It’s that time of year again when those amongst us not in the know scratch their heads wondering why the CBD is even more heckers than usual – especially around the vicinity of Melbourne Town Hall.
Melbourne International Comedy Festival celebrates “40 years of funny” this year, with just shy of 800 shows playing across 26 days. From its relatively humble beginnings back in 1987, MICF has since bloomed into the largest dedicated comedy festival on the planet.
Are you ready to ROFL? Laughter is the best medicine for all that ails you – did you know it actually increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies? – so we recommend you take a breather from doom scrolling and get amongst it.
If you’re super-keen, but currently humming and hawing over the sheer volume of shows on offer, don’t despair – we’ve got you! From returning MICF favourites to award-winning hours that took Edinburgh Fringe by storm, Australian debuts by internationals you may recognise from TV to a show boasting a “world-class gag rate” – Beat’s six, handpicked recommendations are guaranteed to bring the LOLs.
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.
Luke McQueen: Comedian’s Comedian (UK)
- 26 Mar – 19 Apr
- Tickets here
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Luke McQueen makes his Australian debut with his latest hour Comedian’s Comedian, which has been described as “mischievously funny”.
Tired of being snubbed by Stuart Goldsmith’s The Comedian’s Comedian podcast for years on end, McQueen has taken matters into his own hands. Using AI to clone Goldsmith’s voice, McQueen intends to interview himself and record his own Comedian’s Comedian episode live in front of an audience. But sitting down to conduct the retrospective interview he’s been mentally preparing for throughout his entire career – which spans a decade’s duration, at least – doesn’t exactly go to plan. AI’s access to McQueen’s laptop and search history reveals embarrassing video footage galore, the ‘interviewer’ goes off the rails and audiences cringe in real time as a reckoning of sorts unfolds. Can honesty exist in the digital age? Comedian’s Comedian masterfully unpacks this conundrum.
FYI: 15+, audience participation, strong sexual references.
Sam Jay: We The People (US)
- 26 Mar – 19 Apr
- Tickets here
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Described by The Guardian UK as “a cool diagnosis of America’s ills”, Sam Jay’s We The People explores “how a black woman who never truly felt a part of her country might grapple with its certain demise”.
Another Australian debut, Jay’s hour discusses politics and culture in a refreshing way, taking the temperature of a divided America and making some suggestions about how to remedy the situation along the way.
Need more encouragement? Jay is an Emmy-nominated writer (Saturday Night Live), has produced and starred in her own HBO series (Pause With Sam Jay) and already has two critically acclaimed specials (Netflix’s 3 In The Morning and HBO’s Sam Jay: Salute Me Or Shoot Me) under her belt. Also, Jay won the Uprise Award – which celebrates shows that challenge dominant narratives, offer fresh perspectives and spark conversation – at Edinburgh Fringe last year.
FYI: 18+, occasional coarse language, political, religious and racial themes.
Ed Night: Your Old Mucker (UK)
- 26 Mar – 19 Apr
- Tickets here
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What could be more fun than laughing glibly about the lack of future prospects for Generation Z? Following sold-out runs at Edinburgh Fringe and London’s Soho Theatre, it’s now Australia’s turn to experience Ed Night’s Your Old Mucker, which spotlights the boring aspects of adulting – rent haggling, “eccentric grandparents with a penchant for multi-purpose biscuit tins” (okay, that’s a drawcard right there), drinking cheap coffee in chicken shops and just being povo in general.
If originality and clever phrasemaking are what you’re after, look no further than Your Old Mucker. We’re told Night even manages to weave in a bit on Steve Irwin.
FYI: 15+, mild language.
Ian Smith: Foot Spa Half Empty (UK)
- 26 Mar – 19 Apr
- Tickets here
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You might recognise this Yorkshireman from the telly (see: Live At The Apollo, Have I Got News For You).
He’s bemoaned having “one of the blandest names on the comedy circuit”, but Ian Smith’s particular brand of comedy is anything but.
Yet another UK comic making his Australian solo debut, Smith relishes in sweating the small stuff throughout Foot Spa Half Empty. It’s a show about “stress, love and buying a magic spell off Amazon” – or, more simply put, Smith’s low sperm count/fertility journey.
Filled with humiliating stories and manic overthinking, Foot Spa Empty also boasts a “world-class gag rate” (according to Chortle).
FYI: 15+, mild language.
Mike Rice: Cruel Little Man (IRL)
- 7 – 19 Apr
- Tickets here
@mikericecomedy Anyone else ever been to Wexford? #comedy #holidays #wexford #funny ♬ original sound – mikericecomedy
If wordsmithery is your thing, you won’t wanna miss Mike Rice’s MICF debut – hot off the heels of his buzz-worthy, sold-out run at 2025’s Edinburgh Fringe.
Rice’s distinctive comedic voice favours dark, twisted storytelling. He’s also known for his ability to veer away from scripted content, go with the flow and respond to the energy in any given room.
Whether or not you’re familiar with Rice’s Guide To Parenting podcast, which he hosts alongside Vittorio Angelone, this Irish comic is bound to win you over with his loose, effortless, unfiltered style.
We’re told Cruel Little Man includes a bit where Rice talks about trying psychedelics with his brother as well. Sold! See you there.
FYI: 18+, occasional coarse language, strong sexual references.
Lara Ricote: Inkling (MEX)
- 29 Mar – 12 Apr
- Tickets here
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Winner of 2022’s prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Best Newcomer award, Mexican-born comic Lara Ricote returns to MICF with Inkling, which she describes as her “stupidest smartest one yet”.
Inkling was inspired by a real life experience – a man was mean to Ricote in a museum, there may have been tears involved – and celebrates how simultaneously confusing and wonderful life can be.
She first charmed our pants off with her Australian debut, 2023’s GRL/LATNX/DEF show, returning the following year with the hilarious Little Tiny Wet Show (baptism) and we can’t wait to experience her adorable presence – and self-described “Bart Simpson with a lisp” voice – yet again.
Ricote’s thoroughly likeable, sweet demeanour adds gobsmacking shock value to even mildly edgy content, which makes her a cut above.
FYI: 15+, mild language.
For more information on Melbourne International Comedy Festival, head here.
