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Shane Gillis is going the arena route.
The divisive stand-up comedian just announced he’s striking out on an international tour that will send him to venues all over the U.S., Canada, Ireland and England from January through June 2025.
And, while the almost “SNL” cast member isn’t coming to the Big Apple, he will get close when he headlines at Albany’s MVP Arena on Friday, May 2 and Buffalo’s KeyBank Center on Saturday, May 3.
This forthcoming run follows the 36-year-old’s brief foray into arena touring earlier this year; based on our findings, he played a number of sold-out venues that house NBA, NHL, WNBA and professional lacrosse teams in August, September and October.
For those who don’t recall, Gillis initially made headlines after being hired and then quickly fired from “Saturday Night Live” in 2019 once racial slurs he made on his podcast were unearthed. In the intervening years, the Pennsylvania native has grown in popularity and become a symbol of regressive, “anti-woke” comedy.
While he claims to have learned from his “offensive, hurtful, and unacceptable” on-air slurs, the Los Angeles Times reports that he continues to work cruel stereotypes into his material.
Fans can purchase tickets for all upcoming Shane Gillis shows on sites like Vivid Seats; the official on-sale is Friday, Nov. 15.
Vivid Seats is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand.
They have a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and will be delivered before the event.
Shane Gillis tour schedule 2025
A complete calendar including all tour dates, venues and links to buy tickets can be found below.
Shane Gillis controversy
Once Gillis was hired by Lorne Michaels and “Saturday Night Live,” the floodgates opened. Anti-Asian slurs and offensive characterizations from his “Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast” made headlines, which led to a swift falling out.
Rather than maintain a low profile, Gillis apologized, saying “it feels ridiculous for comedians to making serious public statements but here we are.”
“I’m a comedian who was funny enough to get ‘SNL.’ That can’t be taken away. Of course I wanted an opportunity to prove myself at ‘SNL,’ but I understand it would be too much of a distraction. I respect the decision they made. I’m honestly grateful for the opportunity. I was always a [‘MADTv’] guy anyway.”
And, while one might think that he’s learned from his mistakes, Gillis said “I definitely wouldn’t have changed what we did, our podcast,” in 2021. That didn’t stop “Saturday Night Live” from bringing him into host in February 2024 after the success of his Netflix stand-up specials. While on the show, he made cheap cracks directed at members of his family with Down syndrome.
Comedy critic Seth Simons, who has written about Gillis often, says his racist and anti-Semitic jokes “should horrify us not because they are hateful but because they are full of joy.”
Still, “Saturday Night Live” continues to let him off the hook.
“He said something stupid, but it got blown up into the end of the world,” showrunner Lorne Michaels said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. “I was angry. I thought, ‘You haven’t seen what we’re going to do, and what I’m going to try to bring out in him, because I thought he was the real thing.’”
Comedians on tour in 2024-25
Quite a few envelope-pushing, boundary-crossing comics will be out and about this year and next.
Here are just five that might be headlining at a club, theater or arena near you.
• Joe List
Who else is on the road? Take a look at our list of the 107 biggest comedians on tour in 2024 to find the show for you.
Why you should trust ‘Post Wanted’ by the New York Post
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.