People ask me what makes a comedy festival different from just going to a comedy show. The honest answer is the people. The shows are why you buy a ticket. The people are why you come back.
The same faces, a year later
The thing that surprised me most in 2026 was how many people came back from the first edition. Night after night I saw faces I recognised from 2025. Some of them came back alone and left with new friends. Others came back with the friends they had told about it the year before.
For a festival that is only two years old, that means a lot. You can buy advertising. You cannot buy people choosing to come back.
Small rooms, close to the stage
Most of our venues are small. Bars, clubs and small theatres where you are a few metres from the comedian. That changes the experience completely. You are not watching comedy on a big screen at the back of an arena. You are in the room, and sometimes the comedian is talking to you.
It also means you end up talking to the people next to you. At a festival like ours, the conversation before the show and after it is half the fun.
Between the shows
Some of my favourite moments of the festival did not happen on stage. They happened in between. You come out of a show still laughing, order a drink at the bar, and start talking to whoever is next to you about what you just saw. Half an hour later you are heading to the next venue together.
A lot of that happened in Malasaña. Picnic and Freeway are two legendary comedy venues in the neighbourhood, a short walk from each other, and on festival nights the streets between them felt like part of the festival. People moved from one room to the other comparing their favourite jokes and deciding what to see next.
That is how friendships start at a festival like this: in the queue, at the bar and on the walk between venues. If you come alone, you rarely stay alone for long.
Everyone is welcome, in every language
Walk into the queue outside one of our venues and you will hear three or four languages. Madrid locals, English-speaking expats, people visiting for the weekend, students on Erasmus. At MCF 2026 there were shows in English, Spanish, Arabic, Hindi, Italian and Portuguese, so people could find comedy in their own language and also try something new.
If you are new in Madrid, this is one of the easiest ways to meet people. Our guide to finding an English-speaking community in Madrid has more ideas, and if you are worried about going on your own, read going to a comedy show alone. Spoiler: you will not stay alone for long.
Comedians are part of the crowd too
We had comedians from more than 20 countries in Madrid for four days. For performers, that is one of the best parts of a festival: between their own sets they can watch other shows, meet comedians from other scenes and start new collaborations.
Look at the photos from the festival and you will see it. Groups of comedians on stage after a show, laughing together like they have known each other for years.
Giselle Jara, who performed at this year’s festival, made a video about her experience. In her words, it was the best experience of her life.
Watch Giselle Jara’s video about Madrid Comedy Festival on Instagram
A good time, without the corporate feel
MCF is an independent festival. There is no big brand telling you what to drink or where to stand. It is comedians, venues, volunteers and an audience that wants to laugh. That makes it feel relaxed and human, and I hope it stays that way as we grow.
This is a big part of why I think the festival can become one of the best in Europe. Big lineups help. A community that keeps showing up matters more.
Join us next time
The third edition is planned for 6–9 October 2027. Until then, look through the photos from past editions and follow us on Instagram. And if you came this year: thank you. See you next October.
Want to hear about 2027 first? Lineup, venues and tickets for the third edition, straight to your inbox. Join the newsletter.
Mehdi Mahtaj, Founder, Madrid International Comedy Festival
