The Sydney Comedy Festival is back for 2025 and it is officially the biggest program in the festival’s 20-year history.
With an incredible line-up of some of Australia’s favourite comedians, much-loved international acts and fresh new talent, the jam-packed program of 340 shows has something for everyone.
In this guide, we’ll take you through some of the exciting acts that cannot be missed, including fun free events for the whole family!
When is The Sydney Comedy Festival?
The Sydney Comedy Festival is held across four weeks from the 21st April until the 18th May. There are multiple events and acts each week.
Where is The Sydney Comedy Festival held?
The festival is held right across the city, with shows in the CBD, inner west, Sutherland, the east, the west and the north.
You can find acts at the Enmore Theatre, Concourse Chatswood Lounge, Factory Theatre, the Lennox Theatre in Parramatta, The Comedy Store and Pavilion Performing Arts Centre (PAC) Sutherland.
What are some Australian comedians with shows in the Sydney Comedy Festival?
There are so many incredible Australian comedians to watch at this year’s Sydney Comedy Festival. Here are a few to check out, and you can see the full list at the Sydney Comedy Festival website.
- Rueben Kay
- Sammy J
- Nazeem Hussain
- Dave Hughes
- The Umbilical Brothers
- Jenny Tian
- Luke McGregor
- Tom Cashman
- Broden Kelly
- Rhys Nicholson
- Akmal
- Bron Lewis
- Becky Lucas
- Joel Creasey
- Michael Hing
- Nick White
- Emma Holland
What international comedians are in the festival?
There are a number of international comedians with shows in the festival. This includes:
- Rhys Darby: The New Zealand comedian who you will remember from Flight of The Conchords has a show at the Enmore Theatre on Thursday, 24th April.
- Iliza: The comedian from the US, who has seven Netflix specials under her belt, is playing at The State Theatre on Tuesday 22nd April.
- Danny Bhoy: In what will be part of his 12th national tour, the UK comedian is playing The Factory Theatre on Wednesday 23rd April.
- Elf Lyons: Described as ‘the first ever comedy show performed entirely by a horse’, Elf Lyons brings her show Horses to The Factory Theatre from Wednesday 23rd to Sunday 27th April.
- Melanie Bracewell: A New Zealand comedian we may try to claim as our own, Melanie Bracewell has three shows in Penrith, Chatswood and Enmore.
- Varun Grover: The Indian writer, lyricist and comedian will have a show at The Factory Theatre on Saturday 3rd May 2025.
- Ray O’Leary: Another New Zealand comedian who’s a regular on Australian screens, Ray is playing the Enmore Theatre on Friday 2nd May.
- Guy Montgomery: Guy brings his sharp and offbeat brand of comedy that Australian audiences love to the Enmore Theatre between Thursday 8th and Sunday 11th May.
- Arj Barker: The US comedian (who now lives in Australia) is coming to both The Concourse and The Enmore Theatre in week four of the festival.
- Fábio Rabin: The Brazilian comedian will be performing at The Factory Theatre on the 11th May in a set that’s entirely in Portuguese.
What special events are there?
The festival will also have showcases and comedy events so you can find more incredible talent to enjoy. These events include:
- Break Out Comedy: If you want to catch up-and-coming comedians, head to Break Out Comedy. It runs Wednesday 30th April to Sunday 11th May and features four comedians.
- Breaking, The Musical: The musical parody of an Australian breakdancing Olympian’s journey to the Paris 2024 Olympics featuring Sydney-based comedian Stephanie Broadridge.
- Comedy Crawl: This is a bar crawl and comedy show combined! Four bars, four comedy shows and many laughs. Running on 6th May and 10th May.
- Jewish Comedy Showcase. This showcase features a line-up of Jewish comedians, both rising stars and established headliners. The show is on the 30th April 2025.
- Sydney Comedy Festival Showcase: If you aren’t sure what to watch, you can head to a showcase. These have a range of acts and play several dates and venues.
Are there any free events at The Sydney Comedy Festival?
Yes! There are two free events at this year’s festival: Great Laugh in the Park and Comedy Gala on The Green.
Great Laugh in the Park is hosted by Jimmy Rees and is designed to be an event for families. It features face painting, a circus tent, a giggle garden, ice cream, roving performers, food trucks and also Dorothy the Dinosaur. It will be held on Saturday the 26th April at Tumbalong Park in Darling Harbour. It runs 12pm – 8:30pm.
Comedy Gala on The Green is also designed to be family friendly and is happening on the same day (Saturday 26th April). It will start at 4:30pm at Tumbalong Park.
The event will feature food trucks, a pop up bar and performers such as Sarah Pascoe, Matt Okine, Aunty Donna and Drew Lynch.
