Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2026

The best heckles, riskiest jokes and strangest moments from this year’s comedy festival

After a month packed with shows, our reviewers have come together to pick out the best (and most memorable) moments from this year’s comedy festival.

• Donna Demaio, Guy Webster, Hannah Francis, John Bailey, Lefa Singleton Norton, Mikey Cahill, Nell Geraets, Sonia Nair, Tyson Wray and Vyshnavee Wijekumar

It’s the final weekend of the comedy festival. Here’s what not to miss

From a performer who is definitely one to watch to some chaotic sketches, see how our reviewers rate the picks of the festival before it ends on Sunday.

• Donna Demaio, Cassidy Knowlton, Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen, Guy Webster, Hannah Francis, John Bailey, Karl Quinn, Lefa Singleton Norton, Nell Geraets, Rose Lu, Sonia Nair, Thuy On, Tyson Wray and Vyshnavee Wijekumar

Chaos, lad culture and a show that seemed destined to fail: This festival has it all

From improv steered by children to a comedian at the top of her game, this year’s festival is in full swing. Keep an eye on our ever-growing list of reviews.

• Cassidy Knowlton, Gemma Grant, Guy Webster, Hannah Francis, John Bailey, Karl Quinn, Mikey Cahill, Sonia Nair, Thuy On, Tyson Wray and Vyshnavee Wijekumar

The best, the weirdest, and the most unmissable of the comedy festival so far

From weirdly good questions to a clever use of PowerPoint, this year’s comedy festival is in full swing. Keep an eye on our ever-growing list of reviews here.

• Donna Demaio, Cameron Woodhead, Gemma Grant, Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen, Guy Webster, Hannah Francis, John Bailey, Karl Quinn, Lefa Singleton Norton, Mikey Cahill, Nell Geraets, Rose Lu, Sonia Nair, Thuy On, Tyson Wray and Vyshnavee Wijekumar

The comedian who played to no one: Lloyd Langford on his worst-ever gigs

The Welsh funny man fell into comedy by way of a haircut on stage. It’s in the family now.

• Cassidy Knowlton

Meet the new guard of comedy stars – and watch their terrible life advice

Takashi Wakasugi, Tarang Hardikar, Anisa Nandaula and Sez are among a new generation of performers dominating the stage and screen. We sat them down to ask them for some bad life advice.

• Nell Geraets

This comic wrote a show about Porepunkah. Then the news stole his punchline

Topical comedy is all well and good but as David Quirk discovered this week, it comes with big risks.

• Karl Quinn

Four decades, 40 defining moments in the life of Melbourne’s Comedy Festival

As the Melbourne International Comedy Festival turns 40, we count down 40 moments that have shaped the famous event.

• John Bailey

And now for The Evening Muse: Hannah Gadsby turns talk-show host

The Nanette comedian is back with a Saturday Night Live-style talk show wrapped in a stand-up set and an existential crisis.

• Kerrie O'Brien

It starts with a play-within-a-play. Then things get tricky

Love, loss and duty collide in this genre-bending production of Eighteen Lives.

• Sonia Nair, Cameron Woodhead, Andrew Fuhrmann, Jessica Nicholas and Tony Way

I can just withdraw from the discourse: Why Josie Long ditched social media

The British comedian talks weather, politics and Australia’s “weird prehistoric animals” ahead of her show at this year’s Comedy Festival.

• John Bailey

It’s taken 40 years, but this comedian finally got her shot at the festival big time

Denise Scott has been doing comedy a long time. And finally, she got to host the Melbourne International Comedy Festival gala. She’s also launched the festival’s 40th year.

• Karl Quinn

‘They’re wild’: Why Tuesdays are comedy gold, and Adelaide can be a joke killer (yeah, really)

Stand-up star Lizzy Hoo can read a room before she actually walks on stage. Sometimes that can be an “uh-oh” moment.

• Cassidy Knowlton

• Exclusive

How a ‘rush of feelings’ from a Botox jab unlocked a comedian’s domestic abuse trauma

UK radio star James Barr was beaten and belittled by his boyfriend – but because he thought he was “meant to be strong”, he struggled to acknowledge what was happening.

• Michael Lallo

Why are we paying hundreds to answer ‘what’s your job’?

The rise of the crowd-work comic: because thinking of a second joke is just too much effort.

• Luke Heggie

Is this the world’s most infuriating comedian? He certainly hopes so

Luke McQueen lies, pours soup on his head and uses AI to take down his enemies. No wonder his audiences sometimes walk out.

• Richard Jinman

‘I can’t do this forever’: Comedy festival boss to hand over baton

After 30 years in the top job, Susan Provan is thinking it might be time for someone else to take the wheel. Maybe.

• Karl Quinn