As a comedian, maybe I’m a little biased, but I’ve always thought comedy was a great option for a first date. First dates can be awkward, but being able to connect on a shared sense of humour is a great way to ease the tension. Comedy shows as a fun idea for a date in Los Angeles? I think so: the show itself can be paired with dinner or drinks, and there will always be something to discuss afterwards. Any jokes you resonated with? What about your date? These conversations can easily lead into getting-to-know-you conversations without any of the dreaded small talk.
Laughing with someone is an incredibly intimate experience, and if you find that you’re laughing at the same things, that’s a great sign! On the other hand, if you find you’re not vibing with the same material, that could be a sign that you might not have as much in common as you thought. Either way, a comedy show is a great alternative to the classic “dinner and a movie” date that’s been done to death. Creative and fun date in LA— there you have it.
There are a million and one ways to experience comedy in Los Angeles. If you’re new to the scene and want something as similar to a Netflix special as you can get, I’d go for a club comedy show. These clubs have a range of comics, from national headliners to up-and-comers who you’ll want to be able to say you saw live before they were famous. So here is a list of best date sports — all in comedy show clubs in Los Angeles.
Club Comedy Standouts
- Westside Comedy Theater: Located in the heart of Santa Monica, Westside is a great choice for tourists who also want to cross 3rd Street Promenade & the pier off their list. Their house stand-up shows run every Friday & Saturday night, and resident improv teams perform every Monday. If you are feeling risky on a first date — Monday evening is your date spot option. Bad or good, giggle away!
- Hollywood Improv: On Melrose Avenue amid great restaurants for a dinner date and shopping spots, the Hollywood Improv features heavy hitters like Damon Wayans, Taylor Tomlinson, Whitney Cummings, and more.
- The Comedy Store: Centrally located in West Hollywood, “the Store” is accessible from most parts of Los Angeles. With three rooms in the venue, there are plenty of shows to see every night at this date spot in Los Angeles. Fair warning: tickets sell out fast! If you have your eyes on a show, grab tickets early for the fun date in this popular spot!
- The Laugh Factory: The Laugh Factory puts on multiple great shows a night, often with the same set of house comics. This date spot is located in the heart of queer Los Angeles. It’s a perfect date idea if you’re looking to go dancing at The Abbey or get drinks at a gay bar afterwards.
Produced shows
Produced shows are another great date idea in Los Angeles, particularly if you’re into more theatrical alt-comedy. Tickets for these shows are likely to be cheaper (cheap date in Los Angeles, that's a rare case!) than club shows and many of them are happening on the east side, if that’s more in your neck of the woods.
- The Elysian: On the East Side in LA’s Frogtown neighbourhood, The Elysian has an incredible range of comedy shows. Off the bat, I highly recommend checking out the Pansexual Bachelor on Tuesdays at the Elysian. If you’re a fan of reality TV, you’ll love the silly rendition of ABC’s The Bachelor Holmes puts on. Comics like Kate Berlant, Ron Lynch, and more also run shows out of the space.
- The Lyric Hyperion & The Yard have great produced shows from time to time — great show for a great date in Los Angeles. If you’re in Silverlake or East Hollywood, take a look at the calendar for their offerings, as they’re always changing. The Lyric is home to Brooke Finegold’s monthly UnBirthday show. It is known for being an incredible night of fun up and coming comics. And if I do say so myself, my friends and I produce a killer monthly comedy variety show called Chicago 10s.
- The Hotel Café: Known for its concerts and musical shows, Hollywood’s Hotel Café also hosts several great comedy shows. The monthly all-women’s show Funnilingus, hosted by Dana Donnelly and Ellory Smith, always has a great lineup. Fun date in Los Engeles in a all-women surroundings? Can be a really special night out.
- Junior High: Another great LA date spot is Junior High in Glendale. Not just a comedy venue, Junior High is a community space dedicated to inclusion. In addition to amazing comedy shows, Junior High boasts an incredible calendar of events, including figure drawing classes, poetry readings, music jams, and more. The space is particularly great for people of color and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Comedy shows at Junior High are one of a kind, and you might even be able to catch some stand-up and a drag show on the same night. This is a spot for long-term dating — you can come here for different events as many times as you fancy and it can become your personal fun dating ritual in Los Angeles.
And finally, something great about being in LA is how much of the entertainment industry is taking place here. As we are talking about fun on a date today — try this too! Podcast tapings regularly take place in the city, so if you and your date bonded over listening to the same show while doing your dreaded morning commute, take them to see it live!
- Lovett or Leave it does a monthly show at Dynasty Typewriter.
- How Did This Get Made has live shows at the Largo, and many more take place all over town.
Happy laughing and have a great and real fun first date in Los Angeles! See you at a comedy show :)
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