Nate Bargatze Breaks Attendance Records In Minnesota Comedy Shows

Comedy fans in Minnesota just witnessed something truly historic. Nate Bargatze’s recent shows weren't just popular; they set a new bar that no other comedian has ever reached in the state.

To say that Minnesotans are fans of comedian Nate Bargatze might be understating things just a bit. Here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, we're such fans of Mr. Bargatze's comedy that we just helped him smash four records here in the Bold North.

Minnesota Crowds Help Nate Bargatze Make Comedy History

Minnesota isn't exactly a slouch when it comes to comedians. The North Star State has been the birthplace of several nationally known stand-up comics over the years.

The late comedian Mitch Hedberg, who was known for his surreal one-liners and deadpan delivery, was born in St. Paul. Lizz Winstead, the writer, performer, and co-creator of The Daily Show, is from Minneapolis.

And, perhaps, most well-known is the late Louie Anderson. He was born here in and grew up in St. Paul and went on to become a nationally-known stand-up comedian, TV star, and author.

But none of those comics have done what Nate Bargatze just did. The stand-up comic, known as 'The Nicest Man in Stand-Up,' by The Atlantic Magazine, just smashed four attendance records here in Minnesota.

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Nate Bargatze Breaks Four Comedy Records in Minnesota

Which isn't a surprise, given that he's been doing the exact same thing all over the country. His website notes that in 2023, Bargatze broke the attendance records in Nashville and Salt Lake City. He continued that trend in 2024 when he broke 20 total arena records all over the U.S.

And now you can add Minnesota to that list, as well. Bargatze is currently on his 2025 Big Dumb Eyes Tour and has just performed his fourth show in Minnesota, at Rochester's Mayo Civic Center on September 17th. And he broke a record while doing it:

The venue reported that he performed to a sold-out crowd of more than 6,200 and set a record as 'the largest single-night comedy show in Mayo Civic Center history.' He's also responsible for the second-largest live entertainment event overall at that venue, a release said.

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That comes on the heels of Bargatze setting previous records in the Gopher State, as well. KARE 11 reports that in May, Bargatze broke Elton John's attendance record at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth.

And, BringMeTheNews reported that Bargatze was responsible for record crowds when he performed not one, but two shows at the Xcel Energy Center (now Grand Casino Arena) in St. Paul on July 26 and 27, 2025.

Nate Bargatze Now Ranked the World’s Top-Earning Comedian

It's no wonder Bargatze is now ranked as the number-one earning comedian in the world, according to a recent Pollstar report. Billboard recently announced that Bargatze set a new record for the biggest one-year gross by a comedy performer in history. And just hosted the Emmy Awards, which saw a dramatic increase in viewership as well.

Speaking of comedy, was there a greater decade for comedies on the silver screen than the 90s? Keep scrolling to check out 20 of the best comedy movies that were big hits over 30 years ago.