Flagship City Comedy Fest Returns with Five Days of National Talent, Local Flavor, and Unfiltered Laughs

Contributed

The Flagship City Comedy Festival returns in 2025 for their fourth annual event, highlighting headlining out-of-town acts (including Dwight Simmons, Brandie Posey, Shane Torres, and Ben Roy) and local comics alike in a wide array of venues throughout Erie County.

BEGINNING WEDNESDAY, APR. 23

The Flagship City Comedy Festival is bringing the funny back to Erie for its fourth consecutive year, running from April 23 to 27. What started as a grassroots effort to showcase local talent has since evolved into one of the state's fastest-growing comedy festivals — complete with nationally recognized headliners and creative showcases for local talents.

Festival founder Anthony Morelli admits that putting together a multi-day comedy event is no small feat.

"In the immediate days before 2024's festival started, I was telling anyone that would listen that I'm never producing this again," Morelli jokes. "But once the festival kicked off, I got to meet all the comics, see the local venues full of people laughing, and watch the success of the weekend firmly plant myself and the festival in a positive national light, it immediately had me working on 2025."

This year's lineup is headlined by some serious comedic firepower: Shane Torres, Dwight Simmons, Brandie Posey, and Ben Roy, all of whom have made waves on platforms like Comedy Central, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, MTV, and Conan. They will be joined by dozens of other comedians from across the country in venues throughout the city, including 10/20 Collective, Room 33, Calamari's Squid Row, Werner Books, and Black Monk Brewery.

But the Flagship City Comedy Fest isn't just about the big names. The festival continues to elevate local talent while experimenting with formats and venues that are anything but traditional. One standout concept is the return of a fan-favorite event where comedians get tattooed during their sets.

"It's a show that has yet to be nationally duplicated," Morelli explained. "Comics try to sit still and not wince while delivering their set as artists from Andromeda Studios tattoo them live on stage. This year it moves to 10/20 Collective to make room for everyone ready to witness pain and laughter simultaneously."

Another unique event is "Comics Against Humanity," a Cards Against Humanity-inspired showcase at Hazard's Mini Golf Pub where comedians riff off audience prompts and cards for an unpredictable experience.

Ultimately, the heart of the festival lies in community — both the one Erie has built and the one it's continuing to welcome.

"The thing that brings the most joy is hearing the national talent come through and compliment not only our town and the locally raised comedians," says Morelli, "but that they're excited to come back because the rooms have been so warm and fun."

As the festival grows, so does its ambition. Morelli says the ultimate goal is to one day fill the historic Warner Theatre with a marquee headliner. Until then, the Flagship City Comedy Fest continues to punch above its weight, turning Erie into a must-visit destination for comedy fans and performers alike. 

Wednesday, Apr. 23 through Sunday, Apr. 27 // Various times and venues // $0-$20 // For tickets visit: tickets.eriereader.com // For more info: flagshipcitycomedyfest.com