One of the questions I hear most is how a festival this young gets names like these. The answer is simple: comedians talk to each other. When the first edition went well, word spread. In 2026, that word brought some big names to some very small rooms.
Ignatius Farray and Danny Boy, one stage, one hour
We opened with a gala at Picnic hosted by Joseph Ewonde Jr. and Alicia Montoya. Later that night, Picnic hosted Hora Compartida: Danny Boy and Ignatius Farray splitting an hour on the same stage. Ignatius is one of the best-known names in Spanish stand-up, and seeing him this close, in a room this size, is not something you get to do every day.
Iain Anderson, twice
I think Iain Anderson is one of the most exciting comics coming up right now, so I was very happy to have him at the festival twice. On Saturday he performed Traumedy at Freeway, his true story that runs from the Glasgow gay scene to homelessness in Barcelona and, in the end, recovery. The show won Barcelona Best Solo Show 2025 and has toured across the UK and Europe. On Sunday he taught Blueprint, a workshop for comedians who want to build their material properly. If you only know him from clips online, seeing him live is a different thing.
Simon Palomares hosts Saturday night
Saturday’s big showcase, Madrid Stand Up Comedy: The Show at Teatro Las Aguas, was hosted by Simon Palomares. A good host makes or breaks a showcase night.
Dan Feist opens the workshops and closes the festival
Dan Feist did two very different jobs. On Saturday afternoon he ran a stand-up workshop for people who want to get on stage. On Sunday night he hosted the Closing Gala at Artizanale, the last show of the festival.
A lineup from more than 20 countries
The headliners get the attention, but the strength of a festival is the whole programme. In 2026 that meant Anormala, stand-up and original songs in Spanish from our festival president Rachel Arieff. Belinda Filippelli’s debut solo show, The Heart Mind C*nt Connection, the day before she ran our dark comedy workshop. Joseph Ewonde Jr.’s Pata Negra, Leo Di Battista’s Íntimamente, Jerry Mercurio’s Hoja de Reclamación, Alicia Montoya’s Love on a Budget, Dzimis Tapas, Darby Jade, Karen Owens and Khephra White, and many more. You can see all of them on the 2026 shows page.
It also meant comedy in Arabic, Hindi, Italian and Portuguese, next to English and Spanish. Dhaval and Prateek did Tuchch Vichar in Hindi at Teatro Las Aguas. Abner Muzel and Gabriel Zubek did Show Brasil com S in Portuguese at Tropicana. Hassan Elfadul and friends did a night in Arabic, also at Tropicana, and Dario Pelagò and Mary G did ER Fatto Mio, an hour in Italian, at Picnic. These shows bring in audiences that rarely get live comedy in their own language in Madrid, and that is a big part of who we are. More on that in our page about a multilingual comedy festival in Madrid.
Why big names in small rooms works
We could put headliners in big theatres. Maybe one day we will, for some shows. But there is something special about watching a comedian you love from three metres away, in a room where you can hear the person next to you laughing. That intimacy is part of the MCF experience, and I want to protect it even as the festival grows.
Two editions in, the lineup is one of the main reasons I believe this festival can become one of the best in Europe. For the full day-by-day story, read the 2026 recap.
Who’s next?
The third edition is planned for 6–9 October 2027, and the lineup will be announced later. Follow us on Instagram so you hear first. If you are a comedian and want to be part of it, start here.
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Mehdi Mahtaj, Founder, Madrid International Comedy Festival
