31 comics coming to Maine to make you laugh into next year
Maine’s comedy calendar is filling up with a mix of homegrown talent and nationally known headliners, offering residents a chance to catch live laughs from fall through spring.
Fall line‑up
Jason Salmon brings his self‑described style—“the best advice you’ve ever gotten … from the dumbest guy you know”—to the Empire in Portland for two shows each on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $29.53 for general admission and $40.09 for preferred seating. Salmon’s television résumé includes spots on Orange Is the New Black, 30 Rock and At Home with Amy Sedaris, plus appearances on HBO and Comedy Central. His stand‑up special Biscuits and Gravity is available on YouTube.
Lucas Zelnick takes the State Theatre stage on Sunday at 7 p.m. with tickets ranging from $20 to $45. The New York comic has appeared on Comedy Central, headlined the Netflix is a Joke Festival, acted in the films Regular and Fade to Black, and holds an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.
Mainer Bob Marley returns to Jonathan’s in Ogunquit on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ($42.50‑$83.50) and adds a Saturday night at the Waterville Opera House ($46.50). He also has a five‑show run beginning Dec. 5 at Stone Mountain Arts Center in Brownfield, tickets priced at $36.50.
The queer duo Sunny Laprade and Emma Dalenberg headline the Empire on Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. ($24.26 general, $29.53 preferred). Described as best‑friend co‑headliners, they promise a “wild night” spilling the tea on varied topics. Emma Dalenberg shared a TikTok line that reads: “SIX FOOT ONE! PICK ME? NAH, PEG HE! (Disclaimer: I’ve never pegged one of my guy friends and I do not want to but I do like knowing I could, is that toxic?)”
Late‑fall headliners
Marc Maron appears at the State Theatre on Nov. 5 at 8 p.m. ($42‑$72). Known for the WTF with Marc Maron podcast—whose guests have included Barack Obama, Carol Burnett and Robin Williams—he also cites HBO specials Marc Maron: Panicked and From Bleak to Dark as recent work.
Leslie Jones follows on Nov. 6 at 8 p.m. at the same venue ($35‑$65). A five‑season SNL alum, she provided real‑time commentary during the 2016 Summer Olympics on Twitter, a stint that led to NBC assignments and her current I’m Hot tour.
Eddie Pepitone, billed as the “Bitter Buddha,” plays The Dance Hall in Kittery on Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. ($28 advance, $33 door). His act is described as shifting between calm and chaotic, with comic Rebecca Donohue serving as host.
Jay Leno brings his late‑night pedigree to Merrill Auditorium also on Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. ($59‑$99). The former Tonight Show host holds an Emmy, the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and Harvard’s Hasty Pudding Award.
Jimmy Cash, a Boston comic who worked as a janitor for two decades while maintaining sobriety, performs at Jonathan’s in Ogunquit on Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. ($25‑$66). He has opened for Bob Marley on many occasions.
Bert Kreischer’s “Permission to Party” tour lands at Merrill Auditorium on Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. ($39.75‑$125). He promotes his 2025 Netflix special Lucky, references his film The Machine and the series Free Bert, and notes his podcasts Bertcast and 2 Bears, 1 Cave with Tom Segura.
Leah Rudick takes the Empire stage on Nov. 20 and 21, with shows at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ($34.81 general, $45.36 preferred). The Los Angeles‑based comic performs characters such as “Wealthy Woman,” “Joannie” and “Love Coach” and cites a following of just under two million on social media. A TikTok post from @comedydynamics quotes her: “Girls trips are 50% mimosa, 50% chaos. From @Leah Rudick’s special, Spiraling.”
Paula Poundstone closes the month at Jonathan’s on Nov. 27 at 7:30 p.m. ($52.50‑$93.50). Her dry delivery has earned her a longtime spot on NPR’s Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!.
Winter and early‑spring offerings
Becky Robinson’s Holiday Spectacular lights up the State Theatre on Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. ($37.50‑$57.50), featuring characters like Suzie Chapstick and the Entitled Housewife.
Aries Spears appears at Aura in Portland on Dec. 6 at 6 p.m. ($52.75‑$79, 18‑plus). With over three decades on stage and an eight‑season run on MADtv, he is noted for impressions of Denzel Washington, Jay‑Z and Shaquille O’Neal, as well as commentary on pop culture, race and relationships.
Jason Cheny returns to the Empire for Dec. 11 and 12, with 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. shows ($29.53 general, $40.09 preferred). The Taiwanese‑American comic from Los Angeles teases an upcoming Hulu half‑hour special set for January and notes his regular spots at clubs such as the Improv and Comedy Cellar.
Joe Gatto and Drew Lynch share the Merrill Auditorium stage on Dec. 26 at 7 p.m. (ticket range listed as $39‑$75). Gatto is known from Impractical Jokers and The Misery Index; Lynch earned a Golden Buzzer on America’s Got Talent after recovering from a traumatic brain injury sustained at age 20, a experience that fuels his self‑deprecating humor.
Atsuko Okatsuka headlines the State Theatre on Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. ($39.50‑$69.50). The award‑winning actress and comic describes her act as exuberant and off‑beat, with specials previously aired on Hulu and HBO.
Zarna Garg’s “Million Dollar Excuses” tour arrives at the State Theatre on Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. ($33‑$55, with a $199 meet‑and‑greet option). She cites her Amazon Prime special One in a Billion and its Hulu follow‑up Zarna Garg: Practical People Win, as well as her memoir This American Woman, which chronicles her path from homelessness in Mumbai to international stand‑up success.
Brad Williams plays Merrill Auditorium the same evening at 7 p.m. ($29.50‑$69.50). His “Big & Small” tour highlights punchlines and personal storytelling, with the YouTube specials Live on Short Street and Starfish—the latter surpassing nine million views—available for streaming.
Samantha Bee brings her How to Survive Menopause tour to the Waterville Opera House on Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. ($62‑$92). The Canadian comic spent twelve years on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show and hosted Full Frontal with Samantha Bee on TBS from 2016 to 2023.
Justin Willman fuses comedy and magic at the State Theatre on Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. ($41.50‑$51.50, with a $152 VIP tier). He notes that his streaming numbers have exceeded one billion views and advertises the show as appropriate for all ages.
Taylor Tomlinson offers two performances at Merrill Auditorium on Feb. 27—4 p.m. and 7 p.m. ($39‑$4109). Her winter tour, dubbed Nobody asked You to Do That, draws on Netflix specials that transform personal challenges into comedy.
Ari Matti takes the State Theatre stage on March 6 at 7 p.m. ($29.50‑$59.50). The Estonian‑born comic ties his Eastern European heritage and worldwide travel to his act, and is a regular on the Kill Tony podcast, having performed Kill Tony Live at Madison Square Garden in consecutive years.
Jo Koy rounds out the winter slate at Merrill Auditorium on March 12 at 8 p.m. ($49.50‑$74.50, 12‑plus). Recognized by Pollstar and Billboard as a top‑10 grossing stand‑up act each year, he draws on his Filipino‑American upbringing and experiences as a parent and son for his Koy Meets World tour.
Spring highlights
Beth Stelling appears at the Empire on March 18‑20, with 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. shows ($29.53 general, $34.81 preferred). The Los Angeles‑based comic, writer and actress points to her YouTube releases The Landlord Special and If You Didn’t Want Me Then, and cites appearances on Netflix, Comedy Central and various late‑night programs.
Grace Helbig and Mamrie Hart team up for an April 1 show at the Empire at 7 p.m. ($29.53 general, $40.09 preferred). Their friendship, approaching two decades, fuels the weekly podcast This Might Get Weird.
Maria Bamford brings her mental‑health‑focused comedy to the State Theatre on May 9 at 6 p.m. ($35‑$55). She discusses time spent in a psychiatric facility, is an Emmy‑nominated comic, authored the New York Times bestseller Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult and created the Netflix series Lady Dynamite.
Jeff Arcuri caps the spring schedule with a 9:30 p.m. State Theatre appearance on May 14 ($36‑$69). Although his early show sold out, tickets remain for his Road Trip tour, which includes the Netflix special Nice To Meet You released in July.
Together, these dates offer a varied menu of observational, character‑driven, political and absurdist humor, giving Mainers many opportunities to share a laugh across the coming months.
