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Upcoming Dave Chappelle dates
Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.
Dave Chappelle in brief
Dave Chappelle is the stand-up comedian born in Washington, D.C., on August 24, 1973, best known for Chappelle's Show and a run of Netflix specials that made him one of the most-watched comics of his era. A Chappelle ticket means a stand-up headline show, usually in a large theater or an amphitheater, and almost always with phones locked away for the night.
He grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland, and graduated from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in 1991. Early on he was booed off at the Apollo Theater's Amateur Night, then broke through on HBO's Def Comedy Jam in 1992. Chappelle's Show ran on Comedy Central from 2003 to 2006; he walked away during production of the third season. After signing with Netflix in 2016 he released eight specials there, including The Age of Spin and Equanimity (2017), Sticks & Stones (2019), The Closer (2021), The Dreamer (2023) and The Unstoppable (2025).
He has won six Grammy Awards for Best Comedy Album, multiple Primetime Emmys including one for hosting Saturday Night Live in 2016, and the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2019. He has hosted SNL four times, most recently on January 18, 2025.
What his stand-up show is like
Chappelle works in long, conversational stretches rather than quick one-liners, and he goes straight at race, politics, celebrity and culture-war topics. His recent specials have drawn both strong praise and organized criticism over material about transgender people, so know what kind of comedy you are buying. The content is for adults.
His shows are phone-free. Since at least late 2015, when the press reported he was using Yondr pouches (lockable fabric cases that seal your phone on entry and unlock at the exit), audiences have been asked to lock their phones for the whole performance. Check the venue's current policy before you go, and plan for slower entry lines.
He is also known for unannounced appearances. He drops into comedy clubs for surprise sets and has run marathon sessions, including a six-hour, 12-minute set at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles in December 2007. Headline dates often include opening comics and a DJ before he takes the stage.
Notable runs and residencies, by date
- Radio City Music Hall, New York (June 2014): ten nights, his first major New York City appearance in eleven years.
- Special tapings (2015–2016): Deep in the Heart of Texas was filmed at Austin City Limits Live in April 2015, and The Age of Spin at the Hollywood Palladium in March 2016.
- With Jon Stewart (2018): a duo tour across the United States and the United Kingdom.
- Chappelle Summer Camp, Yellow Springs, Ohio (late June to September 25, 2020): socially distanced outdoor shows with guest comedians and musicians.
- Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles (May 2022): four nights during the Netflix Is a Joke Festival, tying Monty Python for the most headlined shows by a comedian at the venue.
- Riyadh Comedy Festival (September 2025): a set at the festival's first edition in Saudi Arabia.
Chappelle often announces dates with little notice and in clusters. This page's live event list shows what is currently on sale.
Where to sit for a Chappelle show
Comedy rewards being able to see the comic's face. Timing, pauses and expressions carry much of the material, so distance matters more than at a concert.
- Large theaters (for example Radio City Music Hall, with about 5,960 seats across an orchestra and three mezzanines): center orchestra and the front of the first mezzanine are the strongest seats. Upper mezzanines are fine for sound but small for facial detail.
- Amphitheaters (such as the Hollywood Bowl, about 17,500 seats): the closer sections in front of the stage are the clear choice; from the upper benches you will watch the video screens for most of the night, where screens are used.
- Arenas: lower-level sections facing the stage beat floor seats far back, because the floor is flat and the person in front of you blocks the view.
- Avoid: extreme side seats and anything behind the stage line. A comic faces forward, so a side angle loses more than it would at a concert.
With phones locked away, there is no screen glow in the room, which makes the show feel smaller than the venue. A center seat a little farther back usually beats a sharp side seat up close.
How Chappelle tickets sell
His dates sell on name recognition and scarcity. He tours in short bursts rather than long published routings, so a city may get one weekend or a multi-night run and then nothing for a long stretch.
- Short-notice announcements: the initial sale can move quickly, and the best center seats are usually gone first.
- Multi-night runs: later nights in a run, and weeknights, often have more availability than the opening or Saturday show.
- Resale: close center seats hold their value; side and upper sections tend to ease as the date nears, especially in larger venues.
GoodSeats orders include guaranteed entry. Because entry involves pouching phones, arrive early whatever seat you buy.
Frequently asked questions
Can you bring your phone to a Dave Chappelle show?
You can bring it, but you will usually have to lock it in a Yondr pouch for the whole show, a practice reported since 2015. Check the venue's current policy before you go.
Is a Dave Chappelle show appropriate for kids?
No. His material is adult, with strong language and frequent discussion of race, sex and politics. Venues may also set their own age rules, so check the event listing.
What kind of venues does Dave Chappelle play?
Large theaters and amphitheaters for headline runs, such as ten nights at Radio City Music Hall in 2014 and four at the Hollywood Bowl in 2022, plus surprise sets in comedy clubs.
Does Dave Chappelle do surprise shows?
Yes. He is known for unannounced club appearances and once performed for six hours and 12 minutes at the Laugh Factory in 2007. Those sets are rarely sold in advance.
What awards has Dave Chappelle won?
Six Grammy Awards for Best Comedy Album, multiple Primetime Emmy Awards, and the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2019.