Santiago, Chile – The highly anticipated Festival de la Comedia de CHV launched Saturday with a performance by veteran Chilean comedians Kurt Carrera and Claudio Moreno, performing as the duo “Desplumados.” While the festival is slated to run for six days, the opening act sparked a wave of online criticism, with many viewers expressing disappointment in the pair’s stand-up routines. The event, broadcast on Chilevisión, aimed to kick off a month of laughter but instead ignited a debate on social media regarding the duo’s comedic delivery, and material.
Carrera and Moreno presented monologues centered around their individual careers and signature characters. Carrera revisited his early television work, including a memorable elephant character from his time on Zoolo TV, and recounted anecdotes from shows like Panoramix and Morandé con Compañía, even reminiscing about his first encounters with performing partner Pablo Zamora, with whom he famously portrayed Profesor Salomón and Tutu Tutu. Moreno, meanwhile, drew on his experience as the character Guru Guru, reflecting on his beginnings performing under the costume alongside Profesor Rossa (Iván Arenas). He shared stories about accepting the role – initially hesitant until Arenas pointed out a potential loss of 1 million pesos – and humorous observations about his family life, incorporating dance into his performance.
Despite generating some laughter from the live audience, the performance failed to fully resonate with viewers watching from home. Online, reactions to Carrera’s set were particularly critical. Many users on X (formerly Twitter) felt his routine lacked the pacing of a traditional stand-up performance, despite his established success with character-based comedy.
“This from Kurt Carrera seems more like a seminar, a motivational talk or something. It’s not a comedy routine,” one user wrote, as reported by BioBioChile. Another commenter stated, “I like Kurt Carrera, but if he went to the Viña del Mar festival, the ‘monstruo’ [a reference to the notoriously critical audience at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival] would eat him alive. He doesn’t have what it takes as a comedian, only as a character actor.”
Esto de Kurt Carrera parece seminario, charla motivacional o algo así. No es una rutina de comedia.
— Pepo (@pepokiss) February 22, 2026
Moreno received slightly more positive feedback, with viewers noting his ability to weave personal anecdotes into his routine. However, he also fell short of fully captivating the online audience. “This story from Claudio Moreno could perfectly be an anecdote during a casual get-together with some drinks, but not for a stand-up show, let alone a festival,” one viewer commented. Another added, “I suppose tomorrow is the main event, today was a test, although I do like Claudio Moreno.”
The first night of the festival concluded with performances by Pato Pimienta and Joche Vidal. The Festival de la Comedia de CHV will continue with shows on February 22, 23, 27, 28, and March 1, featuring a diverse lineup of Chilean comedians.
Me cae bn Kurt Carrera, pero si hubiera ido al festival de Viña se lo come el monstruo. No le queda lo humorista, solo hacer personajes #FestivalComediaCHV
— .◾〰️ 😷 𝓔𝓵 𝒥𝓊𝒶𝓂𝓅𝓎 🙅♂️ 〰️◾. (@DelToro_JP) February 22, 2026
The festival aims to blend established names in Chilean humor with emerging talent, offering a variety of comedic styles to audiences. The initial response to Carrera and Moreno’s performance highlights the challenges of transitioning established character-based comedians to the stand-up format, and sets the stage for the remaining acts to deliver a stronger comedic punch. The success of the festival will likely hinge on whether subsequent performers can connect with both the live audience and the increasingly critical online viewership.
Chilevisión’s gamble on a month-long comedy festival is a significant investment in the Chilean entertainment landscape. As the festival progresses, it will be interesting to see how the remaining comedians navigate the expectations of a diverse audience and the scrutiny of social media. The coming days will reveal whether the Festival de la Comedia de CHV can live up to its promise of delivering consistent laughs and establishing itself as a key event on the Chilean cultural calendar.
Watch the full “Desplumados” routine here.
What are your thoughts on the evolving landscape of Chilean comedy? Share your opinions in the comments below.
