The president of a Quebec-based entertainment group says he’s reviving the Montreal Just For Laughs festival with a scaled-down 2024 event that includes shows by Dane Cook, Bassem Youssef and Bobby Slayton.
ComediHa! CEO Sylvain Parent-Bédard says it’s a “miracle” the company is able to announce a lineup only weeks after acquiring a number of assets from the financially troubled Just for Laughs comedy company — and only weeks before the 2024 edition begins.
Just for Laughs cancelled its Montreal and Toronto festivals earlier this year and sought creditor protection, blaming the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation and the changing entertainment industry for its financial woes.
ComediHa! announced earlier this month that a judge approved its bid to acquire the brands Juste pour rire, Just For Laughs, Zoofest, ComedyPro, Gags, as well as the company’s audiovisual catalogue. At the time, Parent-Bédard said his company would host a smaller “transition festival” this summer, with the English portion running under the Just for Laughs brand.
Parent-Bédard says the English side of the festival will indeed be smaller than in previous years, but he says it’s important for the company to send a signal to fans and the industry that the event isn’t finished.
The 2024 festival runs from July 18 to 28 and will feature a free outdoor performance by Cook, about 15 shows at various venues and a closing show that has yet to be announced.