Toronto Comedian Ben Bankas has had yet another venue cancel on him due to complaints, presumably over his material, after the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium refused to go ahead with an upcoming planned show.
According to the Auditorium’s Facebook page, tickets for Bankas’ March 2026 appearance were to go on sale to the general public on November 20. However, after roughly a third of the tickets were sold, the venue backed out.
Bankas, who has since relocated to Austin, Texas, is currently back in Canada touring.
“We understand that people involved with the venue itself, like on the board of directors or on the administrative side, decided it was best for the venue to cancel our gig,” Bankas’ publicist Deborah Knight told True North.
“We rented it as a third party, and after it went on sale, they just decided to shut it down. It’s a hassle because the fans are disappointed. They want to see Ben back in Canada, and then you have to refund people. So that can be an administrative nightmare.”
Knight went on to say that her team is now focusing on getting the word out about how successful Bankas’ past shows have been, and letting people know that it’s an “R-rated show.”
“You know what happens, people hear rumours, and then they get into their censorship mode, and we’re here to fight that. This is entertainment, and it’s for adults only. It’s just about providing entertainment for people who want to have a good laugh, and the people complaining may not have even seen Ben’s show, or watched the joke that they’re offended by.”
She stressed that the purpose of the tour is to promote comedy, not hate.
The latest venue cancellation follows a Calgary casino doing the same last month after receiving two
complaints about jokes he made regarding residential schools.
While no subject, person or group is off limits for the comedian, his shows are advertised as “an unfiltered night of comedy that says what everyone’s thinking.”
While he’s faced backlash for his humour, Knight says that it’s merely reflective of the fact that we’re living in a “culture of outrage.”
“There are people who are outraged because their coffee isn’t hot enough,” she said.
While the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium did not provide an explanation for the cancellation, its acting general manager, Andrew Edwards,
told TB Newswatch that it was not “presented” by the venue and “cannot comment on contractual and/or legal matters.”
Andrews added that the auditorium was “dedicated to creating a safe, professional and enjoyable environment for all our patrons.”
“Our goal is to host events and performances that foster inclusivity, strengthen community connections and uphold the integrity of our organization,” he wrote.
However, Bankas has since secured an alternate venue in the city.
According to Knight, bookings for Bankas in Kelowna, Calgary and North Bay were also recently cancelled by host facilities. However, appearances are still scheduled for multiple other cities in the coming weeks and months, including Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury in March.
Knight noted that their plans are to “move on to bigger venues,” and try and avoid those that are “government-funded” as they are “typically the ones that have been cancelling us.”
Bankas addressed the issue during a recent episode of his podcast, saying, “It’s a show for mature audiences, remember when you were a kid, and they’d go, ‘this show is for a mature audience, rated R, do not watch if you’re a f***ing kid.”
truenorthwire.com
