New Comedy Fest Because They’re Funny Brings A-List Talent to The Wharf This Fall

The three-day festival celebrating BIPOC comedy is stacked with established and on-the-rise comedians, plus panels, competitions, workshops, podcasts, exclusive parties and more.

For its inaugural year, the Because They’re Funny comedy festival boasts an unparalleled lineup of renowned comedians and breakout artists that you can’t miss. This three-day event at The Wharf from October 6 to 8 offers a little bit of everything and a lot of talent. 

Each evening, hosts Anthony Anderson and Maryland native, Yvonne Orji will take you on an incomparable journey of laughs and comedic brilliance. Iconic comedians including Nicole Byer, Ego Nwodim, Donnell Rawling and more will grace the stage with laugh-out-loud shows all weekend long. 

“There’s no national domestic event of this nature that exists for comedy,” says Founder and CEO of NICE CROWD (formerly ABFF Ventures) Jeff Friday, who is a proud Howard University alumnus and D.C. aficionado. “There are many local comedy festivals in the U.S., but there’s no national one where comedy fans and industry executives come together once a year to really celebrate.” 

But BTF won’t just be spotlighting comedy stars; the pièce de résistance of this event is the “2023 Breakout Comedian of the Year” competition occurring on October 6. Prepare to watch the duel of a lifetime as up-and-coming BIPOC standup comedians battle for the title, a $20,000 grand prize and the chance to be represented by a top Hollywood talent agency.

Following the competition, Because They’re Funny keeps the laughs going with events including headline shows like the second night’s “Hey Ladies Fierce Female Comedy Show”, panels, workshops, podcasts, exclusive parties and more. 

From the producers of the American Black Film Festival, this event’s goal is to support BIPOC comedic artists and bring emerging talents into the public eye to help further their success. The festival will offer all comedy lovers a dream line-up packed to the brim with incomparable events. 

“Our company is called NICE CROWD and our mantra is the power of gathering,” Friday says. “We believe that when you bring like-minded positive people together some really cool things happen.”

While normally D.C. from the outside looking in appears to be defined solely by politics, BTF knows that from the inside, the District is packed with talented artists and comedians around every corner. BTF wants to celebrate D.C.’s hand in the world of comedy both today and throughout history. On the final day, the festival will be screening the D.C. premiere of “The Mecca of Comedy,” a documentary focusing on the area’s legacy of Black comedy, aptly followed by the “DMV Black Comedy Homecoming Show.”

“This is a really special thing to be hosting this for the first time in Washington, D.C.” Friday says. “[Especially] to have the closing night be a reunion of all the people who come from the area and have been successes return home.” 

If you are a fan of comedy in the DMV or beyond, then clear your calendars for the first week of October because you need to get tickets for this one-of-a-kind festival.

To learn more about the Because They’re Funny festival and get three-day passes starting at $450, visit becausetheyrefunny.com and follow them on Instagram for updates @becausetheyrefunny.

Katherine Mahoney