The 14th annual Asheville Comedy Festival

The Asheville Comedy Festival, the largest comedy gathering in the Southeast, returns August 10-13 in Asheville.

After a two-year hiatus, the festival offers four nights of shows at Highland Brewing Company and downtown at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts. The festival will showcase an eclectic mix of more than 50 comedians from around the globe - whittled down from hundreds of submissions and inclusive of all genders, races, and styles. A full list of the 2022 comics can be found at AshevilleComedyFestival.com, with the lineup to be announced in the coming weeks.

Asheville Comedy Festival has grown into one of the nation’s most awaited events in the comic industry because of the opportunities it creates for up-and-coming comedians. Because of its reputation for featuring top-notch, under-the-radar talents, the festival has attracted major TV network executives, casting agents, talent bookers and club owners. The shows never overlap, allowing an equal opportunity for comics’ performances to be seen by all attendees.

Asheville Comedy Festival is an opportunity for seeing some of those who might be the next big names.

“It’s a comic-friendly festival,” said festival producer and executive director Charlie Gerencer. “Everything we do is dictated by funny, and geared toward setting the comics up for success. We put a high value on production detail, and strive for a higher caliber of talent than you’d expect from a typical comedy show.”

New this year, broadcast and new media platform comedy exec Jeff Tully hosts a daytime Green-screen Joke Show, open to any and all comics. It’s an opportunity for stand-up comedians to hone their skills writing jokes and auditioning content on camera, Gerencer said, a unique opportunity for professional and aspiring comics.