History of the 10,000 Laughs Comedy Festival

The 10,000 Laughs Comedy Festival is Minnesota’s longest-running comedy festival, taking place every October across venues in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Founded in 2011 by former (bad) comedian and producer Bob Edwards, the festival started as a scrappy weekend of stand up in a single room and has grown into one of the most respected comedy festivals in the Midwest. The first year’s fest (the “Mini-Minneapolis” comedy festival) sold 64 tickets, to a 65 seat room, over the course of 7 days. We’ve learned some lessons along the way.

Origins and Growth

The festival was born out of the Comedy Corner Underground, a gritty basement club in downtown Minneapolis known for its punk rock vibe, perfect-ish acoustics and dirty tablecloths. From that one-room origin, 10,000 Laughs has expanded into a multi-day event hosted across multiple venues, including First Avenue, Parkway Theater, Sisyphus Brewing, Theatre in the Round, and The Pantages Theater.

Every year the festival features over 80 comedians and over 35 shows, drawing thousands of attendees from across the country.

Here’s the various art we’ve used over the years!

Festival Highlights

10,000 Laughs has become a national stop for some of comedy’s most exciting voices. Past big time headliners have included:

  • David Cross

  • Taylor Tomlinson

  • Rory Scovel

  • Pete Holmes

  • Chad Daniels

  • Mike E. Winfield

  • Josh Johnson

  • Dulce Sloan

  • Michael Ian Black

  • Beth Stelling

  • Josh Gondelman

Every show is built to highlight local talent, with at least two Twin Cities comedians appearing nearly every lineup.

Community and Culture

10,000 Laughs is deeply embedded in the Minnesota comedy scene. It draws from a tradition that goes back to the 1980s, when clubs like Mickey Finn’s helped launch the careers of Louie Anderson and Scott Hansen. The festival proudly carries that legacy forward, creating a space where emerging comics can share the stage with seasoned pros. One of our former producers, Chloe Radcliffe, launched from the Twin Cities to be a writer on the Tonight Show! (and is still super funny and we really think she should call home; we don’t mean to worry but New York is just such a big city)

Anyways, that’s what we’re about. Taking jokes really seriously.