MAE MARTIN: THE POSSUM

Mae Martin brings their new stand-up tour, The Possum, to Boston! Don’t miss the star of their Netflix stand-up special&nbsp;Sap, Netflix comedy series&nbsp;Feel Good&nbsp;and recent Netflix mini series&nbsp;Wayward. Plus champion of UK TV hit&nbsp;Taskmaster, and one third of the hugely popular&nbsp;Handsome&nbsp;podcast (with Fortune Feimster and Tig Notaro).&nbsp;

The Wilbur

Reporter Matt & Friends

For years,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/reportermatt/">Matt Shearer</a>&nbsp;has been roaming the streets of Massachusetts in search of the funniest, most fascinating and loveable personalities. Those interviews have gone viral, earning countless awards and recognition, but most importantly, they've shined a spotlight on the everyday people who make this the best place to live in the world. People like: Richard, a.k.a. "Maria Christina False Eyelashes," the former drag performer-turned South Shore Mall icon Chris, the foul-mouthed florist who serves up bouquets with a side of insults Pari, the MBTA superfan and star of Netflix's "Love on the Spectrum" Anthony, the politically incorrect tour guide who isn't afraid to tell his clients to f*** off Sharon, the Dunkin manager who keeps customers laughing through their coffee Peaches, the wise-cracking grandmother from Dorchester ...and so many more. Now, for the first time (and possibly last time if it's a disaster), he's bringing them all into the same room for a night of storytelling and laughter. There will be never-before-seen videos, live performances, audience interaction, and so much more. This is Boston at its most Boston, and you get to be a part of it.

Madison Cunningham: The Ace Tour

Doors Open:&nbsp;1 Hour Prior to Showtime Depending on the game, an Ace can be the highest or lowest card, zero or infinity. A breakup feels similar—one path crumbles, while all others remain infinitely possible. How do you write about heartbreak when you’re going through it? Ace, GRAMMY award-winner Madison Cunningham’s third record for Verve Forecast, tracks every part of it: falling out of love, having your heart broken, and then falling in love again. Co-produced by Cunningham and Robbie Lackritz (Feist, Rilo Kiley, Bahamas, Peach Pit), the fourteen-track album is honest and full of heart, even as it breaks.&nbsp; &nbsp; Ace builds off of the success of Revealer (2022), a darkly funny portrait of an artist that won Cunningham her GRAMMY for “Best Folk Album,” but it is a different record. A slow burn until it wasn’t. It follows a period of writer's block. On Revealer and her debut album Who Are You Now (2019), Cunningham says that she was writing songs about heartbreak, but they weren’t about her heartbreak. They were sketches, observations. Cunningham wanted Ace to be emotions first. Heartbreaking and lush and bold.&nbsp; &nbsp; Cunningham’s first single from Ace, “My Full Name,” was released to praise by PASTE who calls the lyrics, “simultaneously sprawling and intimate,” recalling “an ancient work of poetry.” On Ace, which Cunningham serves as co-producer, she wanted piano to move into the foreground. “I wanted it to feel like a mountain peak,” says Cunningham, “I wanted Ace to feel like a mountain we built together.” Ace is a record that feels alive and lush in all the ways Cunningham hoped for when she started writing. It is a record of mastery and honesty. Cunningham loves every single song on it. You can tell.

The Wilbur 

Jarlath Regan Gas Man

Ireland’s favourite comedian/Mammy translator,&nbsp;Jarlath&nbsp;Regan&nbsp;returns to the stage with a brand new show for 2026. The world knows and loves him for his hilarious daily clips, now it’s time for you to see this&nbsp;Gas Man&nbsp;in person.&nbsp;Jarlath&nbsp;Regan’s brand new 2026 standup comedy show is packed to the gills with his unique brand of spot on observational standup material and ridiculous stories.&nbsp;“Prepare to cry with laughter” (The Post)&nbsp;Following millions of views and a sell out world tour,&nbsp;Jarlath&nbsp;is making good on his promise to bring his audience a brand spanking new show every single year. Now is your chance to grab a ticket. We are all going to need a laugh in 2026 and&nbsp;Jarlath&nbsp;is here to deliver it. In this world of unending negativity, bleakness and cynicism there’s never been a better time to come and escape from it all for a night of quality laughs courtesy of “the jewel in Ireland’s comedy crown” (The Examiner).&nbsp; Jarlath&nbsp;first burst into the public consciousness in 2023 when his Instagram and TikTok videos took the world by storm. Patrick Kielty dubbed him “A comedy master at work”. The Irish Times refers to him as a “comedy genius”. Audiences can’t get enough.&nbsp;Jarlath’s last tour was a sell out across America including 5 nights at the legendary Gramercy Theatre off Broadway. In 2025 the Kildare man travelled globe and won the hearts of audiences across Canada, Australia, the U.K. and Ireland. His January residency at Dublin’s 3Olympia has now become a fixture in the comedy calendar. Last year he promised us a brand new show for 2026. Even his wife struggled to believe he could do it but somehow he has. Gas Man features 90 minutes of jokes and stories never before seen on stage or screen. If you like your comedy smart, sharp, warm and searingly funny, then this is the show for you.&nbsp; “I forgot what it felt like to cry in public, through laughter”&nbsp;- The Irish Post. “Universally enjoyable – 90 minutes of jaw-achingly funny anecdotes which spanned every topic imaginable.”&nbsp;- The Post “A subtle yet sublime helping of observational wit” The Herald ★★★★★ “Downright hilarious…comedy genius” The Irish Times ★★★★★ “Had the audience shaking so violently with laughter they probably could have charged their phones” Edinburgh Festivals Magazine “Regan&nbsp;is an&nbsp;expert storyteller&nbsp;and this is a beautifully constructed show that I could have happily listened to for twice its length.” ★★★★ The Arts Desk&nbsp;

Steph Tolev: Keepin' Em Hard

Steph Tolev&nbsp;caught fire on the “BILL BURR PRESENTS: FRIENDS WHO KILL” Netflix Special, that was taped as a part of the Netflix is a Joke Festival. She was named a COMEDIAN YOU SHOULD AND WILL KNOW by Vulture, which recognized her one of Toronto’s funniest exports. Steph also appeared in the features DRUGSTORE JUNE, as well as OLD DADS starring Bill Burr, Bobby Cannavale, and Bokeem Woodbine.&nbsp; 2025 was an extraordinary year for&nbsp;Steph. In addition to scene-stealing guest star roles in hit series like Netflix’s ‘Tires’ and ABC’s ‘Shifting Gears,’ Steph released her critically-acclaimedstand up special ‘FILTH QUEEN’ on Netflix in June of 2025. Met by rave reviews from publications like Vulture to Entertainment Weekly, ‘Filth Queen’ has helped explode Steph’s social media following and made her a top guest on all the major comedy podcasts, including Your Mom’s House with Tom Segura and Christina P and Stavvy’s Wolrd with Stavros Halkias.&nbsp; Steph headlines all the biggest clubs and comedy festivals in the country. She is based in LA where she is a paid regular at the legendary Comedy Store. Her Steph Infection Podcast remains a fan-favorite.

Melissa Etheridge: RISE

Melissa Etheridge stormed onto the American rock scene in 1988 with the release of her critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, which led to an appearance on the 1989 Grammy Awards show. For several years, her popularity grew around such memorable originals as "Bring Me Some Water," "No Souvenirs" and "Ain't It Heavy," for which she won a Grammy in 1992. Etheridge hit her commercial and artistic stride with her fourth album,&nbsp;Yes I Am&nbsp;(1993). The collection featured the massive hits, "I'm the Only One" and "Come to My Window," a searing song of longing that brought Etheridge her second Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Performance. In 1995, Etheridge issued her highest charting album,&nbsp;Your Little Secret, which was distinguished by the hit single, "I Want to Come Over." Her astounding success that year led to Etheridge receiving the Songwriter of the Year honor at the ASCAP Pop Awards in 1996. Known for her confessional lyrics and raspy, smoky vocals, Etheridge has remained one of America's favorite female singers for more than two decades. In February 2007, Melissa Etheridge celebrated a career milestone with a victory in the "Best Song" category at the Academy Awards for "I Need to Wake Up," written for the Al Gore documentary on global warming, An Inconvenient Truth. As a performer and songwriter, Etheridge has shown herself to be an artist who has never allowed "inconvenient truths" to keep her down. Earlier in her recording career, Etheridge acknowledged her sexual orientation when it was considered less than prudent to do so. In October 2004, Etheridge was diagnosed with breast cancer, a health battle that, with her typical tenacity, she won. Despite losing her hair from chemotherapy, Etheridge appeared on the 2005 Grammy telecast to sing "Piece of My Heart" in tribute to Janis Joplin. By doing so she gave hope to many women afflicted with the disease. On October 7, 2016 Melissa Etheridge released&nbsp;Memphis Rock &amp; Soul, her first album since 2014's critically lauded&nbsp;This Is M.E.&nbsp;Recorded at Royal Studios in Memphis, the album received stellar reviews from the likes of Entertainment Weekly, Parade, Rolling Stone, American Songwriter and more. She followed that up with the release of&nbsp;The Medicine Show&nbsp;in April, 2019. For&nbsp;The Medicine Show, Melissa reunited with celebrated producer John Shanks and sounds as rousing as ever, bringing a new level of artistry to her 15th studio recording. In June of 2020, Etheridge launched The Etheridge Foundation to support groundbreaking scientific research into effective new treatments for opioid use disorder. The Foundation works towards advancing treatment approaches that address the root causes of opioid abuse and make available better, more effective solutions for people to truly heal their opioid use disorder. In 2021, Melissa returned with then album&nbsp;One Way Out. The 9-track album is a collection of songs Etheridge wrote in the late '80s and early '90s that never made the cut… .until now! The time was finally right, and fans finally got a deeper glimpse to who Melissa was then. October 2022 saw Melissa's return to the theatre with her one woman show,&nbsp;My Window — A Journey Through Life. The critically acclaimed, sold-out run premiered at New World Stages on October 13 and opened at Circle In the Square Theatre on Broadway in September 2023. 2024 saw Melissa release&nbsp;Melissa Etheridge: I'm Not Broken, a two-part docuseries (Paramount+) and accompanying live album. Recorded live within the grounds of the Topeka Correctional facility the album and two-part docuseries follows her journey both penning and performing an original song inspired by her correspondence with residents of the TCF and features raw and rousing versions of specially curated fan favorites and original songs.

Chevalier Theatre

THE FAMESICK TOUR: An Evening with Lena Dunham

To celebrate her first book in over a decade, Lena Dunham returns to the stage for a night of fearless storytelling and no holds barred conversation. A candid, funny, and bracingly honest reflection on illness, fame, sex, and everything in between, FAMESICK marks a bold return from the creator of&nbsp;Girls&nbsp;and&nbsp;Too Much. So throw on your pajamas and join us for a night that brings together all the best parts of a slumber party (and not the thing where you call your parents crying because you want to go home.) We’ll get nostalgic for the 2010s, frank about anxiety, ambition and go deep about what it actually means to author your own story. We can’t wait to see you there to celebrate FAMESICK.

Sherri Shepherd: Make It Make Sense Tour

Sherri Shepherd is a Daytime Emmy Award-winning talk show host, comedian, actress, and best-selling author. She hosts the nationally syndicated talk show SHERRI, where her warmth and fiery humor shine through her topical headlines, celebrity interviews, comedy, and uplifting stories. Recently, she co-starred in Tyler Perry’s acclaimed film&nbsp;STRAW&nbsp;and is preparing to release her first children’s book,&nbsp;The Sunshine Queens.&nbsp;A multiple NAACP Image Award winner, Sherri has also earned recognition for her hit podcast&nbsp;Two Funny Mamas, co-hosted with Kym Whitley. Her career spans three decades across television, film, Broadway, and stand-up comedy, with memorable roles in&nbsp;30 Rock, Friends, Mr. Iglesias, Trial &amp; Error, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Jamie Foxx Show&nbsp;and&nbsp;Beauty Shop. On stage, she tours nationwide as a stand-up comic, both solo and alongside Whitley in their comedy show&nbsp;Two Funny Mamas. Beyond entertainment, Shepherd is a dedicated advocate for inclusivity, representation, and children with special needs.

Nick Offerman: Big Woodchuck

Nick Offerman is an actor, author, humorist, and woodworker whose onscreen credits include the Emmy award-winning role of Bill in&nbsp;The Last of Us&nbsp;(HBO), Ron Swanson on NBC’s&nbsp;Parks and Recreation, Forest in&nbsp;Devs, and Karl Weathers in the FX series&nbsp;Fargo. He has written six New York Times Bestselling books:&nbsp;Where the Deer and the Antelope Play,&nbsp;Paddle Your Own Canoe,&nbsp;Gumption,&nbsp;Good Clean Fun, and&nbsp;The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, written with his wife, Megan Mullally. His latest book&nbsp;Little Woodchucks: Offerman Woodshop’s Guide to Tools and Tomfoolery&nbsp;is a narrative woodworking guide for kids, large and small. Recent and upcoming projects include&nbsp;Death by Lightning&nbsp;(Netflix),&nbsp;Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning,&nbsp;Sovereign,&nbsp;Civil War&nbsp;(written and directed by Alex Garland),&nbsp;Pout Pout Fish,&nbsp;Origin&nbsp;(written and directed by Ava DuVernay),&nbsp;The Life of Chuck,&nbsp;The Umbrella Academy, and NBC’s&nbsp;Making It&nbsp;(co-host and executive producer). He is the voice of Beef Tobin in the FOX animated series&nbsp;The Great North&nbsp;and audiobook narrator for Wendell Berry’s&nbsp;The Need to Be Whole. In his spare time, he can be found at his woodshop in Los Angeles building hand-crafted items from wood, ranging from spoons and canoes to ukuleles.

Jessica Kirson

Jessica Kirson is a dynamic force in comedy, celebrated for her high-energy performances, ridiculous characters, and self deprecating vulnerability. With a career spanning over two decades, she has found an audience for her comedy on social media, where she has racked up over a billion views. Jessica's comedy journey began in the clubs of New York City, where her distinctive voice and unfiltered humor quickly made her an audience favorite. Kirson has since performed on some of the biggest stages in comedy, including mulitple appearances on&nbsp;The Tonight Show,&nbsp;The View, HBO’s&nbsp;Crashing, and&nbsp;Kevin Can Wait. Jessica produced FX's&nbsp;Hysterical, a feature-length documentary exploring the changing landscape of women in stand-up comedy, as well as serving as consultant, producer, and onscreen talent in Robert DeNiro's&nbsp;The Comedian. Known for years as a "Comic's Comic", Jessica's career has exploded in recent years as her social media accounts topped 1M followers on multiple platforms, and her tour dates began to fill up with sold out theaters. In an era where only 10% of all touring comedians are female, Jessica stands out as one of the best comedians working today, regardless of gender.

Rhys Darby: The Legend Returns

Hot off a series of sell-out shows in New Zealand, Australia, the UK and Ireland, the US can now enjoy the Kiwi icon’s sensational return to standup after an almost decade-long break! In a world full of AI and Robot tech can a simple dad with slightly tight jeans stay relevant? Ancient Astronaut Theorists say yes! Rhys hopes to prove that right now a touch of very human silliness is more important than ever!? Perhaps his unique human skills once thought of as absurd, might just be useful after all!

The New Pornographers

Over the past 20 years, The New Pornographers have proven themselves one of the most excellent bands in indie rock. They have released nine studio albums, including their classic debut&nbsp;Mass Romantic&nbsp;and their latest 2023’s&nbsp;Continue as a Guest, which marked their debut for Merge Records. They’ve constantly offered new sonic surprises with every album, and have established themselves alongside modern luminaries like Yo La Tengo and Superchunk when it comes to their ability to evolve while still retaining what made them so special in the first place. Of the newest record,&nbsp;New York Magazine&nbsp;lauded, “The New Pornographers are a massive unit bursting with unique and intersecting talents…the band’s ninth album serves another helping of their signature dish.” The band's new single "Ballad of the Last Payphone" is out now with a new full-length album slated for release in 2026 – more details to come. Critical acclaim for The New Pornographers: “Over the course of their 20-plus-year career, the New Pornographers have often specialized in catchy ambiguity. If leader Carl Newman was just a machine cranking out power-pop tunes, it would get boring. But there’s also a lot of mixed emotions going on under the surface of their studiously nuanced pop-rock formalism—like if Cheap Trick was as quick-witted as Steely Dan, or the Romantics were as thoughtful as R.E.M.” -&nbsp;Rolling Stone “Pure, blissfully irresistible power pop” -&nbsp;NPR Music “[The New Pornographers] make catchy, sophisticated alternate-universe hits.” -&nbsp;Stereogum

LizaBanks

LizaBanks Campagna is a stand-up comedian and tour guide, building an entirely new lane in the creator economy, one where comedy, culture, and civic curiosity collide.&nbsp; LizaBanks has applied her comedic instincts to an unexpected arena, tourism and cultural education. As a New York City tour guide leading sold out experiences at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Grand Central Terminal, she has transformed traditional sightseeing into immersive, personality driven storytelling. Online, LizaBanks extends that same sensibility through content that blends humor, historical context, and sharp social observation. In 2025, she expanded her platform into civic conversation, interviewing political figures including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@lizabanks11/video/7591937176594582839">Zohran Mamdani</a>&nbsp;and engaging audiences around issues like public transit and accessibility with clarity and curiosity. She frequently collaborates with Overheard, including hosting its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSlPT2Gkf1c/?hl=en">Happy Hour series</a>, and facilitating&nbsp;<a href="https://app.frame.io/presentations/c365a5b4-9a2a-4067-8213-41d05effbdae">red carpet interviews</a>.

Deep Cuts

S22: conversations

Wondering what to do in Boston? Places to eat? Free activities? Good for a group? Date night spot? Girls night out? The best things to do? Ask Joyraft!

Best places to go in Boston? Things to do? Places to eat?

Questions & answers about things to do in Boston

Recs 💬

Community recs 💬

S4: top picks

The most fun, cool and unique things to do in Boston. Can’t miss events, shows and experiences. Concerts, restaurants, bars, free things in Boston and beyond.

The most fun and cool events happening around Boston

Hot and new things to do in Boston

Hot & new

Hot & new 🔥

S11: happening this weekend

What to do in Boston this weekend? From festivals, concerts, performances, free events, screenings and more, Joyraft has the best things to do in Boston.

25+ things to do in Boston/Cambridge/Somerville this weekend

Things to do in Boston this weekend

This wknd

This weekend for you

S16: editor picks

The most unique and can’t miss things coming up in Boston / Cambridge / Somerville and beyond. Festivals, food, drinks, fairs, concerts, art and free activities.

Unique and Can’t Miss Things to Do in Boston

Can’t-miss things to do in Boston 🚨

Can't-miss things to do 🚨

S21: roundups

Our top picks: outdoor dining, free events, spring festivals, best bars, upcoming concerts, museum parties - the latest in and around Boston.  Slug: joyraft-top-picks-best-things-to-do-boston-ma

Top picks of the best things to do in and around Boston

Joyraft picks: Boston’s best things to do

Roundups ⭐️

Curated by Joyraft ⭐️

S28: calendar experiences

This week in Boston

This week in Boston 📆

This week 📆

S20: c+d experiences

Discover new, unique events and experiences happening in and around Boston. Perfect for date night, good for a group or with a friend. Be the first to know.

The newest events happening in and around Boston

The newest events on Joyraft

Just added

Just added to Joyraft

S2 (A): top experiences

The most popular things to do on Joyraft. Concerts, restaurants, bars, events, parties, openings, kid friendly, date ideas, free things in Boston and beyond.

Top 20 things to do in Boston

Top 20: Joyraft’s most popular

Top 20

Top 20 on Joyraft

S3 (A): trending experiences

Discover can’t miss events and things to do in Boston. The most fun, unique and cool events coming to the Boston area this spring and summer.

The hottest events happening in Boston

Trending events on Joyraft

Trending 📈

S17: interest based

Your guide to everything free in and around Boston. From events, to fairs, to festivals, to outdoors. Joyraft has all the free events happening near you.

100+ free things to do in Boston and beyond

Free things to do in Boston

Free things to do

S19: interest based

Kid-friendly events in Boston

S18: interest based

Where to eat and drink in Boston? Joyraft has Boston’s newest bars, restaurants and specials. Drinks and pre fixe dinner menus. Cambridge & Somerville too.

Where

bbp

Experiences

Steve-O: The Crash and Burn Tour

MAE MARTIN: THE POSSUM

Reporter Matt & Friends

Madison Cunningham: The Ace Tour

Jarlath Regan Gas Man

Steph Tolev: Keepin' Em Hard

Steph Tolev: Keepin' Em Hard

Melissa Etheridge: RISE

THE FAMESICK TOUR: An Evening with Lena Dunham

Sherri Shepherd: Make It Make Sense Tour

Nick Offerman: Big Woodchuck

Jessica Kirson

Nick Offerman: Big Woodchuck

Rhys Darby: The Legend Returns

The New Pornographers