Brisbane Comedy Festival 2020 — CANCELLED

Overview

UPDATE: MARCH 16, 2020 — Brisbane Powerhouse has announced that the final week of the Brisbane Comedy Festival will no longer go ahead, with shows cancelled from Monday, March 16 onwards. "Due to recent Australian Government advice about COVID-19, the final week of Brisbane Comedy Festival has been cancelled," organisers said in a statement.

This includes all shows at all venues, including Brisbane Powerhouse, The Tivoli, The Fortitude Music Hall and Newstead Brewing Co. Ticket holders will receive a full refund.

To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.

For some, side-splitting comedy is all about watching well-known talents ply their trade. For others, the biggest laughs come from the field's up-and-comers. Perhaps you break into fits of hysterics over smart, savvy pop culture parodies — or, maybe you like nothing more than an amusing (and improvised) sing-along.

Thankfully, whichever of the above tickles your funny bone, it's all on the agenda at 2020's Brisbane Comedy Festival. Now in its whopping 11th year, the annual event returns to Brisbane Powerhouse — and Brisbane City Hall, The Tivoli, Newstead Brewing at Milton and newcomer The Fortitude Music Hall — for a month's worth of guffaws and giggles.

Between Friday, February 21 and Sunday, March 22, get ready to laugh at Mark Watson, Matt Okine, Nazeem Hussain, Gen Fricker, Josh Earl, Mel Buttle, Stephen K Amos, Tom Ballard, Zoe Coombs Marr, Dave Hughes, Jimeoin, Fiona O'Loughlin, Frank Woodley, Andrew Hanson and Cal Wilson. Get ready to do the same with plenty of other funny folks, too, with the full lineup spanning old favourites and new discoveries alike.

Other highlights include the return of the opening gala, which gets the fest started in a big way; Double Denim, which has been described as "Jumanji meets Absolutely Fabulous"; The Chaser's Charles Firth and The Shovel's James Schloffel talking about pretty much anything and everything; and a Sunday roast at a brewery.

Or, check out the worldwide smash that is Shit-faced Shakespeare, this time taking on Hamlet; pay tribute to Keanu and 90s action at Speed: The Movie, The Play; and watch Dreamgun read and rewrite two different film scripts live: The Lion King and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.