Melbourne International Comedy Festival Unveils Huge 40th Anniversary Program!
- 24 February 2026
- · General
The laughter is louder than ever in 2026 as the Melbourne International Comedy Festival officially launches its milestone 40th anniversary program, featuring almost 800 shows and cementing its reputation as the largest dedicated comedy festival in the world.
From humble beginnings in 1987 to a city-wide cultural phenomenon, thousands of performers now take over stages, bars, theatres and laneways every year – and this year’s program is both a celebration of the past and a bold look toward comedy’s future.
Leading the birthday festivities is The Big FOUR-Oh!, hosted by Nath Valvo and Geraldine Hickey, a once-in-a-decade gala event bringing comedy superstars past, present and future together on the stage of the iconic Regent Theatre.
The Festival will open with the Comedy Allstars Supershow featuring some of the Festival’s biggest home grown and international names including Celia Pacquola, David O’Doherty (Ireland), Dilruk Jayasinha, He Huang, Jenny Tian, Josie Long, Lou Wall, Nazeem Hussain, Phil Wang (UK/Malaysia), Reuben Kaye, Tom Cashman, Sam Jay (USA) and more, joined by hosts Brett Blake and Bron Lewis.
The 40th year also welcomes back beloved annual festival traditions including: The 36th Annual Great Debate – featuring six comedy superstars and one fearless moderator, armed with dubious facts, baseless allegations and whip-smart humour to debate the topic That It Was Better In The Olden Days; and Upfront – hosted by Michelle Brasier and featuring a massive line-up of the funniest women and non-binary comedians from Australia and across the world including Abby Howells (NZ), Cassie Workman, Danielle Walker, Felicity Ward, He Huang, Jo Gowda, Sharon Wanjohi (UK) and many more!
There’s plenty of fun along the way to shine a light on four decades of laughs. The now sold-out How It Started will bring audiences four surprise pop up shows at Melbourne Town Hall – putting the biggest names in the smallest spaces, sending them way back to where it all began. International favourite, the much-loved Mark Watson (himself celebrating 20 years at this great landmark of the global comedy calendar) brings a special anniversary event created exclusively for the milestone year – introducing 40 great names from the Festival in an unmissable evening, not to be repeated until the 80th anniversary in 2066! Pre-show, 40 VIP ticketholders can also join Mark on a unique comedic tour of Melbourne.
The 2026 program spans stand-up, sketch, improv, musical comedy, film and genre-defying performances from some of the most exciting voices in comedy. Audiences can look forward to shows from Melanie Bracewell, Josh Thomas, Gillian Cosgriff, Lizzy Hoo, Ivan Aristeguieta, Sam Campbell, Scout Boxall, Nat Harris, Wil Anderson, Lano & Woodley, Hannah Gadsby, Denise Scott, Urzila Carlson, Cassie Workman, Matt Okine, The Umbilical Brothers, Sammy J and Celia Pacquola alongside international award winners and nominees Sam Nicoresti (UK) hot from a Best Show win at Edinburgh Fringe, two-time Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Ian Smith (UK), plus Luke McQueen (UK) and long-time favourites Chloe Petts (UK), Connor Burns (Scotland), Daniel Sloss (Scotland), Douglas Lim (Singapore), Fadzri Rashid (Singapore) Josie Long (UK), Schalk Bezuidenhout (Sth Africa), Rich Hall (USA), Sofie Hagen (Denmark), Takashi Wakasugi (Japan), Zainab Johnson (USA) and that is just the tip of the iceberg.
The Festival continues its commitment to championing First Nations storytelling and comedy with a powerful line-up featuring Leon Filewood, Elaine Crombie, Steph Tisdell, Dale Woodbridge-Brown, Dane Simpson, Kevin Kropinyeri and Tarsh Jago alongside the much-loved Aboriginal Comedy Allstars and Aboriginal Comedy Allstars for Kids.
Plus there’s shows for kids across the school holidays, and free family friendly performances from Good Friday until the close of the Festival at Fed Square and City Square for everyone to enjoy!
Across four decades, the Festival has launched international careers, introduced audiences to new comedic forms and helped shape Melbourne’s global reputation as a comedy capital. In 2026, the message is simple: the laughs that defined generations continue – bigger, louder and funnier than ever.
