Big Jay Oakerson from February 28th through March 2nd. On Tuesdays, the American Comedy Club throws an open mic—care to test your mettle on its stage?—while on the second Wednesday of every month it’s the Come-Up Comedy Showcase, “showcasing the brightest rising stars from around the country.”
Only a bit farther afield, there’s the National Comedy Theatre (3717 India St.), another hotspot for San Diego improv. The NCT Mainstage Class puts on 100-minute shows (clean and suitable for all ages) on Friday and Saturday nights based entirely on audience suggestions, while the Sunday Company features some up-and-coming actors of impressive skill. Like Finest City Improv, the National Comedy Theatre also leads an array of improv classes.
Then there’s the Comedy Store (916 Pearl St., La Jolla), which opened in 1977 as a long-running offshoot of the legendary West Hollywood club in L.A. (David Letterman was among the comics on hand for opening night.) Upcoming performers include Jason Collins (February 8th through 10th), Ari Shaffir (February 15th through 17th), Martin Montana (February 21st) and IMomSoHard (February 22nd through 24th). You’ll find a well-attended open mic at the Comedy Store each Wednesday, meanwhile.
Have a look at some of the other comedy clubs in greater San Diego right here!
Catch Some Live Comedy on Your Next Sofia Getaway in Downtown San Diego
Whether at the Improv Festival underway later this week or at a club anytime of year, enjoy some high-grade San Diego comedy with a home base at the Sofia Hotel!