How to sell tickets for a comedy night that runs every week or month

The short answer

Run the night on a fixed slot (every Thursday, or the first Friday), sell each show from one page that lists the next few dates, and keep the pricing simple: early-bird, standard, and a door price. Hold comps for the comics, ask the 18+ question at checkout if the venue needs it, and check people in fast, because comedy starts on time or the room goes flat.

Weekly, fortnightly or monthly?

Comedy audiences are built on habit. Pick a rhythm you can sustain for a year:

• Weekly suits open mics and rooms with a deep pool of comics. It builds a regular crowd fastest, but you need a full line-up every week.
• Fortnightly gives you time to book better acts and promote each show.
• Monthly suits showcases with paid headliners, where each night is an occasion.

Once you pick, stick to it. “Last Thursday of the month” is something people can remember without checking.

One page for every show

Put every upcoming show on one page and share that link: in your bio, on the venue’s socials, in the comics' own posts. Each show also has its own page for “this week’s line-up” posts. Keep the next four to eight weeks on sale for a weekly room, or the next two or three months for a monthly one.

Pricing a comedy night

Three prices do most of the work:

• Early-bird, cheaper until a date or until a number sell, to get bums on seats early
• Standard, the normal online price
• Door, a little higher, for walk-ups on the night

A table for four or a group of six at one price suits birthdays and work groups, as long as each person counts against the room’s capacity. A promo code for the comics to share helps them bring their own crowd. To work out a price, try the ticket price calculator.

Comps for comics and guests

Every comedy room needs free tickets for the line-up’s plus-ones, the venue manager and the occasional reviewer. Two tidy ways:

• a secret ticket type at $0 that only shows with an access code, which you send to the comics
• comps recorded at the door, so the headcount still includes them

Either way, comps count against capacity, so the room is never oversold.

The 18+ question

If the venue is licensed and the show is 18+, say so on the page and ask at checkout. A required tick box (“I confirm everyone on this booking is 18 or over”) sets the expectation. It doesn’t replace ID checks at the door, which the venue’s licence may require.

Selling out (the good problem)

When a show sells out, don’t lose the people who wanted in. Turn on a waitlist: when someone cancels, the next person is offered their place. Consider hiding how many tickets are left until the room is nearly full, so early pages don’t look empty. How do I hide how many tickets are left? covers it.

Regulars and the comedy club

A room with a loyal crowd can offer a subscription: a monthly charge that gives a ticket to every show. It suits a weekly room’s die-hards, rewards them with a lower price per show, and gives you a guaranteed base each night.

The door

Doors open, the room fills, the MC is on in 15 minutes. Check-in has to be fast: scan QR codes with a phone, search by name for anyone without a ticket on their phone, and sell walk-ups at the door price, recorded so you know the real headcount. Hand the door to a volunteer with a link that only checks people in.

On One Ticket

Make the night a series: Weekly, Fortnightly or Monthly (same week and day) under Repeats, and set how many weeks ahead to sell. Each show has its own tickets and capacity. A ticket type can change price On a date, So many days before the event or Once so many tickets are sold, for early-bird pricing. A ticket type can admit up to eight people for one price, each with their own ticket. Promo codes take a percentage or an amount off an order. See Tickets and prices.

A Secret ticket only shows with its access code; leave the code empty and it’s a door-only ticket, sold at the box office. Record comps and door sales at the box office as Complimentary, Cash or Card at the door, with no booking fee. Add the 18+ tick box as a required question at checkout, and turn on the waitlist under Ticket settings. Regulars can subscribe on the series and get a ticket to every show, made about a week ahead.

Check people in from any phone, or a volunteer’s door link. On a paid ticket the buyer pays a small booking fee and you receive your full price. See pricing, the Events page and ticketing for comedy, drag and bingo nights.

Back to the complete guide to recurring events. Related: How to sell tickets for a monthly event, Drag bingo tickets and How to set up early bird tickets.