Melbourne Town Hall
As the bright, gleaming epicentre for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the Melbourne Town Hall hosts some of the festival’s biggest names. Honorary Australian comedian Arj Barker will be inviting you into his head, Nina Conti’s monkey will be in your face and up to his usual tricks, and Rebecca De Unamuno and her three characters will be open to your suggestions. With the city of Melbourne totally surrounding you, you never know where the night will lead you. You might even see Jimeoin on a skateboard.
The Famous Spiegeltent
The Famous, fantabulous Spiegeltent is back for another year at Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Packed with a roster of evening shows and kid-friendly gigs, catch Colin Lane (Lano & Woodley) and David Collins (The Umbilical Brothers) in The 3 Mikados, Deadly Funny National Final and Showcase, gossip with Marney McQueen as she regales you with tales from celebrities’ bikini waxing sessions, and witness the hilarious bedlam of Ongals that bring together beatbox, circus and magic, all rolled into one dynamic package.
Federation Square Main Stage
What’s better than an entire festival dedicated to tickling one’s funny bone? An entire festival dedicated to tickling one’s funny bone where there are shows for free. This Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the Federation Square Main Stage will host indigenous dancers and YouTube sensations Djuki Mala, the hilarious, absurd pantomime of street performer Kano Mami and Jessica Arpin, who displays incredible acrobatic prowess on her bright yellow bicycle.
ACMI At Federation Square
Some of Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s veterans are appearing at ACMI this year. Come on a search with Sam Simmons for the perfect poached egg, emphasise with Jeff Green as he battles life’s obstacles and faulty automatic doors in the quest for happiness, and employ the standard grandpa drill (everyone in the cellar) with Joel Creasey’s The Hurricane. Be sure to grab a drink at ACMI’s pop-up bar, before and after the shows.
Trades Hall
Trades Hall has been a treasured Melbourne International Comedy Festival hub for 17 years: eight venues, two bars, 33 different shows and over a hundred performances. Dave Callan speaks less and dances more in his show A Little Less Conversation 2: A Little More Less Conversation, Gillian Cosgriff gets weird in Whelmed, and The Narrelles’ (Alan Brough and Casey Bennetto) post-punk-electro-throb will be a Narrelles gig you won’t forget, even if you don’t remember them.
Greek Centre
Yasou! The Greek Centre is newest hub added to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, right on the corner of Russell and Lonsdale Streets, and only five minutes from Trades Hall. Here, you’ll be able to catch the likes of New York-based by way of Boston, LA and Jerusalem, Alex Edelman, Greg Behrendt’s fantastic knitwear, and Urzila Carlson will teach you how to deal with arseholes. Plus, there’s a rooftop bar to see the night out.
Free Shuttle Bus
Running nightly from 6pm between Melbourne Town Hall and Trades Hall via The Greek Centre, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s free shuttle bus will get you to and from the hubs with ease, meaning there’s no need to stand on the curb with your arm in the air for an hour looking like a dickhead.
