It’s time for the 9th Annual 2nd Best Comedy Fest running June 11–13, 2026. The Coalition Theater hosts this annual event, and is the brick-and-mortar heart of Richmond’s alternative comedy ecosystem. Calling it the 2nd Best Fest is a beautifully defensive undersell that sets the stage for a cultural blowout.
Meet the man who has spent a decade quietly and stubbornly laying down the infrastructure for it. Josh Blubaugh, known affectionately simply as “Blue,” is the Co-Artistic Director of the nonprofit Coalition Theater. Along with co-artistic director Kimberly Nario and a fiercely dedicated crew, Blue has transformed what used to be a fragmented, transient ecosystem of open mics and basement groups into a cohesive, inclusive regional powerhouse.
Under his watch, the Coalition doesn’t just put on shows, it runs deep-dive classes, issues vital Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) scholarships to ensure the stage reflects the actual human mosaic of Richmond, and builds a genuine safety net where performers are encouraged to take massive, terrifying artistic risks. 2nd Best Fest is a three-day bender that pulls elite comedic gravity from New York, Chicago, LA, and DC directly into our weird city.
This year, the festival is breaking its own banks, spilling out of the Coalition’s home stage and expanding across four different venues in the Arts District, including the subterranean playground of 5th Wall Theatre at The Basement (300 E. Broad St.) and Virginia Rep’s Theatre Gym. If you’ve ever wanted to watch someone have a public existential crisis for laughs in a literal bunker, this is your moment.
If you’re looking at the lineup, trying to figure out where to place your financial and emotional bets, the schedule’s got many options between wholesome-ish, weird, and ‘wrong’ to choose from. I’ve caught glimpses of previous years like the legendary nights featuring Emmy-winner Sara Schaefer or the cinematic absurdity of Matt Barats and 2026 is tracking to completely blow past those high-water marks.
Here is the list:
THURSDAY OPENING SALVO JUNE 11
TIME & VENUE | 7:00 PM – 10:30 PM | Coalition Theater 8 W. Broad Street
7PM | BUY TICKETS HERE
Project Jane (Richmond, VA): Pushing the envelope early on opening night at 7:00 PM, this group utilizes sharp, fast-paced comedic structure to subvert classic improv tropes. It’s high-energy, whip-smart, and sets a relentless pace for the rest of the weekend. Earlier in the evening, the 7 PM block includes fellow Richmond groups Babybangs and The Complaint Department.
9 PM | BUY TICKETS HERE
Blueballs & Casserole (Richmond, VA): A long-running local indie powerhouse that thrives on hyper-specific, beautifully absurd premises. They take standard human relationships, spin them out into an escalating spiral of silly, and somehow ground it in authentic, fast-paced RVA energy. Alongside Blueballs & Casserole, the Thursday late night block also features Festival Favorites (Richmond, VA) and GirlProv (Norfolk, VA), bringing additional regional talent to the opening night showcase.
THE FRIDAY VANGUARD JUNE 12
Time/Venue: 6:00 PM – 10:30 PM | Multiple Venues
COALITION THEATER 8 WEST BROAD STREET
6PM | BUY TICKETS HERE
The Coalition Theater kicks off Friday’s festival programming with a mix of local and national talent featuring Richmond improv duo Twins (1988), Richmond stand-up Randolph Washington Jr., and Los Angeles-based improv troupe Asian AF.
7:30 PM | BUY TICKETS HERE
The Coalition Theater’s 7pm show brings a strong Chicago presence to Richmond, featuring improv troupes Hall Pass and Angel Bones, alongside Los Angeles stand-up comedian Yang.
9 PM | BUY TICKETS HERE
Kornfeld & Andrews (New York, NY): This New York duo brings sharp, character-driven improv and a distinctly East Coast sensibility to the festival. Joining them on the late show bill is Durham stand-up comedian Nik Narain.
5TH WALL THEATRE AT THE BASEMENT 300 EAST BROAD STREET
6PM | | BUY TICKETS HERE
From The Top (Richmond, VA): Performing at The Basement, this squad tackles the high-wire act of an entirely improvised musical. They take audience suggestions and build showstoppers, choreography, and lyrical hooks on the fly. Joining them on the early show bill is Fredericksburg stand-up comedian Heather Joyce.
7:30 PM | BUY TICKETS HERE
BABE (Richmond, VA): Slotted into The Basement, BABE is a force of nature. Their comedy is fiercely collaborative, deeply funny, and refuses to apologize for taking up space. They are masters of building chaotic group energy that threatens to derail right before landing a perfect comedic punch. (Read our recent story on them HERE). Joining them on the late show bill are Richmond improv troupe Can’t Hardly Date and Richmond stand-up comedian Will Minor.
9 PM | BUY TICKETS HERE
The RENS (Washington, DC): Bringing sketch comedy from the nation’s capital, The RENS join the festival’s late-night lineup at The Basement. Joining them on the bill is Richmond stand-up comedian Grayson Bullock.
VIRGINIA REP THEATRE GYM 114 WEST BROAD STREET
6 PM | | BUY TICKETS HERE
Improv is Dead (Chicago, IL): Chicago longform comedy with a propensity towards intensity. It’s patient, devastatingly clever, and highly theatrical. Joining them on the early show bill are Richmond improv troupe Hot Computer and Richmond stand-up comedian Zoya.
7:30 PM | BUY TICKETS HERE
Big Whoop (New York, NY): This NYC powerhouse brings a cynical, fast-paced, concrete-jungle rhythm to the stage. They don’t waste beats; every line is a calculated strike, proving exactly why they survive in the cutthroat New York indie circuit. Joining them on the late show bill are Richmond improv troupe Horse Apples and Norfolk stand-up comedian Ed Phillips.
9 PM | BUY TICKETS HERE
Closing Night (Richmond, VA): Richmond’s premier musical improv troupe helps bring the fe stival to a close with an evening of spontaneous songs, unexpected characters, and audience-inspired storytelling. Joining them on the final bill of the night is Richmond improv troupe Just Fine Dining.
BLACK IRIS SOCIAL CLUB 321 WEST BROAD STREET
7:30 PM | BUY TICKETS HERE
The festival’s late-night stand-up showcase at Black Iris Social Club features Richmond comedians Sam Nelson, Esther Bilderback, Andre Keels, and Blake Carlson, alongside Fredericksburg comedian Heather Joyce.
9 PM | BUY TICKETS HERE
The late-night stand-up showcase at Black Iris Social Club features Richmond comedians Eugene ZTH. Kade Wonders, Amber Hendrix and Los Angeles comedian Shilpa Das.
THE SATURDAY CLOSERS JUNE 13
Time/Venue: 6:00 PM – 10:30 PM | Multiple Venues
COALITION THEATER 8 WEST BROAD STREET
6PM | BUY TICKETS HERE
Charm Scene (Chicago, IL): Chicago-based musical improv troupe.
7:30 PM | BUY TICKETS HERE
“Serious” (New York, NY): New York improv duo. Joining them on the bill are Richmond stand-up comedian Eugene ZTH and Los Angeles improv troupe Asian AF.
9 PM | BUY TICKETS HERE
Angel Bones (Chicago, IL): Chicago improv troupe. Joining them on the late show bill are Richmond improv troupe Airhead and Richmond stand-up comedian Blake Carlson.
5TH WALL THEATRE AT THE BASEMENT 300 EAST BROAD STREET
6PM | | BUY TICKETS HERE
Mouth Stuff (Baltimore, MD): Baltimore improv troupe. Joining them on the early show bill are Richmond stand-up comedian Kade Wonders and Durham improv troupe Mettlesome TourCo.
7:30 PM | BUY TICKETS HERE
Wolf Night (Richmond, VA): A localized cavalcade of the bizarre. Wolf Night specializes in bringing weirdo characters from the dark fringes of history to life, transforming historical footnotes and forgotten eccentrics into living, breathing, deeply funny anomalies. Joining them on the bill are Richmond stand-up comedian Sam Nelson and Chicago sketch group Brandy Alexander.
9 PM | BUY TICKETS HERE
Mind Er3ction (New York, NY): New York clown performance group. Joining them on the late show bill is New York sketch troupe Fever Dream.
VIRGINIA REP THEATRE GYM 114 WEST BROAD STREET
6 PM | | BUY TICKETS HERE
Sweeter Things (Washington, DC): Washington, DC improv troupe. Joining them on the early show bill are Richmond stand-up comedian Esther Bilderback and Richmond improv troupe Chew Your Food.
7:30 PM | BUY TICKETS HERE
Kornfeld & Andrews (New York, NY): New York improv duo. Joining them on the bill is Richmond stand-up comedian Amber Hendrix.
9 PM | BUY TICKETS HERE
Middle Management (Richmond, VA): Richmond improv troupe. Joining them on the late show bill are Richmond improv troupe Sweet River and Richmond stand-up comedian Andre Keels.
BLACK IRIS SOCIAL CLUB 321 WEST BROAD STREET
7:30 PM | BUY TICKETS HERE
The Black Iris Social Club showcase features Richmond comedians Megan LeMay, Chris Waller, Will Minor, and Zoya.
9 PM | BUY TICKETS HERE
The late-night stand-up showcase at Black Iris Social Club features Richmond comedians Randolph Washington Jr. and Grayson Bullock, Durham comedian Nik Narain, Norfolk comedian Ed Phillips, and Los Angeles comedian Yang.
The Broader Landscape: RVA’s Comedy Renaissance
To see 2nd Best Fest in its true context, you have to look at the macro picture of live comedy in Richmond right now. We are living through a genuine, unfiltered renaissance. For a long time, the narrative of Richmond comedy was bound strictly to traditional club setups. Places like the RVA Funny Bone do great work pulling in those massive, national touring headliners. But the real, beating soul of the city is happening in the trenches.
We’ve seen the rise of independent hubs like The Foundation, running dedicated writing rooms for women to workshop material away from the traditional comedy-bro gaze. We have Don’t Tell Comedy popping up in secret locations and alt-rooms like Reveler carving out their own distinct, indie identities. Even the grassroots media has kept pace.
The Comedy Underground Magazine (CUM) zine, (yes, they chose that acronym, and yes, they are sticking to it) is edited by local comic Emilie Erbland. It feeds the hyper-local subculture of comics who are too subversive for the mainstream but entirely too funny to shut up.
The 2nd Best Comedy Fest is an unapologetic mirror held up to Richmond’s artistic maturity with a side of fart jokes. Grab an All-Access pass at 2ndbestfest.com, slide into a seat at the Coalition or The Basement, and witness the beautiful, chaotic, hilarious state of our city. Just don’t sit in the front row unless you’re prepared to become part of the narrative.
Main photo from 2nd Best Comedy Fest 2025 by Ben Bunnell
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