Kristina and I enjoy going to comedy shows. We used to go to the Improv at Harrah’s and the Riviera Comedy Club. Both of those venues are long gone. The LA Comedy Club at the Strat acquired some of the fixtures from Riviera. We started going there when it opened about a year after Riviera closed.
Before the pandemic, there were only a few comedy clubs in Las Vegas. The Laugh Factory is a fixture on the Strip. Jimmy Kimmel opened one in the Linq Promenade in the late 2010s. Major comedy headliners performed regularly at Mirage and a few other revenues.
The D had a late-night comedy show, but its showroom closed in 2019 to make room for Bar Canada. Oyo had a few comedy shows in its showroom.
Comedy shows were the first entertainment to return to Las Vegas after pandemic reopening
Comedy shows were the first type of entertainment to reopen after the pandemic. The 25% and 50% capacity rules made these difficult to pull off, but the low overhead made it worth a shot. Big productions could not affford to return until capcity became 100% due to the costs involved in operating these types of shows.
LA Comedy Club and Delirious at Downtown Grand were the first two to reopen. Delirious is essentially the same comedy club that was at The D through 2019.
Wiseguys opened in the Arts District in 2021. Adam London’s Laughternoon landed at The Orleans after a hiatus related to the closure of The D’s showroom. Westgate Comedy Caberet opened in 2023. Byron Kennedy reopened the comedy club at Oyo. There are several others.
I have also noticed many bars now offer live comedy. Steven Roberts has a free show at midnight on Saturdays at Square Bar near Westgate. It is called The Stool. It is where professional comedians try out new material.
Don Barnhart has a show on the last Saturday night at Brooksy’s, which is the bar connected to the Las Vegas Ice Center near Ft Apache and Flamingo in the southwest part of the valley.
LA Comedy Club remains our favorite
When the LA Comedy Club opened at The Strat in 2016, it had seating for about 130 patrons. At first, it was too many seats.
As word got out about LA Comedy Club, it outgrew its venue, called the Dragon Room. It was on the third floor near the tower entrance. The solution was to double its size and relocate it downstairs. It is now next to McCall’s Heartland Grill, just off the casino floor.
There is a 6pm comedy-magic show. There is a touring comedian nightly at 8pm. Butch Bradley is the resident headliner at 10pm Thursday through Monday nights. Bret Ernst is the 10pm headliner on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
The LA Comedy Club has one of the best bar deals in town. There is a $25 all-you-can-drink. It includes well liquor and domestic beer. It is valid from the time the doors open before a show until the last act performs. If you plan on getting more than two drinks, this is the way to go.
The best deal may be the one offered on the way out. You can get a $5 drink. It does not have to be well. If they have it, you can get it for $5 after the show.
Vegas.com has deals on LA Comedy Club tickets that rival locals prices. Click here for that offer through our sponsor.
Most of the comedy shows mentioned here are available at a big discount through that site. You can’t go wrong with these offers. It is an affordable way to experience live entertainment. As much as Vegas Advantage is about gambling, everyone needs a break from it. A good laugh is one of the best ways to do that.
