Find 13 stand-up comedy clubs in Los Angeles, California. Browse venues, open mic nights, show schedules, and tickets.
Los Angeles is where comedians come to work on material, not just perform it. The clubs here function as writing labs as much as performance venues, which means on any given night you might catch a famous comic testing new jokes in a 100-seat room. That's the upside. The downside is that show quality varies more than in NYC because the format is looser.
The Laugh Factory on Sunset at 8001 W Sunset Blvd is the most famous room on the Strip — 400 seats, 21+, and the spot where Dave Chappelle and Dane Cook once competed on stage for hours. The lineup on any given weekend will include at least a few names you recognize. Largo at the Coronet on La Cienega is a different experience — a beautifully restored 1940s theater (280 seats, 12+) that books John Mulaney, Patton Oswalt, and Kate Berlant for smart comedy and live podcast tapings. It's the best room in the city if the act is right. Dynasty Typewriter in Westlake (2511 Wilshire Blvd) has been called LA's best alt-comedy venue by multiple outlets — 200 seats, all ages, and a calendar full of comedy celebrities doing unconventional shows.
The Groundlings on Melrose is an institution — the improv school that produced Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig, and Lisa Kudrow. You can watch the current troupe perform on weekends. UCB has two LA locations (Franklin Ave in Hollywood Hills and a second campus on Bronson) both running shows for cheap or free, all ages, and consistently featuring strong emerging comics. The Elysian in Echo Park is the Eastside's indie comedy home — 525 seats, all ages, experimental and developmental comedy, with an emphasis on giving comedians room to try things. Hollywood Improv on Melrose has been an industry staple since the 1970s and remains one of the best rooms to catch touring comics in a classic club setting.
The Comedy Store on Sunset Boulevard, founded in 1972, is an iconic Los Angeles institution that has been instrumental in launching the careers of countless legendary comedians, including Richard Pryor, David Letterman, and Robin Williams.
For the highest concentration of comedy venues, head to the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, where you'll find legendary clubs like The Comedy Store and Laugh Factory. Parking can be challenging, so consider ride-sharing or public transport, or look for validated parking options at nearby restaurants.
The Comedy Store at 8433 W Sunset Blvd in West Hollywood is arguably the most historically significant club in the country — it opened in 1972 and has three stages running seven nights a week. The Laugh Factory, also on Sunset (8001 W Sunset), is the other iconic Strip club with a 400-seat main room and a long legacy of big-name performances. Both are 21+. For tourists, either one is worth visiting. The Comedy Store tends to have the longer late-night sets and more unpredictable drop-ins.
Dynasty Typewriter at 2511 Wilshire Blvd in Westlake is a 200-seat theater in the restored Hayworth Theatre that has become LA's go-to destination for alt-comedy, live podcasts, and comedian residencies. The New York Times called it 'LA's comedy clubhouse.' It's all ages, the programming is curated and interesting, and it draws a different crowd than the Sunset Strip clubs. Adam Sandler, Hannah Gadsby, and Tig Notaro have all done residencies here. Check the calendar — the lineup is more unpredictable but often more exciting than the traditional clubs.
Both are on the Sunset Strip and book major touring headliners, but the feel is different. The Comedy Store is the original — darker, rawer, and more rooted in the outlaw spirit of 1970s comedy. It has three separate stages and showcases a lot of regulars alongside touring acts. The Laugh Factory is more polished, better lit, and tends toward cleaner mainstream stand-up. The Comedy Store has more history; the Laugh Factory is more consistent in experience. Both are 21+.
UCB has two LA locations — Franklin Ave in Hollywood Hills and Bronson Ave in Hollywood — and runs shows for free or very cheap, often featuring writers from SNL and late night. The Groundlings on Melrose (7307 Melrose Ave) is affordable at $20–$30. Lyric Hyperion in Silver Lake hosts low-cost shows in a 99-seat venue. Many comedy shows at Dynasty Typewriter, The Elysian, and The Stray Theater run $10–$20. The expensive rooms are The Comedy Store and Laugh Factory — budget $25–$50 plus a two-item minimum.
Yes. Dynasty Typewriter is in Westlake near Koreatown. The Elysian at 1944 Riverside Dr is in the Elysian Valley between Echo Park and Frogtown — it's LA's best Eastside comedy venue with an all-ages policy and a focus on developing comedians. Lyric Hyperion is in Silver Lake. HaHa Comedy Club is in North Hollywood on Lankershim. Flappers Comedy Club is in Burbank. The scene extends well beyond the Strip — it's worth exploring the neighborhoods if you're spending more than a weekend in the city.