Hannah Gadsby, Sarah Cooper, Nicole Byer and more headline 2020 Just For Laughs Festival

Normally, Montreal comes alive every July with comedy and variety acts during the long-running Just For Laughs festival that takes over rue St.-Denis and the Quartier des Spectacles. Major comedy acts from all around the world come to la belle province just to walk the JFL stage: names like Jim Carey, Russell Peters, Jerry Seinfeld, and Kevin Hart. Naturally, 2020 had other plans for all major festivals and gatherings, so the team behind JFL announced on Wednesday that they had an alternative in mind that will keep JFL going and fans laughing. On October 9^th and 10^th, JFL will be entirely online and – wait for it – entirely free.JFL announced that it is teaming up with Kevin Hart’s global comedy brand Laugh Out Loud (aka LOL) to serve as the official programming partner, and they’ve enlisted some of the best acts of 2020 to participate in the virtual fest. Names like Hannah Gadsby, TikTok breakout star Sarah Cooper, Nicole Byer, Howie Mandel, Tituss Burgess, Deanne Smith, and even the stars of Crave’s Canada’s Drag Race.

We are so excited to announce our first round of programming for the 100% free and 100% digital 2020 Just for Laughs Festival taking place Oct 9-10, 2020. Check out who's coming and be sure to join the Facebook Event so you don't miss a beat! pic.twitter.com/rShFmvtAKn

— Just For Laughs (@justforlaughs) September 9, 2020

Other notable acts that have already been announced include Amber Ruffin, Andy Kindler, Jenny Hagel, Trixie Mattel, Kenya Barris, and Jo Koy who won the “Stand-Up Comedian of the Year” award at the 2018 Just For Laughs Festival. Other acts still stand to be announced.“Just For Laughs has worked tirelessly over the recent months to curate an inimitable comedy experience,” read the festival's official statement, “that will include multiple digital comedy rooms running simultaneously with a hybrid of programming in forms of In Conversations, live discussions, and panels, designed specifically for online audiences.”[video_embed id='1945761']RELATED: Comedian Sarah Cooper turns Donald Trump's medical advice into a hilarious performance[/video_embed]Some of that hybrid approach means keeping a few live and in-person events for the francophone audiences. “Among the offerings is the return of the now-celebrated Soirées Carte Blanche at the Théâtre St-Denis,” the press statement continued, “which may be presented before live audiences, just like the Rire en français gala.” The festival’s partnership with the Yoop Montreal space at Place des Arts will also be employed for several shows to take place in front of a live audience whilst also broadcasting them online for unlimited digital audiences.As to whether the COVID-19 global pandemic will affect future festivals, Charles Décarie, President and CEO of the Just for Laughs Group, said in part, “Rest assured that we will be back in a big way in 2021 with exciting plans for the comedy fans and industry who travel to join us every Summer.”Hannah Gadsby last took the JFL stage in 2018 when she performed the final performance of her smash hit show Nanette at the Montreal festival. TikTok breakout star Sarah Cooper recently parlayed her viral Trump impersonations into a Netflix special. Canadian comedy legend Howie Mandel continues his long-standing role as a judge on America’s Got Talent.If you need a huge dose of laughter (and frankly, who doesn’t these days?), tune in to the festival virtual broadcast on October 9 and 10, 2020 at www.hahaha.com/en/2020festival.[video_embed id='2031451']Before you go: Amy Schumer reveals she has Lyme disease[/video_embed]