Montreal's Just for Laughs unveils lineup for 40th anniversary edition

With pandemic restrictions on in-person events now lifted in Quebec, Just For Laughs is returning to form this year, as the Montreal comedy festival celebrates its 40th anniversary edition, from July 13 to 31.

"We're pulling out all the stops to do a massive celebration of comedy and hopefully bring some levity to this challenging world," Just For Laughs president Bruce Hills said in an interview Tuesday on CBC Montreal's Daybreak.

Last year, organizers put on a hybrid version of the festival, while in 2020, the event was held completely online. 

Along with the previously-announced headliners Kevin Hart and Bill Burr, the festival unveiled much of its lineup Tuesday, including the hosts for its gala performances happening the last week of July. 

American comedian, television host, podcaster and author Chelsea Handler will host her first gala at the festival, alongside other big names such as fellow Americans Jo Koy, Iliza Shlesinger, Patton Oswalt and Marc Maron.

Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby is returning to Montreal as well, this time as a gala host, as are Toronto's Russell Peters and Malaysian comedian Ronny Chieng, who is known for his work as correspondent on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. 

Between July 25-29, the festival will also feature concert performances from John Mulaney, Hasan Minhaj, Tommy Tiernan, Vir Das, Celeste Barber and Neal Brennan.

Personally, Hills said, he's excited to spend his birthday watching a performance from Bill Burr, who hails from the Boston area. 

"I also love Bill because we fight with each other over the Habs and the Bruins," he said.

Pre-sale tickets for the festival go on sale Wednesday at 10 a.m., with the full sale on Friday.

Canadian comics hit hard by pandemic

Hills said the festival will also be producing several 40th anniversary television specials, to highlight the history of the event.

And in addition to the big names in the lineup, Just for Laughs is including more showcases for new talent than before, including an event for international comedians and, for the second year, the New Faces Canada showcase.

"We're...really doubling down for opportunities for comics to be seen, to advance their careers," said Hills. "That's been a really big part of our DNA, but we think we could absolutely do a better job, a bigger job."

The showcases allow comedians to perform not just for fans, but for the "heavyweight industry folks" from Canada, the U.S., the U.K. and elsewhere. 

These opportunities are even more critical now, Hills said, because the pandemic led to so many cancelled shows and tours, especially for Canadian comedians.

"Canadians are really the ones who suffered the most if they don't have...work visas to work elsewhere," he said. "Because provinces have been shut down [or] have been at 50 per cent capacity."

While he said Canadian comics have adapted by doing shows online, taking corporate gigs, or accepting reduced pay for half-capacity shows, it's been a struggle for many.

Hills is hoping the Just for Laughs festival, which overlaps with the Osheaga Music Festival, will draw people back downtown, including tourists.

"We want to get the word out that Montreal's got the biggest party [the] last week of July that we've ever thrown," he said.