Stand Up Comedy Coming to the Santa Monica Pier
Published on August 16, 2019
This year, Twilight on the Pier will have a variety of free comedy shows at Pacific Park. Each night there will be five comedians performing from 7-10:00pm in the Seaside Pavilion, which is located at the west side of the amusement park next to the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.
About Twilight on the Pier
Twilight on the Pier is a free weekly music festival that returns for it’s 35th year at the Santa Monica Pier. The festival celebrates many art forms, including music, dance, and comedy. Twilight on the Pier showcases emerging and established artists, along with art styles and influences from around the world. The festival occurs every Wednesday night from August 21-September 25th. Come join for a night of art and cultural experiences, as well as games, interactive experiences, food, plus a beer & wine garden.
Twilight on the Pier Weekly Themes
Each week, the free concerts will be happening from 7-10pm on the Santa Monica Pier:
- August 21 – Twilight on the Pier Kick-Off: For the festival’s opening night, you can listen to Indie Rock and alternative R & B on the Main Stage, along with sets from five comedians at Pacific Park.
- August 28 – Latin Wave: This night will feature Latin cultural experiences, with music performed by Latin artists, including soulful Latin pop on the Main Stage, and an all-female Banda on the West End Stage. The night will also include stand-up performances from five different comedians at Pacific Park.
- September 4 – Middle East Beats: This night will have a focus on Middle Eastern art and performers, including guitarist Bombino, a DJ and Spiritual Disco, and the Los Angeles Arabs Orchestra. The weekly set of five stand-up performances at Pacific Park will include a variety of comedians.
- September 11 – Island Tides: This night has a Caribbean theme, featuring reggae pop and the Western Standard Time Ska Orchestra playing Jamaican rock, plus Calypso music on the steel drums performance on the West End Stage.
- September 18 – Aussie Splash: Experience the talents of Aussie artists, featuring Aussie art pop with an indie flair, along with the 5 comedian stand-up set at Pacific Park.
- September 25 – Japanese Vibes: Twilight on the Pier will conclude with a night celebrating Japanese culture, with Japanese fantasy pop artist Cornelius, and Japanese DJ Starro. On the West End Stage, you can see Taikoproject, a traditional Japanese drumming group perform.
Comedians & Hosts Coming to Pacific Park
Each week during Twilight on the Pier there will be free comedy performances at Pacific Park from five comedians, including Amy Miller during the kick-off night, who has been seen on the shows “Last Comic Standing” and “Viceland.” During the Latin Wave event, one of the comedians featured is Paige Weldon who has been seen on “The Late Late Show With James Corden” and was recently named one of TimeOut LA’s top 10 comedians to watch. Also during Latin Wave, see comedian Frankie Quinones who is known for his character work. He’s made appearances on Comedy Central, HBO, TBS and Nickelodeon. During Japanese Vibes, you can see LA comedian Atsuko Okatsuka, who has been named a top comedian to watch in 2018 and 2019 by both Vulture and TimeOut LA. Okatsuka also can be seen on her Hulu comedy special “They Call Me Stacy”.
Over the six weeks of the festival, there will be four different hosts of the comedy performances. For the Kick-Off night and Japanese Vibes, the host will be comic Anna Valenzuela, who is best known for being on Dress 4 Beasts Comedy Showcase 2016 and Roast Battle 2 on Comedy Central. The host for Latin Wave will be writer and comedian Jil Chrissie, who recently performed a one woman show during the Hollywood Fringe Festival. During Middle East Beats, the host will be Omid Singh, who has had a broad career ranging from being featured in Ben Affleck’s thriller Argo, to currently co-hosting The Patiocast that is recorded live weekly at The Comedy Store. For the Island Tides and Aussie Splash nights, the host will be comedian Ken Garr, who is the host of “The Kym & Ken Show” on Dash Radio, and is the creator and producer of “Long Hard Sets” at the Hollywood Improv.
Getting to Twilight on the Pier
Pacific Park is excited to host this first-ever comedy showcase at the Santa Monica Pier and hope you can join us for some laughs over the waves of the Pacific! When planning your visit, we recommend you take the Big Blue Bus or Expo Line from Downtown LA, which will drop you off at 4th and Ocean. This is just a 10 minute walk to the Pier. If you are driving, it is highly recommended that you arrive before 4pm to be able to take advantage of less expensive Pier parking (parking goes up to $25/car at 4PM on concert evenings). If you arrive before the festival starts, there are lots of places right on the Pier to grab dinner. You can check out our full guide to restaurants on the Santa Monica Pier here.
To learn more about parking information for Twilight on the Pier, click here. We can’t wait for you to join us for the 35th annual Twilight on the Pier!