“Comedy Central has been involved with different comedy festivals along the way, but in a more limited capacity,” said network president Kent Alterman in an interview. “This time, we wanted to create a comedy-driven event that allows us to connect directly with our fans.”
In contrast to other comedy festivals, which Alterman said are typically scheduled in “disparate kinds of venues at disparate locations, we will offer a centralized communal experience.”
That centralized location is the San Francisco Civic Center Plaza and Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, where performers will be seen on five indoor and outdoor stages.
“The single site will really lend itself to discovery,” said Superfly co-founder Jonathan Mayers. “You may be coming for Jerry or Kevin, but you’re bound to stumble on other, emerging talent.”
Mayers identified his company’s core mission as “bringing people together around their common interest.”
San Francisco has quite the history with comedy, being the training grounds for numerous popular stand-ups, starting with pioneers like Lenny Bruce and Robin Williams, to Ellen Degeneres, Margaret Cho and Ali Wong. It also hosts other comedy festivals, most notably SF Sketchfest, which just celebrated its 16th year, and is primarily sketch and improv comedy but includes standup and podcasts as well.
Prices for the Clusterfest range from $199 to $250, with VIP tickets (providing special viewing areas and other benefits) priced at $600. Tickets go on sale Thursday at clusterfest.com.
But for those who can’t make it in person, Comedy Central plans a live 90-minute special to be aired June 4.
The Associated Press also contributed to this report
