4 Up-and-Coming Los Angeles Comedians to Watch in 2026

Los Angeles features a comedy scene spanning small clubs on the Sunset Strip and old playhouses near the L.A. River, with multiple comedy locations rivalling In-N-Out in density. Time Out named Andrew Orolfo, Curtis Cook, Felicia Folkes, and the duo Kim & Aliya to its 2026 class of Comedians to Watch in America, with curation support from Joel Mandelkorn and Mandee Johnson.

Andrew Orolfo brings Bay Area perspective to L.A. stages

Andrew Orolfo performs as a fixture at the Comedy & Magic Club and on Don’t Tell Comedy lineups. The comedian moved to Los Angeles from the Bay Area and created The Meter, a weekly game show that streams on YouTube and films live at DSP Studios in L.A., where he examines IMDb STARmeter ratings in niche categories.

Curtis Cook tackles TV writing and live stand-up in Los Angeles

Curtis Cook relocated to Los Angeles from Portland in 2016. His television writing credits include American Dad!, This Fool, and Adults. On Wednesday nights, Cook co-hosts Zero Hour Comedy at Zero Lounge in Hollywood alongside Brandie Posey, Rick Wood, and John Michael Bond.

Felicia Folkes performs at the Comedy Store and beyond

Felicia Folkes started her stand-up career at Santa Monica College before becoming a door person at the Comedy Store, eventually rising to a paid regular. The Inglewood native and breast cancer survivor performs live most Sundays at the Comedy Store and is scheduled to appear at the New York Comedy Festival in November.

Kim & Aliya expand from digital videos to mockumentary features

Kim Seltzer and Aliya Kamalova collaborate on improv, sketch videos, short films, and digital projects, including a web arcade featuring an online game based on their video series Kitchen Hacks. The duo is currently developing their debut feature film, a mockumentary titled Pistols at 3:45.

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