Easter's here, and Melbourne International Comedy Festival is absolutely not letting you spend it on the couch watching reruns.
Across the long weekend and beyond, MICF is stacking the calendar with comedy galas, free family shows and at least one very heated debate about whether things were better back in the day.
From the hallowed halls of Melbourne Town Hall to the open air of Fed Square, there’s something on for every kind of comedy fan — and a solid chunk of it won’t cost you a thing. Here’s what’s going down.
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
- When: 25 March – 19 April
- Where: Various venues across Melbourne
- Tickets: On sale now at comedyfestival.com.au
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
Funny Shorts
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Funny Shorts showcases the sharpest short-form comedy in a special series of screenings at ACMI. From sketch, to silly, to seriously funny, enjoy Australia’s funniest short films from the 2026 Funny Shorts competition.
The 36th Annual Great Debate
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- Where: Melbourne Town Hall, Main Hall
- When: Sunday, 5 April, 3.00pm
- Duration: 90 minutes
- Tickets: $39–$59
- Moderator: Paul McDermott
Six comedians who are absolutely not experts in anything take to the stage at Melbourne Town Hall to argue, with complete conviction, that It Was Better In The Olden Days. Whether they’re right is beside the point. Whether they’re funny is the whole point.
The 36th Annual Great Debate is MICF’s beloved comedy clash, where two teams of wildly overconfident performers go head-to-head armed with dubious facts and extremely questionable logic, all while one very powerful moderator tries to keep it from completely flying off the rails. It won’t. That’s the fun.
- Scout Boxall
- Sam Jay
- Ian Smith
- Luke Heggie
- Michelle Brasier
- Osman Faruqi
Upfront
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- Where: Melbourne Town Hall, Main Hall
- When: Monday, 6 April, 5.00pm
- Duration: 100 minutes
- Tickets: $37–$49
If you’ve ever wanted to see an enormous amount of comedic talent crammed onto one stage for one night only, Upfront is your show.
Hosted by the brilliant Michelle Brasier, this Melbourne Town Hall showcase brings together some of the funniest women and non-binary comedians on the planet right now, running the full range from big swinging bravado to quietly devastating honesty and everything in between.
Upfront features Abby Howells, Alex Hines, Sarah Stafford, Cassie Workman, Danielle Walker, Felicity Ward, He Huang, Jo Gowda, Kate Dolan, Kushi Venkatesh, Lou Wall, Mish Wittrup, Nikki Britton, Sam Nicoresti, Sez, Sharon Wanjohi, Tarsh Jago, Zoë Coombs Marr and a whole lot more. It’s the kind of lineup that makes you annoyed you can only watch it once.
Asian Allstars Gala
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- Where: Melbourne Town Hall, Main Hall
- When: Saturday, 4 April, 8.30pm
- Duration: 120 minutes
- Tickets: $33–$40
Hosted by Lizzy Hoo and back for another year of proving it’s one of the best nights of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the Asian Allstars Gala is a one-night-only celebration of the sharpest, funniest performers coming out of India, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan and beyond.
It’s a proper voyage of discovery — part showcase, part party, entirely unmissable.
Tarang Hardikar, Kuah Jenhan, Harry Jun, Takashi Wakasugi, Fadzri Rashid, Henry Yan, Douglas Lim, He Huang and more make up a lineup that is, frankly, ridiculous in the best possible way. This one sold out completely in 2025, so if you’re thinking about it, stop thinking and start booking.
The (Very) Big Laugh Out
Free, all-ages and running across the entire school holiday period, The (Very) Big Laugh Out is exactly the kind of thing that makes living in Melbourne genuinely great.
World-class street performers, stand-up, physical comedy and musical acts take over Fed Square and City Square on Fridays and Saturdays from Good Friday all the way through to 18 April, and it costs you absolutely nothing to show up.
Start the long weekend right at Fed Square, then keep the momentum going at City Square across the following weekends. Big lineups, zero dollars, maximum laughs.
The (Very) Big Laugh Out
- Friday, 3 April, Fed Square Main Stage
- Saturday, 4 April, Fed Square Main Stage
- Friday, 10 April, City Square
- Saturday, 11 April, City Square
- Friday, 17 April, City Square
- Saturday, 18 April, City Square
- Free entry
Between the free outdoor shows, the gala nights and a proper debate about the olden days, Melbourne International Comedy Festival has done a pretty thorough job of making sure there’s no excuse to be bored this Easter.
Get in early, especially for the Asian Allstars Gala, and enjoy one of the most fun and affordable long weekends Melbourne has to offer.
For more information, head here.
