Film, Music, Innovation … ah, Comedy. The fourth strand of South by Southwest 2026 (March 12-18) has just announced its star-studded roster of comedy legends and up-and-comers.
Heading up the humor is Bill Burr. No stranger to SXSW, having been a panelist, a stand-up, and SX-selected film star, he’s back this year as the host of the FOX Entertainment Studios Comedy Showcase featuring the Dress Up Gang and Friends, alongside Frankie Quiñones, Cory Loykasek, Donny Divanian, Kirk Fox, and Brent Weinbach.
The Comedy side of SXSW will also include local outings for some familiar shows on the lineup, including Upright Citizens Brigade’s signature ASSSSCAT. Meanwhile, the topic of failing onstage is the focus of Bombing With Eric André, as the outrageous and outrageously smart comedian and his friends bring their iHeartMedia show to the stage. Then sketch comedy gets its turn as Chelsea Peretti, Natasha Leggero, and Sabrina Jalees invoke Chaos (that’s the name of their show), mixing stand-up and a cold read of a brand-new sketch written especially for this night.
But what’s SXSW if not a place for discovery and creative experimentation? Comedy duo BriTANicK (Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher) debut their new one-hour set, dummy, while Jacquis Neal takes a gamble on crowd work with Crowd Control, a show where the audience is the source and subject of the jokes. The latter is just one of three shows courtesy of comedy streaming platform Dropout; badgeholders can also drop into Dropout Improv at ACL Live, while Lily Du asks probing questions and Grant O’Brien gets the guests liquored up for Dirty Laundry.
Of course, SXSW is famous as a place for unexpected collaborations and fusions. Case in point: Online institution Cracked not only hosts its first showcase, but teams up with Netflix’s animated comedy Mating Season for a live recording. And you may as well get in line now for a collaboration between two of the most recognizable names in storytelling, as Comic Relief and The Moth presents Funny Story.
These days, comedy and podcasts have become synonymous, and that’s no exception at SXSW. Austin native Devon Walker will host a special live recording of My Favorite Lyrics. Then the Stand Comedy Club gets into the reality of the life and creative process of comics with live sessions of their 10 for 10 podcast.
SXSW and SXSW EDU 2026 badges are available now via sxsw.com. Keep up with the latest SXSW news at austinchronicle.com/sxsw.