The 2024 Melbourne International Comedy Festival will take over more than 160 venues and performance spaces, creating a buzz in the streets, restaurants and bars of Melbourne.
There’s something for everyone, and the first big weekend coincides with Easter, giving attendees the perfect long weekend excuse to deep dive into all the best shows, at preview prices.
Melbourne International Comedy Festival presents more than 600 shows, and even those in the suburbs can take advantage of the festivities thanks to Neighbourhood Sessions, taking a curated line-up of comedy stars to the ‘burbs for a fourth year. Shows will take place in Essendon, Caroline Springs, Williamstown, Moorabbin and Werribee.
The 2024 programme features more international comedians than ever before. While those from the UK, US, and New Zealand dominate, there are plenty from India and Asia like Kanan Gill, Urooj Ashfaq, Anirban Dasgupta, and He Huang.
Plus, Chan Lok Tim and Vivek Mahbubani will do full shows in Cantonese and a line-up of some of the best comics will appear in Comedy Zone Asia Allstars.
If fast-paced laughs are your speed, there’s the likes of Larry Dean, Nina Conti, Fern Brady, Chris Parker, Darren Harriott, Olga Koch, Schalk Bezuidenhout, Shenoah Allen, The Lucas Bros and Two Hearts.
Storytelling and whimsy comes in the form of some of the UK’s best-loved comics Rob Auton, John Kearns and Sarah Keyworth. . . Plus Ireland’s Catherine Bohart.
There are a bunch of new international voices too, like Norwegian clown Viggo Venn, Latino satirist Martin Urbano, the mesmerising Julia Masli, surreal and dark Lara Ricote, and British comics Celya AB, Josh Jones and Dan Tiernan, performing together under the New Order banner.
Who could forget our own lot? Aussie faves will take to the stage too, of course. You can expect to see Anne Edmonds, Celia Pacquola, Claire Hooper, Damian Callinan, Dane Simpson, Daniel Connell, Danielle Walker, Dave Hughes, Dave O’Neil, Diana Nguyen, Dilruk Jayasinha, Emma Holland, Joel Creasey, Josh Earl, Kirsty Webeck, Lizzy Hoo, Luke Heggie, Mel Buttle, Merrick Watts, Nath Valvo, Nazeem Hussain, Nina Oyama, Sam Campbell, The Umbilical Brothers, Tom Ballard, Wil Anderson and many more.
Fresh new local voices and perspectives can be discovered through Aurelia St Clair, Breast Of The Fest, Bridget Hassed, Bron Lewis, Bronwyn Kuss, Con Coutis, Dahn Razario, Frankie McNair, Grace Zhang, Kimmie Lovegrove, Natalie Harris, Noah Szto, and the 24th year of Comedy Zone – a curated selection of Australia’s rising stars of comedy.
Sure it’s a comedy festival, but who said theatre and cabaret couldn’t come to that party? Those with a love for these art forms can dive into Reuben Kaye, Christie Whelan Browne’s ‘Brittany Spears The Musical’, ‘Groundhog Day’, Jay Wymarra’s ‘AmaJayus’, Ali McGregor. . . Or you can join Andrew McClelland and Louisa Fitzhardinge for ‘The Von Donk Family Old-Timey Vaudeville Revue’.
The whole family is welcome at the festival. You can bring everyone to performances by Circus Oz, Sean Choolburra, Mr Snotbottom, The Listies, The Scientwits, Trash Test Dummies, Basketball Man, and The (Very) Big Laugh Out.
All the best big Comedy Festival events are back too. There’s The Gala, Opening Night Comedy Allstars Supershow, The 34th Annual Great Debate, Upfront, Deadly Funny, Class Clowns, and the RAW Comedy National Grand Finals.
Melbourne International Comedy Festival is on from 27 March-21 April.
