Sydney Comedy Festival 2025 unveils biggest line-up for 20th anniversary celebration – here’s how you need to know!

Published on March 8, 2025

The Sydney Comedy Festival 2025 has unveiled its largest-ever line-up, marking 20 years of comedy excellence. Running from April 21 to May 18, the festival will feature more than 350 artists, exclusive Sydney performances, and special new events backed by Destination NSW.

Exciting New Additions to the Festival

For the first time, the festival will present:

• ‘One Night Stand’ Series: An annual Sydney-exclusive performance at the Sydney Opera House, launching with Daniel Sloss on April 24.
• Comedy Crawl: A new immersive comedy experience set in the YCK precinct of Sydney’s CBD, where audiences move between venues to see surprise comedy sets.
• Break Out Mentorship Program: A development program supporting emerging comedians, with this year’s participants including Alan Fang, Frankie Rowsthorn, Toby Berowne, and Stella Wu.

Local and International Comedy Stars

The 2025 Sydney Comedy Festival will showcase top Australian and international comedians, with highlights including:

• Australian icons: Jimeoin, Arj Barker, Guy Montgomery, Nazeem Hussain, Becky Lucas, Joel Creasey, Rhys Darby, Melanie Bracewell, and more.
• Comedy legends: Rhys Nicholson (RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under) and the return of Theatresports™ All Stars at Enmore Theatre.
• International talent:
  • Brazil’s Fábio Rabin, performing in Portuguese.
  • Malaysian Comedy All Stars featuring Kavin Jay, Rizal Van Geyzal, and Papi Zak.
  • Mexican-Australian wrestling comedians Lucha Fantastica.
  • Viral Filipino-Australian podcasters The Cheatcoders.
  • Brown Women Comedy, a collective showcasing South Asian-Australian comedians.

Official Support for the Festival’s Growth

Minister for the Arts, Jobs, and Tourism, John Graham, highlighted the festival’s cultural significance and the New South Wales Government’s funding support through Destination NSW.

“From humble beginnings 20 years ago, the Sydney Comedy Festival has grown into a major highlight in the city’s event calendar. Our government is supporting this festival as part of our broader efforts to rebuild Sydney’s nightlife after a decade of lockouts and lockdowns.”

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Festival Director Jorge Menidis expressed excitement for the landmark anniversary:

“This year, we are welcoming over 350 comedians from around the world. Sydney Comedy Festival 2025 is set to be our biggest and best yet!”

Tickets and Festival Information

The Sydney Comedy Festival 2025 runs from April 21 to May 18, with shows across major Sydney venues. Tickets and event details are available through the official Sydney Comedy Festival website and Destination NSW event listings.