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Clockwise from top left: Rove McManus, Aboriginal Comedy Allstars, Olga Koch, Stephen K Amos

Big laughs, bold voices, a massive month of comedy. . . Sounds like Brisbane Comedy Festival!

The 17th edition of the event is approaching, once again taking over Brisbane Powerhouse, The Tivoli, Fortitude Music Hall and The Princess Theatre. It’s set to be another city-wide takeover, and the biggest one yet.

Fresh from a record-breaking year, Brisbane Comedy Festival’s 2026 edition is serving far more than just stand-up. There’ll be bold solo shows, late-night chaos, and genre-bending performances. Salacious satire, outrageous silliness, big-hearted storytelling. . . And everything in between.

The Brisbane Comedy Festival Opening Gala kicks it all off, starring comedy heavyweights, fresh voices, and a city-wide, laugh-out-loud launch at Fortitude Music Hall.

Plus, get excited for the return of the Brisbane Comedy Festival Showcase: a stacked line-up of comedy heavyweights and rising stars, taking over The Tivoli for a night of laughs. Maybe you’re after something a little on the loose side? After Hours will see comedians drop the script, test new material, and let chaos reign.

Festival face Frocking Hilarious is back, uniting some of the country’s funniest women for a powerful, side-splitting afternoon in support of ActionAid’s mission of empowering women worldwide. There’s a little bit of unpredictability in the popular ‘Sh!t-Faced Shakespeare’, promising hilarity night after night, with cast members tackling the spoken world while under the influence.

There’ll be an opportunity to catch a ripper night of rock drag and Blak pride, in Ben Graetz’s ‘Bogan Villea’, as well as powerhouse performance from Rove McManus, Pete Helliar, Sammy J, Stephen K Amos, Tommy Little, Olga Koch, Reuben Kaye, Sam Taunton, Tim Batt, Tom Sainsbury, Urvi Majumdar, Ting Lim, Nick Capper, Rapha Manajem, Rowan Thambar and plenty more.

Cult hits and ensemble chaos is sure to light up stages across the city, like ‘Best Of Edinburgh Fest’, and ‘Aboriginal Comedy Allstars’.

Brisbane Comedy Festival is on from 24 April-24 May.

Brisbane Comedy Festival 2026 Line-Up

Abby Govindan

Abby Howells

Aboriginal Comedy Allstars

After Hours

Aj Lamarque

Akmal

Alex Hines & Sarah Stafford

Alex Ward

Alexandra Hudson

Alexei Toliopoulos

Alfred Adriaan

Alice Fraser

Anisa Nandaula

Annie Boyle

Ben Hunter

Ben Richardson

Best Of Edinburgh Fest

Bogan Villea

Brett Blake

Brisbane Comedy Festival Showcase

Bron Lewis

Bronwyn Kuss

Burton Brothers

Cassie Workman

Celia Pacquola

Charlie & The Bin Chicken

Chloe Petts

Chris Kent

Chris Parker

Chris Ryan

Christopher Hall

Ciaran Sammon

Claire Hooper

Connor Burns

Damien Power

Dan Rath

Daniel Bruschweiler

Daniel Connell

Daniel Foxx

Daniel Muggleton

Danielle Walker

Dave Hughes

Dave Thornton

David Correos

David O'doherty

Denise Scott

Eddie Ray

Effie

Elaine Crombie

Elf Lyons

Elouise Eftos

Emma Holland

Ethan Cavanagh

Ethel & Tina

Flabbergasters Frocking Hilarious

Gabbi Bolt

Georgie Carroll

Geraldine Hickey

Gillian Cosgriff

Guy Williams

Harry Jun

Hayley Sproull

He Huang

Heath Franklin's Chopper

Helen Bauer

Hot Department

Hyprov: Comedy Under Hypnosis

Impromptunes

Ivan Aristeguieta

Jack Ansett

Jack Knight

Jake Howie

Jenny Tian

Joanne Mcnally

Josh Thomas

Kate Dolan

Knockoff

Kyla Cobbler

Late Night Powerpoint

Laura Lex

Lawrence Mooney

Lizzy Hoo

Lloyd Langford

Lou Wall

Luke Heggie

Marty Sheargold

Meg Jager

Melanie Bracewell

Michael Hing

Mike Rice

Mish Wittrup

Most Upsetting Guessing Game

Mr Chonkers (John Norris)

Murder Village

My Cousin Vlad

Myra Du Bois

Nath Valvo

Neel Kolhatkar

Nick Capper

Nick Cody

Nick White

Olga Koch

One Trick Pony Club

Opening Gala

Pete & Frankie Rowsthorn

Pete Helliar

Queerstories

Rapha Mana Jem

Ray O'leary

Reuben Kaye

Rove Mcmanus

Rowan Thambar

Ruby Teys

Sam Taunton

Sammy J

Schalk Bezuidenhout

Sh!t-Faced Shakespeare

Shad Wicka & Peter James

Sofie Hagen

Speed: The Movie, The Play

Steph Tisdell

Stephen K Amos

Swamplesque 2

Takashi Wakasugi

Tape Face

Thank God You're Queer

The Fairbairns

The Underdogs

Tilly Oddy-Black

Tim Batt

Tim Collins & Hannah Conda

Ting Lim

Tom Ballard

Tom Cashman

Tom Sainsbury

Tommy Little

Umbilical Brothers

Urvi Majumdar

Wankernomics

Will Gibb

Zach Ruane