Calgary Hidden Gems: The Laugh Shop

By Marvellous Chukwukelu, June 9 2024—

Nestled beneath the Hotel Blackfoot in the south east quadrant of the city, The Laugh Shop is a comedy club that features a continuous variation of local, national, and sometimes international comedians. This repertoire includes the likes of Gianmarco Soresi and Josh Johnson, who are sure to drag a laugh out of anyone looking for a good time. But, before you dive into a world of laughter, here are a few things you should know to maximize your experience.

First, you should know that The Laugh Shop is an adults-only club. That means that you need to be at least 18 years old to get in and no, they will not take your word for it. It is their policy that if the staff at the door subjectively think that you are below the age of 30, they will ask for a government-issued photo ID to gain admission into the venue.

Getting here is relatively easy if you have access to a car as the Hotel Blackfoot has an immense amount of parking space within its premises and they offer ample free parking spaces for people visiting the comedy club. However, transit to and from this venue is a different ball game. The only bus line that services the hotel is Route 43 which runs between the McKnight-Westwinds LRT Station and the Chinook LRT Station. This means that to get there from almost anywhere within the city, the only viable route is to go to Chinook and catch bus number 43. Don’t worry though, the staff at the venue are always happy to let you hang around chatting with other patrons while you wait for the bus.

Apart from their admittedly precarious transit situation, there is much to love about The Laugh Shop. Most Tuesday nights host the “Tuesday Takeovers” where complete creative control is granted to different comedians to allow them to create their version of the perfect comedic experience. Wednesdays are for the amateurs with “Amateur Night” which allows up-and-coming comedians to present five minutes of original material to the audience. Keep in mind that Wednesdays are also the days they sometimes host big comedic names — like Gianmarco Soresi and Josh Johnson – so if you think you have what it takes and you don’t mind the pressure, be sure to try that out too. Saturday is a unique day here because it is typically the only day they host two shows in one day with the first at 7:00 pm for the early birds and the second at 9:30 pm for the night worms (all times are in MDT).

Ticket prices typically range from $20 – $30 after taxes and service fees — this also depends on the day of the week and the kind of event being held.  A complete meal at the club also tends to be within that price range. However, if you want to bring in a bottle with a beverage, they are not known to be very picky about it.

Finally, they aren’t open on Sundays and Mondays.

So, if you need a break from the stress of life and laughter is how you choose to do it, grab your ID, turn off your phones, and head to Hotel Blackfoot for a night of what is mostly raucous laughter. More information about the club can be found on their website.