There’s a certain kind of electricity that descends on Melbourne every autumn, when the city transforms into the southern hemisphere’s undisputed capital of laughter. From 25 March to 19 April, comedy fills every corner of the city as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival — and in 2026, they’re celebrating 40 years of funny. Arts Centre Melbourne For those who haven’t yet made it to a show, there are only a few days left, and the energy in those darkened rooms is worth every minute.

Get ready for a star-studded month of longtime festival favourites, rising stars, international icons, family fun and non-stop celebration. Running from 25 March to 19 April 2026 and featuring almost 800 shows in its expansive program, MICF celebrates its 40th anniversary this year — no mean feat in Australia’s uncertain festival landscape.

A Brief History of the World’s Funniest Festival

Launched in 1987 by comedy legends Barry Humphries and Peter Cook, the festival has grown into Australia’s largest ticketed cultural event, with over 770,000 attendees and an average ticket price of $35, remaining both popular and affordable. Its first year featured 56 separate shows, including performances by the Doug Anthony All Stars, Wogs Out of Work, Gerry Connolly, Los Trios Ringbarkus, and Rod Quantock. The idea itself stretches back even further: according to festival co-founder John Pinder, the concept originated in the early 1980s, and in 1986 he persuaded the Victorian Tourism Commission to fund an overseas trip to visit other international comedy festivals and investigate the possibility of holding one in Melbourne. Today, MICF is one of the three largest international comedy festivals in the world, behind Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival and ahead of Montreal’s Just for Laughs. Although primarily a vehicle for stand-up and cabaret, the festival has always stretched the definition of comedy, incorporating sketch shows, plays, improvisational theatre, debates, musical shows, and art exhibitions. One of MICF’s many activities is artist development, delivered through long-running initiatives such as First Nations program Deadly Funny, the secondary school-focused Class Clowns, and Australia’s biggest open mic comedy program, Raw Comedy.

Now, with five days remaining in 2026’s bumper program, here’s a look at five of the standout acts worth catching before the curtain falls.

Dave Thornton — More or Less

After over 18 years in the game, Dave Thornton has built a reputation as one of the best live stand-up comedians in the country, with appearances on The Project, Would I Lie to You? Australia, and Fox Sport’s The Back Page. His 2026 MICF offering, More or Less, is vintage Thornton: a seasoned performer whose shows have been described as “devastatingly effective” by Chortle UK, he’s back with a brand-new hour of stand-up focusing on the small things that frustrate him and the large things that get on top of him. His accessibility is his greatest asset – Thornton has a gift for wrapping universal anxieties in jokes that feel warmly, specifically Australian, and More or Less delivers exactly that: an hour of reliably funny, deeply relatable comedy from one of the country’s most consistent performers.

Hannah Gadsby — The Evening Muse

It was in 2018 that the world took proper notice of Hannah Gadsby, when their comedy special Nanette launched on Netflix and stopped the comedy world in its tracks, earning them an Emmy, a Peabody, an AACTA, and the Most Outstanding Show awards at both the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Edinburgh Fringe. For 2026, they’ve returned with something altogether different. The Evening Muse is a live talk show, serving up different content each night of the week, inviting audiences to join Hannah on a mission to reconnect with the world — part event, part experiment, and entirely worth your time. It’s a bold format shift that suits Gadsby’s restless intellect perfectly: intimate, unpredictable, and proof that they remain one of the most genuinely adventurous performers on any stage.

Wil Anderson — Whatchu Talkin’ ‘Bout Wil?

A Helpmann Award winner, six-time MICF People’s Choice Award recipient, and host of ABC TV’s Gruen, Wil Anderson needs no introduction to Melbourne comedy audiences. His 2026 show continues a format he debuted to enormous success in 2025: no script, no recordings — just every night a different show created specifically for the audience in the room. With nothing pre-planned or rehearsed, Anderson dives headfirst into the unknown, crafting an evening of laughter and lightning-fast wit on the spot, with his trademark razor-sharp observations, spontaneous crowd work and quick-fire riffs. Described as “a back-to-basics gem, stand-up in its most ephemeral and pure form” by The Saturday Paper, it’s a show that can only happen once — which is precisely what makes it unmissable.

Kitty Flanagan — Glad Game

Fresh from the massive success of Fisk on ABC, Kitty Flanagan is one of Australia’s most beloved comedic voices, and Glad Game — nominated for the 2026 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Award for Most Outstanding Show – is a testament to why. The show asks, but doesn’t necessarily answer, all the big questions: Were we smarter before social media? Has your call ever been used for training purposes? And what exactly is an empath? Reviewers have been effusive: Time Out awarded it five stars, writing that Flanagan “effortlessly rules the stage”, while Stage Whispers called it “laugh-out-loud funny, not just chuckle-worthy but really throw-your-head-back and clap funny.” A master class in observational comedy and impeccable timing — this is Flanagan at her absolute peak.

Sam Jay — We The People

Samaria Johnson, better known as Sam Jay, became the first Black lesbian writer in the history of Saturday Night Live when she joined the writing staff in 2017, and has since built a formidable career across stand-up, television, and streaming. Her MICF debut with We The People marks an exciting international addition to the 2026 program. Fresh from a Best Show nomination at the Edinburgh Fringe, Sam explores how a woman who never truly felt a part of her country grapples with its certain demise, and the New York Times has called her “one of the most exciting provocateurs in comedy right now.” She arrives with a subversive set of dry comedy that moves from observations about American political disconnection to scenes from her first Texas rodeo experience – sharp, unhurried and genuinely thought-provoking. For anyone wanting a different perspective on the state of the world wrapped in serious comedic craft, We The People is the pick of the international contingent.

With the festival wrapping on 19 April, the window is closing — but there’s still time. In a city that prides itself on culture and character, MICF at 40 is Melbourne doing what it does best: reminding us that laughter, even when it makes us think, is always worth showing up for.