FAQs for performers

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is an open access festival for all citizens and permanent residents of Australia and New Zealand. Overseas artists or their producers should submit an Expression of Interest to the Festival Director by emailing registration@comedyfestival.com.au.

Not if you are an Australian or New Zealand citizen or permanent resident.

All international artists (with the exception of New Zealand artists) must have approval to perform as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Overseas artists are welcome to submit an expression of interest by completing an Overseas Artists Expression of Interest Form and emailing it to registration@comedyfestival.com.au. 

In addition to writing and preparing your show, you need to secure a venue which must be done in order to register your show. You will also need someone to produce your season (this might be you).

Producing a show involves everything from organising and paying for venue hire, marketing and publicity, travel and accommodation, sourcing props and equipment, budgeting, ticketing, obtaining insurance and licences and much more. The Producer will also be the main point of contact with Melbourne Comedy Festival. As part of your registration, the Festival provides information packs and workshops to assist, but it is up to you to make it happen and to cash-flow your season.

Registrations for the 2026 Festival will open in October 2025.

There are four parts to registering a show:

1. Submit an online registration
2. Pay the registration fee
3. Sign and submit the ‘Conditions of Participation’ documentation
4. Submit your show via the online registration portal to the Festival

Generally, to complete a registration, the following information is required:

• Show title and copy
• Good quality show image (strongly recommended no text on the image)
• Venue, dates and times
• Ticket prices and booking information
• Producer, Publicist and other key contact details (these can all be you!)
• Emergency Contact
• Public Liability Insurance certificate for uploading

As a guide, 2025 Registration fees are provided below (2026 fees will be confirmed prior to registrations opening). 

• $375 for AUS/NZ for shows with up to 3 performances
• $450 for AUS/NZ for shows with more than 3 performances
• $575 for Overseas artists (approval by the Festival Director required before registering)

Registered shows are listed in Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s generic print and digital marketing materials (provided registration is received within the material inclusion timelines). Actual formats may change from year to year. Every registered show has a show page on the Festival website, with links to online ticket purchasing platforms during the Festival. You will have access to resource guides, staff and handbooks as well as information sessions provided by the Festival to assist in producing your show. The Festival negotiates discounted advertising rates and special offers with photographers and graphic designers should you require that support. The Festival’s publicity and marketing team are dedicated to the promotion of the Festival as a whole (but not individual show PR). For targeted, individual show PR, participants may need to engage their own dedicated publicist.

No, there is no age limit, however, some venues are licensed and cannot permit under 18’s on the premises. You need to take this into account when deciding upon a venue that is best for you, your show and your target audience. At any age, the serious financial commitment that entering the Festival entails should not be underestimated.

There are several awards you may be eligible for as a participant in the Festival. Typically participants must have 10 or more shows within Festival dates to be eligible for awards. Performances that take place prior to or after Festival dates are not included. For information about each award and a list of past winners, please refer to our Awards page.

Performers not ready to present a full show might think about a more modest start in comedy with:

• RAW Comedy National Open Mic Competition
• Deadly Funny National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Comedy Competition 
• Class Clowns National Secondary School Comedy Competition

More information about these competitions can be found on their websites.

All international artists (with the exception of New Zealand artists) must have approval to perform as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Overseas artists are welcome to submit an expression of interest by completing an Overseas Artists Expression of Interest Form and emailing it to registration@comedyfestival.com.au. 

Please open a conversation with the Festival Director by emailing registration@comedyfestival.com.au. 

Send us information about yourself and your show, particularly information about any upcoming tours and performances. Please note that it’s unlikely we will produce an artist the Director has not seen performing live.

Securing a producer is important and the Festival can make suggestions if you do not have the relevant connections. Once you have secured a producer they will liaise with the Festival on your behalf to obtain approval for you to register. If you choose to self-produce, you will be responsible for organising (and paying for) all aspects of your show yourself including your own travel and accommodation. You will need to secure an appropriate visa and make appropriate arrangements regarding Australian taxation requirements. You will need to find a venue, make ticketing platform arrangements as well as organise marketing and publicity for your show. Demonstration of your ability to manage all of this will impact on the approval (or otherwise) of your application to participate in the Festival.

Register an account to sign up to our participant newsletters to receive updates.

There are a number of visa options available and we recommend checking with the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs or your local embassy to work out which is most suitable for your circumstances.

If you need further information regarding the visa application process please contact us at info@comedyfestival.com.au.

The Festival maintains a database of venues that have previously hosted Melbourne Comedy Festival shows, as well as venues that have expressed an interest in doing so in the future. The database is a good start for your venue search but it is not exhaustive. Any venue is a potential Melbourne Comedy Festival venue. It’s a good idea to talk to comedy colleagues who have performed in the Festival before and who may be able to recommend venues to you.

The 2026 Venues database can be accessed via our Festival Venue Finder – please note that this is constantly being updated with new venues.

The Festival hires, fits out and staffs a suite of customised venues within the Melbourne CBD for the Festival season, venues have included Melbourne Town Hall, Max Watt’s, Trades Hall, The Victoria Hotel, The Westin, Chinese Museum, Swiss Club, The Capitol and ACMI. If you apply for and secure a Festival Managed Venue (FMV), your venue rental will cover sound, lighting, staging and seating as well as the necessary technical stage management, front of house and box office staff. You will be responsible for all creative aspects of your show as well as all marketing and publicity.

Expressions of Interest for the 2026 Festival are now open. For more information and to express your interest in presenting your 2026 Festival show in a Festival Managed Venue head here. For an FMV queries please contact the Festival at registration@comedyfestival.com.au.     

You do not have to perform in a Festival Managed Venue to be part of Melbourne Comedy Festival. Many shows are performed in independent venues including theatres, council and community spaces and smaller venues such as bars, pubs and clubs. These all offer a variety of spaces and venue hire arrangements at different prices. The Festival maintains a database of venues that have previously hosted Melbourne Comedy Festival shows, as well as venues that have expressed an interest in doing so in the future. The database is a good start for your venue search but it is not exhaustive. Any venue is a potential Melbourne Comedy Festival venue. It's a good idea to talk to comedy colleagues who have performed in the Festival before and who may be able to recommend venues to you.

The 2026 Venues database will be available prior to registrations opening.