(NORFOLK, Neb.) – The 2026 Great American Comedy Festival will be bringing a Midwestern voice that’s made millions laugh to the Johnny Carson Theatre stage.
Charlie Berens will be headlining the annual Gala on Saturday, June 20th at the Johnny Carson Theatre in Norfolk.
Charlie is a comedian, New York Times Best Selling Author, Emmy-winning journalist, musician and creator of the viral sensation, The Manitowoc Minute, a comedic news show about the Midwest which first launched him into notoriety in 2017. Since then, Charlie’s been creating Midwest-inspired sketch comedy videos that connect to a worldwide social media audience of over 10 million.
“A key piece of what made Johnny Carson who he was as a performer was his Midwestern upbringing. That’s why I’m so excited to bring Charlie Berens to Norfolk,” Janssen said. ‘There’s not a more Midwestern comic out there today than Charlie. He’s selling out massive venues, and people across the globe are hearing him give voice to our part of the country. I can’t wait for him be here in northeast Nebraska and connect with our little piece of the Midwest.”
His ability to connect with audiences goes far beyond his home state of Wisconsin. Berens just wrapped up his third sold-out nationwide stand-up comedy tour, the Good Old Fashioned Tour, which played 127 shows in 88 cities and was shot as a follow-up special to his 2023 one hour debut, Midwest Goodbye.
In his free time, Charlie hosts the Cripescast podcast where he has meaningful conversations with a wide range of guests, including musicians, headlining comedians, dairy farmers, groundbreaking scientists, government officials, world-renown chefs, artists, business leaders, sports Hall of Famers, explorers, Olympians, and creators about their story and connections to the Midwest. In addition to Cripescast, Charlie also co-hosts the Bellied Up podcast w/ “Myles The You Betcha Guy” where the two of them belly up at a small-town bar every Thursday and take live calls from all over the Midwest and rest of the world.
His reach is about to get even bigger. Charlie’s 2021 New York Times Best Seller The Midwest Survival Guide is being optioned for TV development.
Throughout all his work, Charlie aims to connect with people through comedy and authenticity. “I frequently find myself on my phone watching different clips of Charlie’s comedy,” said festival executive director Pat Janssen. “I feel like he’s really honed in on my individual experiences growing up in Nebraska. I’ve never even met the guy, but it sure feels like he observed my whole Midwestern upbringing. I love our festival because it’s a beautiful cultural exchange, but sometimes it’s just nice for all of us to connect with someone who knows exactly what we’ve experienced and exactly what we’re feeling.”
The Great American Comedy Festival began in 2008 to honor the legacy of Norfolk’s favorite son, Johnny Carson, who was host of NBC’s “Late Night Show Starring Johnny Carson” for over 25 years. It begins with the bar crawl comedy night on Wednesday, June 17th, and continues with the world-class comedy magic show on Thursday, June 18th, and Friday Theatre Show on June 19th, along with the Friday Late Show at Norfolk’s District Events Center.
The Great American Comedy Festival is presented by Midwest Acutech. It is also made possible with the support of the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment. For more information, visit www.greatamericancomedyfestival.com
