Tickets to see Dave Chappelle in Santa Rosa sell out in hours, even as more shows added

Tickets to see comedian Dave Chappelle perform next week in Santa Rosa sold out so quickly Tuesday afternoon that a third, then fourth, show was added — then sold out, too.

Tickets went on sale Tuesday morning for two live shows by Chappelle at Santa Rosa’s Luther Burbank Center for the Arts. Chappelle will perform at 7 p.m. July 26 and July 27. But both dates sold out within hours.

By early afternoon, demand for tickets was so high that shows were added for 10:30 p.m. July 27 and 7 p.m. July 28. The July 28 show also immediately sold out, and the July 27 performance did so a few hours later.

Admission prices ranged from $79.50 to $350. The shows are presented by Live Nation Entertainment.

“If you are not purchasing tickets at lutherburbankcenter.org or through the LBC Box Office, you are purchasing from a third-party ticket reseller,” a center spokesperson said.

The outspoken comedian has won honors and sparked controversy during his high-profile career.

Last year, his Netflix special “The Closer” drew criticism from many in the LGBTQ+ community, including Netflix employees, for material they found transphobic.

In 2017, Netflix cited “Dave Chappelle: Collection 1” as the most-viewed comedy special ever on their network.

Chappelle was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2019.

This isn’t the first time Chappelle has drawn such high demand for tickets at LBC, according to Anita Wiglesworth, vice president of programs and marketing at Luther Burbank Center.

“Within the first two hours of ticket sales (Tuesday), we had over 29,000 people in queues on the website and phone lines,” Wiglesworth said in a statement LBC issued Wednesday morning. “LBC staff brought out chairs for people standing in the box office line that extended around the building. The last time we had a sales phenomenon like (Tuesday) was for Dave Chappelle back in March of 2015, when we sold out four shows.”

Chappelle’s work in stand-up comedy, writing, producing and acting has earned him more than 30 nominations and awards in television and film for projects that include his groundbreaking sketch comedy television series, “Chappelle’s Show,” guest appearances on “Saturday Night Live” and his comedy specials, which have collectively earned five Emmy Awards.

He also has won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album three years in a row, 2018 through 2020.

Per the artist’s requirement, the use of phones, smartwatches and accessories, will not be permitted in the performance space.

You can reach Staff Writer Dan Taylor at dan.taylor@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5243. On Twitter @danarts.