What if your next great night out was hiding behind a mic and a spotlight? Montreal runs on great food, late nights… and really good jokes. MTL Comedy Club is where local comedians take the stage, test their best material, and turn ordinary nights into unforgettable ones. With shows happening every single night across the city, they are not just putting on comedy shows; they are building a space where talent grows, rooms fill up, and everyone leaves a little lighter than they came in. It is comedy done with intention, heart, and just the right amount of chaos. Grab a ticket, grab a drink, and let the city’s funniest people do what they do best. So why not make your next night out with your friends one you will actually remember?
What is your business called and what does it do?
Montreal Comedy Club (MTL Comedy). As the name suggests, the Montreal Comedy Comedy Club is a homegrown club whose primary goal is to produce English stand-up comedy shows across Montreal and the greater Montreal area.
While many clubs/festivals try to draw artists from out of town, our main objective is to highlight locals first and foremost and help them grow their audiences and sets. For example, where most comedians can perform between 5 and 15minutes, last summer, we launched our “Spotlight Series” where local performers could get on stage for a full hour and practice their material! Several of our performers have already gone on to feature in major festivals and even open for renowned comedians (notably: Sugar Sammy, Sindhu Vee, Dane Cook, Geoffrey Asmus, Jay Jurden, Rachid Badouri, etc), all while crafting their own material.
Our secondary goal is to invest back into the city by partnering with venues to drive traffic there. Montreal is known for its food and nightlife, but as most restaurateurs know, it’s hard to get people through the door. The club aims to support local bars/restaurants, as every show guarantees a room full of patrons; this goes beyond economic success as it also fosters a sense of unity and pride in the community.
What made you want to do this work?
I’ve always loved comedy, but standup can often be a lonely game. I admired the MTL Comedy Club because it has turned stand-up into a little bit of a team sport. Art can often feel like it is purely for self-expression, but so is a diary. I can’t go up on stage and read my diary to a crowd; how long can someone sit and listen to how Eminem is the only person who truly understood my plight as a 12-year-old in a rich, white, private Christian School?! No one gets me like Marshall Mathers… Stand-up feeds the egomaniac in me that wants to showcase MY art and MY jokes and MY set. MTL Comedy Club feeds the communitarian in me that wants to give back. I feel a responsibility to my fellow comedians to put on a great set, so I set them up for success. I feel responsibility to the venue owners to try and fill up the room so they can pay their staff. I feel a responsibility to the crowd that came to help me achieve my dreams, and I want them to have a good time. We are all working together for everyone to succeed, and I love that feeling!
What problem did you want to solve with the business?
We want to create more spaces in the city for comedians to practice and perfect their art while also learning how to market themselves. Most comics work incredibly hard at writing a good set, but that’s only half the battle – how can we actually make a living off of that? Enter MTL Comedy Club. In the performing arts, most folks are waiting for their “big break” and for someone to take a chance on them. The club’s founder – Sid Khullar – knows that you need to take a chance on yourself first. That’s why the majority of our shows are co-productions; the club works with one or more co-producers and together, we build a brand, promote the show and sell tickets. We aim to help comics learn how to navigate the intersection of art and commerce because no one is going to hand us our dreams; we need to make them happen on our own in a sustainable way.
Who are your clientele/demographics?
Comedy doesn’t discriminate, and we see it all! We try our best to ensure a diverse enough lineup so that every audience member hears something that resonates with them, but different venues often draw in different clientele. For example, on Mondays and Tuesdays at McKibbins, we typically see more 20 to 30yr old singles and couples. A late-night weekend show will bring in some degenerates (read: rowdy bachelor/bachelorette parties). I’ve done shows with parents who have brought kids as young as 12 (please don’t bring your 12-year-olds to shows) to couples celebrating their 50th anniversary (please bring your grandparents to shows)! We often see corporate professionals come out for a night of fun with their colleagues and clients, couples and tourists and everything in between! The club has worked hard to reach spectators from all walks of life, and we see that reflected in most of our audiences.
How does your business make money? How does it work?
We make money through ticket sales! You can buy through our website, Eventbrite and sometimes at the door (if seats are available). Our tickets are affordable because we also want folks to spend money at the bar/restaurant (please note that we do NOT make any money off of food/drink sales). As I mentioned before, the goal is to showcase local comedy, but we want to fill up the room and help the venue owners make their money as well. So you can support the club by purchasing budget-friendly tickets, and you can support a local business by buying food and drinks! Win-win 🙂
Where in the city can we find your profession?
We run shows literally every single night of the week:
-Sundays at Brass Door on Crescent.
-Mondays/Tuesdays at McKibbins on Bishop.
-Wednesdays/Fridays at Estrella by Place Des Arts.
-Thursdays/Fridays/Saturdays at Deli Planet in Gare Centrale.
We also have several shows in and out of the city: Hudson (Cardinal Brewery), West Island (Pigeon Cafe/ Barrio 14), St-Henri (Lord William/ Saint Pizza), Westmount (Club Atwater), South Shore (White Rabbit, Club de Golf Saint Lambert), Ile Perrot (Sports Station) and many more venues to come!
What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services? Give the answer as well.
There are so many comedy spaces around the city that are all wonderful in their own way. I assume a question anyone would have is: why choose our club over any other?
I would argue that most clubs are trying to deliver the best jokes – we are trying to deliver the best experience. The MTL Comedy Club operates intentionally and with integrity. We are intentional about building lineups of comedians that complement one another. We are intentional about the music we play before and after shows. We are intentional about the lighting. The seating. We are intentional about partnering with venues that understand and value what we are doing and will respect the show.
We don’t want to just send you home with a couple of laughs; we want to send you home knowing that we intentionally designed a night of laughter and fun especially FOR you! And then we want you to come back with friends and foes to share another wonderful experience! And to reiterate one more time: we are FOR the city and locals! We believe in giving opportunities to local talent above all.
This September, we are having our 2nd annual All-Star Gala hosted by Montreal’s own Sugar Sammy! Another Montreal legend investing right back into future Montreal legends <3
What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?
Maybe we should start with the worst part… I need to tread carefully… I think there is a certain kind of person who views someone else’s success as a personal attack. The “it’s not enough to succeed, others must fail” kind of person. In life, and especially in the arts, it’s easy to fall into scarcity mindsets. It has been difficult to navigate the waters of competitors who, rather than engage in friendly and respectful competition, would resort to more insidious ways of undermining the business.
That said, the club is owned by a person of colour and the son of immigrants. He is no stranger to being under-estimated, under-valued and overly-criticized.
In those moments comes the best part, which is – hands down – the people we DO work with! The comedians in our circuit are simply the best both on and off stage. Of course, there are a couple of lunatics sprinkled in there, but honestly, they’re so fine. And not just the comics! The venue owners are so wonderful and always treat us with kindness and respect. We are selective about who we work it and it has worked out in our favour. In moments of celebration or hardships, our comics, clients and partners have always rallied around us. We have worked hard to create a healthy and sustainable support system that grows every day!
What is your favourite joke about your own profession?
We’re in the business of comedy! The whole thing is a joke!
Where can we follow you?
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Eventbrite
PAY IT FORWARD: What is another local business that you love?
Support your local comedians and bars/restaurants!
Check out Comedy at McKibbins on Bishop (Co-produced with MTL Comedy Club) here!
Check out the Tuesday Good Night Comedy Show at M Bar here!
Check out Comedyville (Co-produced with MTL Comedy Club here!
