The Sydney Comedy Festival is back for its 20th anniversary, with its biggest-ever program featuring over 340 shows from Monday, April 21st to Sunday, May 18th.
Scottish comedian Daniel Sloss kicks things off with the Festival’s first “One Night Stand”—a Sydney-exclusive show at the Sydney Opera House on Thursday, April 24th. This marks the start of a new annual series of exclusive performances.
Sloss is one of the most successful touring stand-ups of all time. Known for his sharp, unfiltered style, he tackles everything from masculinity and relationship breakdowns to death, drawing from his own experiences.
New in 2025 is the Sydney Comedy Festival Comedy Crawl, where audiences move from bar to bar in the YCK precinct for surprise sets in surprise venues.
Also debuting is Break Out, a mentorship program supporting four emerging comedians—Alan Fang, Frankie Rowsthorn, Toby Berowne, and Stella Wu—as they develop new material with industry professionals.
Highlights from this year’s lineup:
Aussie talent includes:
- Comedy legend and “RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under” star Rhys Nicholson
- The award-winning Brown Women Comedy collective
- Viral Filipino-Australian podcasters The Cheatcoders
- Mexican-Australian comedic wrestlers Lucha Fantastica
International acts:
- Brazilian comedian Fábio Rabin, performing in Portuguese
- Malaysian stand-ups Kavin Jay, Rizal Van Geyzal, and Papi Zak in “Malaysian Comedy All Stars”
Returning for another round of fast-paced improv, “Theatresports™ All Stars” is back at the Enmore Theatre, featuring seasoned performers alongside fresh talent.
And that’s just the start. The lineup also includes Guy Montgomery, Jimeoin, Arj Barker, Melanie Bracewell, Nazeem Hussain, Becky Lucas, Joel Creasey, Rhys Darby, and Steph Broadbridge (“Breaking the Musical”).
“Our 20th anniversary festival is only 6 weeks away now! With more than 340 shows from the world’s biggest names to Sydney’s freshest new talent, 2025 is truly our biggest year yet. We can’t wait to see you there,” said Festival Director Jorge Menidis.
Tickets are on sale now via www.sydneycomedyfest.com.au.