What Is Skankfest? The Complete Guide to the Cult Comedy Festival

Skankfest is an annual stand-up comedy festival founded in 2016 by comedian Luis J. Gomez, producer Rebecca Trent, and the comics behind the Legion of Skanks podcast. It’s known for nonstop performance stages, boxing-ring comedy battles, podcast tapings, the Naked Roast Battle, and the Miss Skankfest pageant. The festival started in Queens, expanded to Brooklyn, ran in Houston (2021), Las Vegas (2022–2024), and now takes place in New Orleans at Mardi Gras World. It’s livestreamed on Mint Comedy.

What Is Skankfest?

Skankfest is the most chaotic, irreverent comedy festival in North America — a three-day stand-up event designed by comedians for fans who want comedy without venue rules, network filters, or corporate scheduling. Where most comedy festivals put performers on pedestals, Skankfest puts them in boxing rings, pickle-wrestling pits, and 134-show rotations across four simultaneous stages. It’s what happens when the Legion of Skanks podcast gets turned into a weekend.

The festival has sold out seven consecutive years. It has built one of the most dedicated fanbases in live comedy — the kind of crowd that knows every comedian on the lineup before the posters go up.

Skankfest Quick Facts

• Founded: 2016 in Queens, New York
• Co-Founders: Luis J. Gomez (comedian, Legion of Skanks), Rebecca Trent (founder of The Creek and the Cave), Big Jay Oakerson, and Dave Smith
• Current Home: New Orleans — Mardi Gras World (as of 2025)
• Previous Venues: The Creek and the Cave (Queens, 2016–2017), Brooklyn Bazaar (2018–2019), Houston (2021), Las Vegas (2022–2024)
• Duration: 3 days (typically Friday–Sunday, with Thursday kickoff events)
• Lineup Size: 150+ comedians performing 134+ shows
• Signature Features: Four nonstop comedy stages, boxing ring battles, podcast tapings, Naked Roast Battle, Miss Skankfest pageant, tattoo studio, custom theme (2025 was “Voodoo, Mardi Gras, and Vampires”)
• Vibe: Cult comedy carnival — rowdy, uncensored, boundary-pushing
• Livestream: Mint Comedy streams select Skankfest sets live at watch.mintcomedy.com

Who Runs Skankfest?

Skankfest is run by a small core team of comedians and producers rather than a festival corporation. The key people:

• Luis J. Gomez — co-founder, host of the Legion of Skanks podcast, and the public face of the festival. Founder of the GaS Digital Network. Regular on The Joe Rogan Experience, Kill Tony, and Matt & Shane’s Secret Podcast.
• Rebecca Trent — co-owner, executive producer, and director. Founder of the now-closed Queens comedy institution The Creek and the Cave, where the festival started. Handles booking, programming, and logistics.
• Big Jay Oakerson — co-creator, Comedy Cellar regular, and Legion of Skanks co-host. See our Big Jay Oakerson bio.
• Dave Smith — co-creator, comedian, and Legion of Skanks co-host known for his political commentary.

The History of Skankfest: Queens to New Orleans

Skankfest started in 2016 as a two-night DIY collaboration between Luis J. Gomez and Rebecca Trent, held at Trent’s Long Island City venue, The Creek and the Cave. The Legion of Skanks podcast — which billed itself as “the Most Offensive Podcast on Earth” — lent its audience and notoriety, and the festival sold out six weeks after it was announced.

The third and fourth years (2018–2019) expanded to Brooklyn Bazaar in Greenpoint. The festival stayed dark in 2020 due to the pandemic. In 2021, it moved south to Houston for a year (Skankfest South), then debuted in Las Vegas in October 2022 at Downtown’s Fremont Street complex. Las Vegas hosted the festival for three years. In 2025, Skankfest moved again — this time to New Orleans, taking over Mardi Gras World for its first Big Easy edition.

Across its run, the festival has grown from roughly 300 attendees to over 3,000, with sold-out presale tickets every year. It has never stayed in one location permanently — Trent has described the festival’s peripatetic nature as part of its character.

What Happens at Skankfest?

The core of Skankfest is stand-up — a constant rotating lineup of comedy on multiple stages, performing simultaneously so that no one experience of the festival is the same. Around that core, the festival builds a carnival: podcast tapings in front of live audiences, fights in custom-built boxing rings, tattoo studios, vendors, surprise drop-ins, and secret shows.

The Stages

Skankfest typically runs four to six stages simultaneously across the entire festival weekend. Each stage has a different curatorial voice — some feature national touring headliners, some feature up-and-coming comics, some focus on specific subgenres (roast comedy, character comedy, podcast live tapings). Stages run continuously with no downtime between comics.

The Boxing Ring

One of Skankfest’s signature features is the custom boxing ring, which hosts scheduled absurd fights: comedian jiu-jitsu, pillow fights, ass-slapping contests, and battle royales. The boxing-ring tradition started in Las Vegas and continued in New Orleans, though the New Orleans edition has fewer regulatory constraints (Las Vegas boxing is a sanctioned sport and required more oversight).

The Naked Roast Battle

The Naked Roast Battle — also called the Nude Roast — is one of Skankfest’s most notorious recurring events. Comedians roast each other while completely naked, turning the traditional roast format into an exercise in vulnerability that doubles as comedy. It’s exclusive to the live event and is not part of any Skankfest livestream. See our guide to the wildest moments from past Skankfests.

Miss Skankfest

Miss Skankfest is the festival’s satirical pageant — a send-up of traditional beauty contests where contestants compete for the title through comedy bits, challenges, and audience response rather than any traditional pageant metric. The winner gets a title, a sash, and a permanent place in festival lore.

Podcast Studio

Skankfest operates a podcast studio during the festival where comedians record live episodes of their own shows with the festival roster as guests. Legion of Skanks records from the festival, and dozens of other shows (Kill Tony, Real Ass Podcast, Believe You Me, Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast-adjacent guests) have used the space over the years.

Who Performs at Skankfest?

The lineup reflects the Legion of Skanks/Kill Tony orbit and has drawn many of the biggest names in alternative and edgy stand-up. Regular and notable performers have included:

Shane Gillis, Tim Dillon, Tony Hinchcliffe, Dan Soder, Big Jay Oakerson, Rich Vos, Dave Attell, Roseanne Barr, Adam Carolla, Drew Pinsky, Whitney Cummings, Brendan Schaub, Pauly Shore, Mark Normand, Sean Patton, Bonnie McFarlane, Michael Ian Black, Felipe Esparza, Joe DeRosa, Andy Haynes, Che Durena, Myka Fox, Yamaneika Saunders, Rosebud Baker, Doug Stanhope, Sam Tallent, and Kerryn Feehan — along with a rotating roster of regional and up-and-coming comics.

Past notable moments include a 2018 surprise reunion of Comedy Central’s Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn cast, and the 2019 surprise Louis C.K. set that drew both a standing ovation and a public apology from the venue.

Where Is Skankfest 2026?

Skankfest 2026 plans have not been publicly announced at this time. The festival’s pattern is to rotate cities every few years — Queens, Brooklyn, Houston, Las Vegas, and now New Orleans — so the 2026 location could continue in New Orleans or rotate again. For official updates, check skankfest.com and the festival’s social channels.

How to Watch Skankfest

There are three ways to watch Skankfest:

• Live, in person: Buy tickets via skankfest.com. Full weekend passes and single-day tickets both sell out annually, so presales are the safest bet.
• Livestream on Mint Comedy: Select Skankfest sets stream live on watch.mintcomedy.com. See our guide to the Skankfest digital pass.
• Official clips: Skankfest, Legion of Skanks, and participating podcasts release clips on YouTube and social channels after the festival. For more, see how to watch Skankfest from home.

Related Skankfest Guides on Mint Comedy

• A First-Timer’s Survival Guide to Skankfest New Orleans
• The 7 Wildest Moments from Past Skankfests
• 10 Must-See Comics on the Skankfest New Orleans Lineup
• Skankfest NOLA 2025: The Moments You Definitely Missed
• Skankfest: Why It Became the Cult Comedy Festival Everyone’s Talking About
• Skankfest Digital Pass: What You Can and Can’t See on the Stream
• Skankfest NOLA: The Morning After Report

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Skankfest?
Skankfest is an annual stand-up comedy festival founded in 2016 by Luis J. Gomez and Rebecca Trent, along with the comics behind the Legion of Skanks podcast. The three-day festival features 150+ comedians, four to six nonstop stages, boxing ring battles, podcast tapings, the Naked Roast Battle, and the Miss Skankfest pageant. It currently takes place in New Orleans at Mardi Gras World.

Who runs Skankfest?
Skankfest is run by comedian Luis J. Gomez (co-founder and public face), producer Rebecca Trent (co-owner, executive producer, and director), and the comics behind the Legion of Skanks podcast including Big Jay Oakerson and Dave Smith.

Where is Skankfest held?
Skankfest is currently held at Mardi Gras World in New Orleans, Louisiana. The festival has moved cities throughout its history, starting in Queens, New York (2016), then Brooklyn, Houston (2021), Las Vegas (2022–2024), and New Orleans (2025).

When did Skankfest start?
Skankfest started in 2016 in Queens, New York, at Rebecca Trent’s comedy venue The Creek and the Cave. It has run annually since then, except for 2020 when it went dark due to the pandemic.

What is the Skankfest naked roast?
The Naked Roast Battle (also called the Nude Roast) is a Skankfest signature event where comedians roast each other completely naked, turning the traditional roast format into an exercise in vulnerability. It’s exclusive to the live event and is not part of any Skankfest livestream.

What is Miss Skankfest?
Miss Skankfest is the festival’s satirical pageant — a comedic send-up of traditional beauty contests. Contestants compete for the title through comedy bits, absurd challenges, and audience response rather than any traditional pageant metric.

Where was Skankfest 2025?
Skankfest 2025 took place in New Orleans, Louisiana at Mardi Gras World from November 14–16, 2025. The theme was “Voodoo, Mardi Gras, and Vampires.” It was the festival’s first New Orleans edition after three years in Las Vegas.

Where will Skankfest 2026 be?
Skankfest 2026 plans have not been publicly announced. The festival has a history of rotating cities, so the 2026 location could continue in New Orleans or move elsewhere. Check skankfest.com for the official announcement.

How do I watch Skankfest from home?
You can watch select Skankfest sets livestreamed on Mint Comedy at watch.mintcomedy.com. Full weekend passes for the in-person festival are available through skankfest.com and typically sell out in presale.

Who has performed at Skankfest?
Past performers include Shane Gillis, Tim Dillon, Tony Hinchcliffe, Dan Soder, Big Jay Oakerson, Rich Vos, Dave Attell, Roseanne Barr, Whitney Cummings, Mark Normand, Pauly Shore, Brendan Schaub, Rosebud Baker, Doug Stanhope, Sam Tallent, and many more — typically 150+ comedians per festival weekend.

Is Skankfest connected to the Legion of Skanks podcast?
Yes. Skankfest was co-founded by the comics behind the Legion of Skanks podcast, including Luis J. Gomez, Big Jay Oakerson, and Dave Smith. The festival grew out of the podcast’s fan community, and Legion of Skanks records live episodes from Skankfest each year.