The Funniest 15 Shows at Brisbane Comedy Festival

Australia's funniest comedians are set to descend on Brisbane with their hilarious, brand new hours of stand-up for Brisbane Comedy Festival 2023. We've delved deep into the 2023 program and these are our picks for the 15 funniest shows at this year's Festival. 

Anne Edmonds, Apr 29-30, The Tivoli

Anne Edmonds floods her bag at least twice a week and becoming a mother hasn't helped this. Where once there was water, now there is milk. 

Anne's gagging to get back on stage! So screw your water bottle lids on tight, kick back and for god's sake, let's laugh.

Lloyd Langford, Apr 29-30, The Tivoli 

Apart from champing at the bit to be back touring, Lloyd Langford is almost certainly feeling one or more of the following moods; cheeky, baffled, exhausted, curious, absolutely sick to death of going to the playground.

Come along to his show at The Tiv to discover his prevailing vibe.

Rove McManus, Apr 29, Brisbane Powerhouse 

Rove McManus is feeling pretty good. As a matter of fact, he’s actually feeling pretty awesome.

Hit his show and get in on some of this ridiculous enthusiasm as he shares a new hour of thoughts, ramblings and tangential musings. It’s the perfect recipe, guaranteed to help shake those “weak sauce” blues.

Dilruk Jayasinha, May 5, The Tivoli

In Hindi “dil” means heart and “ruk” means stop! While Dilruk isn’t Indian, “Heart Stopper” is an apt title for his brand-new hour of stand-up, given that last year, one of his arteries tried to hit the breaks on his heart.

Spoiler alert: he survived. His new show is about setbacks, overcoming them and manscaping mishaps!

Tommy Little, May 5-6, The Tivoli

The reigning dickhead of Australian comedy is back baby, with a brand-new show for the 2023 Brisbane Comedy Festival!

Tommy finds the humour in being robbed, generational bedroom behaviour, his standing in the art world, his semi-narcoleptic housemate and six months of world record training for nothing. Catch up on Tommy’s bad ideas from the last 12 months when her performs at the Tiv. 

Dave Hughes, May 20, Brisbane Powerhouse

‘Career best form’ and ‘never been funnier’ are two quotes Hughesy has heard about himself recently from other talented comedians.

Find out for yourself when the comedy master brings his unfiltered, damn funny, new show to Brisbane Powerhouse. He’s freaking on fire!

Lizzy Hoo, May 16-21, Brisbane Powerhouse

Fresh from sell-out seasons at festivals across the country, Lizzy’s brand new show is a must-see! 

A regular guest on Have You Been Paying Attention? and The Cook Up with Adam Liaw, Lizzy's stand-up show is about expectations, reality and the number of candles on your cake. Buy a ticket now, while you still can.

Geraldine Hickey, May 19 + May 21, Brisbane Powerhouse

Geraldine's new show is filled with stories about acknowledging and enjoying her newfound privileges, like getting married and being able to buy a nice camera to take photos of birds.

The comedian is very good at telling funny stories, it’s why she's won awards and can afford nice cameras and horses!

Mel Buttle, May 13, The Fortitude Music Hall 

Mel's Brisbane Comedy Festival shows are sold out! But you can still get tickets to her brand new hour of stand up at The Fortitude Music Hall. 

You’ve seen her on the telly on shows like Celebrity Letters & Numbers, Question Everything and as your Mum on TikTok. Now see her live as she presents an an ode to our modern heroes.

Peter Helliar, May 20-May 21, The Tivoli

In April 2022, Peter Helliar was pronounced dead on Twitter -  joining the ranks of Nicolas Cage, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Celine Dion. 

Trolled in death, he somehow survived to tell his story. Join Peter Helliar live on stage as he deconstructs the very funny origami of his every day.

Dave Thornton, May 9-May 14, Brisbane Powerhouse  

After over 18 years in the game, Dave Thornton has built a reputation for being one of the best live stand-up comedians in the country. You may have seen him on The Project, Would I Lie to You Australia, or Fox Sport’s The Back Page.

Now see him live, ad free and streamed right from his mouth to your ears and eyeballs. If it’s an hour of laughs you’re after, this is where you’ll get them.

Wil Anderson, May 26-28, The Tivoli

In 2022 Wil Anderson returned to stand-up with his best show yet - a remarkable feat for someone with over a quarter of a century in the game.

Be one of the first to experience a comedian at the height of his powers, when Wil performs his brand new show Wiluminate at The Tiv. 

Cal Wilson, May 18-May 21, Brisbane Powerhouse 

For all intensive purposes, it’s the little things that annoy Cal. Incorrect grammar. Overconfident inaccuracy. Crocs.

But is it worth getting worked up over bad parking and loud eaters? Is it possible to turn annoyment into enjoyment? Find out when Cal performs her hilarious new show about little annoyances and letting things go.

Claire Hooper, May 4-May 7, Brisbane Powerhouse 

Australia’s sweetheart takes a break from emotionally scarring her children with graphic descriptions of the Heimlich maneouvre to tell you about all the kind and worthy things she’s done lately. In the hope that they’ll outweigh all the times she’s wished people dead.

Charming audiences with her captivating storytelling and impeccable timing, Claire Hooper is one of our finest stand-up comedians - don't miss her new hour of comedy at Brisbane Powerhouse!

Nikki Britton, May 11-May 14, Brisbane Powerhouse 

Nikki Britton has a lot to confess… a lot. Like that hot mess you met in the club toilets circa 2011 who became your best friend, told you to dump your rancid ex, spilled her own white hot goss (and half a cruiser) and left forever in a plume of Issey Miyake - Nikki will leave you gasping, and thirsty for more.     

Nominated for Most Outstanding Show at Melbourne Comedy Festival in 2021. This is high energy, relatable comedy from a performer at the top of her game.