Jon Stewart, Bruce Springsteen and Hasan Minhaj to Headline 20th Stand Up for Heroes in New York
Jon Stewart, Bruce Springsteen and Hasan Minhaj will headline the 20th annual Stand Up for Heroes on November 9 at Lincoln Center in New York City, as part of the New York Comedy Festival. The event is a fundraiser for the Bob Woodruff Foundation, which has raised $117 million for veterans, military families and caregivers since the inaugural show in 2007 Variety.
The lineup also includes a comedy set from Josh Johnson and musical performances from the Resilient and Alex Warren Variety. The show is presented jointly by the Bob Woodruff Foundation and the New York Comedy Festival The Hollywood Reporter.
Stand Up for Heroes was developed by ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff and his wife Lee Woodruff, together with the New York Comedy Festival, according to festival founder and owner Caroline Hirsch Variety. The foundation was created after Woodruff was seriously injured by a roadside bomb while reporting in Iraq in 2006, and the first Stand Up for Heroes event followed in 2007. The foundation has held the event annually since then Bob Woodruff Foundation.
Twenty editions is a long run for any charity benefit, and the figure attached to it — $117 million raised over nearly two decades — gives a sense of the scale the show has reached. For the veterans, military families and caregivers the foundation supports, that money funds programmes covering everything from mental health services to housing assistance and career transition support.
The booking pulls from different corners of the entertainment world. Stewart, the former host of "The Daily Show," has been a recurring presence at the event over the years. Springsteen has also appeared at past editions, bringing his catalogue to a stage more often associated with stand-up. Minhaj, a comedian and former host of "Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj," adds a newer voice to the headline slot.
For anyone wanting to attend, ticketing and event details are available through the Bob Woodruff Foundation's official event page at bobwoodrufffoundation.org/events/2026-stand-up-for-heroes. The show takes place during the New York Comedy Festival, which runs across multiple Manhattan venues each November.
