WellingtonEvents
A packed audience cheering and applauding at The Opera House in Te Aro, Wellington.

Hold on to your sides — the comics are coming to town.

Get ready to titter, to guffaw, to let loose with a belly laugh. The 32nd NZ International Comedy Festival hits Wellington with three weeks of merriment in May. A huge group of comedians gather from local shores and beyond to deliver a wild festival of humour. Over 100 local and international comics descend on the city. The Opera House, Te Auaha, BATS Theatre, and Fringe Bar all have busy schedules. There’s also comedy planned at Parrotdog in Lyall Bay, and up the Kāpiti Coast. The laughs will be coming from all directions. 

A mix of well-known faces and rising stars fill out the Kiwi comic contingent. Look out for Guy Montgomery, Hayley Sproull, Tape Face,  Joe Daymond, and Melanie Bracewell. There are also three Billy T Nominees hailing from Wellington. They are Lesa MacLeod-Whiting, Hoani Hotene, and Jak Darling & Booth the Clown. 

The people who’ve flown to town from overseas include Ed Gamble, Nish Kumar, Jen Brister and Takashi Wakasugi. The Australians have sent some of their best with the likes of Nazeem Hussain, Jenny Tian, Felicity Ward, and Chopper. There are many more very funny people so check out the full programme.

Looking for more?

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A comedian performs on stage to a packed audience at The Opera House in Wellington.

Best Foods Comedy Gala

3 May 2025The Opera House

Melanie Bracewell.

Melanie Bracewell — A Little Treat

24 May 2025The Opera House

Guy Montgomery.

Guy Montgomery — I’ve Noticed So Many Things, It’d Be Unfair To Keep Them To Myself

23 May 2025The Opera House

Australian comedian, Heath Franklin, as Chopper.

Heath Franklin’s Chopper

16 May 2025The Opera House

British comedian Ed Gamble dabs his mouth with a napkin, ketchup and mustard on his face and white T-shirt, a hotdog on a plate in front of him.

Ed Gamble — Hot Diggity Dog

11 June 2025The Opera House

Adam Kay.

Adam Kay — This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor

14 – 17 May 2025The Opera House

Ben Elton.

Ben Elton – Authentic Stupidity

26 April 2025Michael Fowler Centre

A symmetrical image of a dancer reaching their limbs outward with concentric strings suspended from above on a red background.

Kia Mau

30 May – 14 June 2025

Kirsty Webeck wearing an NBA Lakers t shirt on a purple and yellow background.

Pick and mix of the NZ International Comedy Festival

Here a giggle, there a giggle, everywhere a hearty giggle. The New Zealand International Comedy Festival is back. The month of May is jam-packed with jests and jokers. With over 100 local and international comics performing, you can be forgiven for not knowing where to start. Here’s a taster to get you going.

Silhouetted figures are in front of a starry night sky projected onto an exterior facade.

Matariki Ahi Kā

19 – 22 June 2025Wellington Waterfront