Tina Fey Amy Poehler Tour: Why Everyone is Obsessed with the Restless Leg Comedy Show

Honestly, if you grew up watching Saturday Night Live during the early 2000s, seeing Tina Fey and Amy Poehler share a stage feels less like a comedy show and more like a high-stakes family reunion. The Tina Fey Amy Poehler tour, officially titled the "Restless Leg Tour," isn't just a victory lap. It’s a full-throttle celebration of a thirty-year friendship that has basically defined modern American comedy.

People keep asking: is it just a live podcast? No. Not even close.

It's a weirdly perfect hybrid of a variety show, a stand-up special, and an improv workshop. When they first announced this thing back in 2023, everyone assumed it would be a limited four-city run. Then they sold out everything. Then they added more dates in 2024. And now, throughout 2025 and into the current landscape of 2026, the demand hasn't actually dipped. They’ve managed to turn "Restless Leg" into a comedy institution that bridges the gap between old-school SNL sketches and raw, unfiltered storytelling.

What Actually Happens at the Restless Leg Tour?

You walk in thinking you’re getting a standard comedy set. You’re wrong. The show kicks off with a massive "Golden Globes" style opening. We're talking sparkly evening gowns and a scripted monologue that mocks the very idea of celebrities being on tour.

They address the elephant in the room immediately—are they actually best friends? Their running gag is that they’re just "work friends," a bit that pays off throughout the night.

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The structure is intentionally chaotic:

• The 90s Throwback: They ditch the gowns for 90s-era outfits—think oversized overalls and questionable wigs—to recreate their early days at Second City in Chicago.
• Improv Chaos: Taking suggestions from the crowd, they dive into live improv. One show in Detroit reportedly featured a scene about "pretzels and dildos at Costco." It’s messy, fast, and reminds you why they were the gold standard of sketch comedy.
• Weekend Update Live: This is the part where people lose their minds. They bring out a desk, a cloth with the logo, and do a live version of the "Weekend Update" segment.
• Surprise Guests: You never know who’s showing up. Rachel Dratch frequently pops in as Debbie Downer. Fred Armisen has appeared to do a hyper-specific breakdown of Texas accents. Tim Meadows has even revived "The Ladies Man."

Stand-up Bits That Hit Differently

After the duo segments, they each take a solo turn. This is rare. We rarely see Tina Fey do straight stand-up.

Tina’s set usually revolves around the absurd expense of "being a woman." She’s been known to do a bit styled after Chris Rock, pacing the stage and shouting about the price of tampons and bikini waxes. It’s aggressive, hilarious, and feels incredibly grounded.

Amy Poehler’s solo set tends to lean into the realities of aging and the absurdity of travel. She’s frantic in the best way possible. By the time they reunite on stage in their pajamas for the final Q&A, you feel like you’ve actually spent two hours in their living room.

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The Logistics: Dates and Ticket Reality

If you’re looking for the Tina Fey Amy Poehler tour in 2026, you need to be quick. While the massive 2025 leg concluded with a huge run through cities like Orlando, Houston, Chicago (Rosemont), and a final blowout at the Prudential Center in Newark, rumors of "encore" dates and festival appearances keep surfacing.

The reality of the ticket market for these two is brutal.

Average ticket prices often hover around $255 on the secondary market. At some venues, like the Fox Theatre in Detroit or Red Rocks in Denver, "platinum" seating has soared much higher. If you see "Verified Fan" presales, sign up immediately. Use codes like RESTLESS when they become available.

Why the "Restless Leg" Title?

They joke about it on stage, but it basically refers to the fact that they can't sit still. After decades of writing, producing (30 Rock, Parks and Rec), and acting, they both admitted they missed the immediate "scary" energy of a live audience.

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There's no intermission. It’s two hours of straight performance.

Acknowledging the Critics

Not everyone is a fan of the format. Some "comedy purists" have complained that the show relies too heavily on video interstitials and nostalgic clips. During a show in Atlantic City, a fire alarm malfunctioned, cutting out a huge chunk of the set, and some fans felt the "variety show" nature didn't allow the duo to pivot as easily as a solo stand-up would.

But for the 195,000+ people who bought tickets in the first few legs alone, the nostalgia is the point. You aren't just paying for jokes; you're paying to see the chemistry of two people who have been through the Hollywood ringer together and came out the other side still liking each other.

Actionable Tips for Future Attendees

• Submit Your Questions Early: There’s a box near the merch table before the show starts. Write your question for the Q&A portion there. They actually read them.
• Skip the Merch Line at the End: It is always a disaster. If you want that "Restless Leg" hoodie, buy it the second you walk through the doors or order it online later.
• Check the Guest List: If you're in a "comedy hub" city like NYC, Chicago, or LA, your chances of seeing an SNL legend walk on stage are nearly 100%.
• Watch the Time: Because there's no intermission, the show moves fast. Do not be the person who tries to hit the bar twenty minutes in; you will miss the Weekend Update segment, which is usually the halfway point.

The tour remains one of the highest-grossing comedy events for a reason. It’s a rare chance to see two icons who don't actually need to be on the road, doing it simply because they find each other funny. That kind of energy is impossible to fake. Keep an eye on local venue listings for 2026 pop-up dates or residency announcements, especially in New York and Las Vegas, where they tend to return.