Four days, venues all over central Madrid, comedians from more than 20 countries and shows in six languages. The second Madrid International Comedy Festival ran from 1 to 4 October 2026, and this is how it went.
Thursday 1 October: we open at Picnic
We opened at Picnic, one of the legendary comedy rooms in Malasaña, with the Opening Gala hosted by Joseph Ewonde Jr. and Alicia Montoya. Later that night Picnic hosted one of the shows people had been asking about for weeks: Hora Compartida, with Danny Boy and Ignatius Farray splitting an hour on the same stage.
The rest of the city was busy too. At Tropicana, Abner Muzel and Gabriel Zubek did Show Brasil com S, stand-up in Portuguese, and later Zaher Ali hosted Firing Squad, our gong show, where the audience decides which comics stay and which go. Rachel Arieff brought Anormala to Teatro Off Latina, with stand-up and her own songs in Spanish. At Freeway, the other legendary room in the neighbourhood, Darby Jade brought DJ Comedy, a showcase with a live DJ, and the Venezuelan comedian Jerry Mercurio closed the night with Hoja de Reclamación, an interactive show about filing a complaint against life.
Friday 2 October: the languages kick in
Friday is when the festival really showed its international side. At Tropicana, Hassan Elfadul and friends did تجديد إقامة, a night of comedy in Arabic about life away from home and living in Spain. Later in the same room, Alicia Montoya hosted Love on a Budget, a dating game where comedians try to impress a date under absurd rules.
Across town, Dzimis Tapas opened Teatro Off Latina with Good Men Lives Matter, and at Freeway, Cards Against Humanity met stand-up in Sexy Comedy. Belinda Filippelli then brought her debut solo show, The Heart Mind C*nt Connection, to the same room. Later, Joseph Ewonde Jr. told the story of his life in Spain in Pata Negra at El Chulo de Madrid, and Teatro Off Latina hosted Free Palestine, an hour of comedy and storytelling in support of Palestine, with the profits pledged to Youth Without Borders.
One of my favourite things about this festival is what happens between the shows. You come out of one room still laughing, grab a drink at the bar, and end up talking to the people next to you about the comedian you just saw. Then you all walk to the next venue together.
In Malasaña that walk is short. Picnic and Freeway are a short walk apart, and on festival nights the neighbourhood felt like one big venue. You leave a room where everyone is laughing in Spanish and a few minutes later you are in a room laughing in English. Same night, completely different crowds, and by the end of it a few new friends.
Saturday 3 October: workshops by day, showcases by night
Saturday started early for the comedians. At Tropicana, Dan Feist ran his stand-up workshop, a practical session on stage persona, delivery, writing and building a set, while Belinda Filippelli ran a dark comedy writing workshop on turning your worst moments into material.
In the evening, Iain Anderson performed Traumedy at Freeway, his award-winning true story of addiction and recovery. Dhaval and Prateek did Tuchch Vichar in Hindi at Teatro Las Aguas, and Brielle and Maggie, two American comics based in Barcelona, shared Blinded by the Light at Tropicana. Silvano brought more comedians up from Barcelona for Jokes & Beers at Freeway, and Saturday Nite Mistakes, where comedians turn their most embarrassing moments into stand-up, filled the late slot at Teatro Off Latina. Simon Palomares then hosted Madrid Stand Up Comedy: The Show at Teatro Las Aguas.
Sunday 4 October: one last push
Sunday is usually when festivals run out of steam. Ours did not. In the afternoon Iain Anderson taught Blueprint at Malo Malasaña, a workshop on turning painful stories into strong material. In the evening the same venue hosted Degenerates Abroad, Omar and Charlie’s live comedy podcast. Leo Di Battista performed his new hour, Íntimamente, at Tropicana, and three comedians brought their most polished material to Bonsái at Freeway.
At Picnic, Karen Owens and Khephra White shared The Special Ks!, followed by Dario Pelagò and Mary G with ER Fatto Mio, an hour of stand-up in Italian. Over at Freeway, Liam and Isaac split an hour in Foreign Exchange.
Then we closed the way we wanted to: the Closing Gala with Dan Feist at Artizanale, with pizza and drinks before and during the show.
What stayed with me
Two things. First, how many people came back from the first edition. I recognised faces from 2025 almost every night, and many of them brought friends. Second, the mix. Spanish comedy fans, English-speaking expats, visitors from abroad, comedians from more than 20 countries, all in the same few streets for four days.
If you are wondering what all this adds up to, I wrote about why this festival could become one of Europe’s best. For more on who was on stage, see big names, small rooms.
See the photos
We have put together photos from the festival on our Memories page, and every show from the four days, with its poster and full description, is on the 2026 shows page. The third edition is planned for 6–9 October 2027, and you can follow every announcement on Instagram.
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Mehdi Mahtaj, Founder, Madrid International Comedy Festival
