Comedy heavyweights Celeste Barber, Nazeem Hussain and Reuben Kaye will bring their cracking one-liners and wit to the inaugural Darwin Comedy Festival next year.
The international and national comedians will feature in a line-up alongside fresh new talent and local comedians when the festival takes place at the Darwin Entertainment Centre (DEC) from Thursday 6 to Saturday 8 March 2025.
Performing in Darwin for the first time, international superstar Celeste Barber, who made her mark parodying celebrities on social media, will bring her new show Backup Dancer to comedy fans. Nazeem Hussain returns to Darwin to get the crowd laughing with his new show You Paid For This. Genre-bending cabaret sensation Reuben Kaye returns to Darwin in an explosion of risqué humour with his intimate, stripped back show, The Party's Over.
There will also be a range of family-friendly entertainment with the award-winning circus and comedy show Children Are Stinky. Melbourne International Comedy Festival's Class Clowns will offer teens the opportunity to practice their one-liners with workshops and a chance to showcase their comedy chops in a public performance.
DEC will announce more acts on the line-up on Friday, 6 December and again in January including First Nations comedians and Darwin talents.
Darwin Comedy Festival is supported by Northern Territory Government through the Event Funding Program which is administered by Northern Territory Major Events Company.
DEC Centre Club Members and AANT Members will be able to secure seats during an exclusive pre sale period, running from 10am Friday 6 December to 9am Monday 9 December. General public tickets will be available from 10am Monday 9 December at [http://yourcentre.com.au].
Quotes from Northern Territory Major Events Company Acting CEO Trevor Cox:
"The Darwin Comedy Festival is an exciting event for us to support, bringing a fantastic lineup of diverse talent to the Top End. This festival will not only deliver plenty of laughs but also showcase Darwin's vibrant cultural scene, drawing audiences from near and far.
"Whether you're a local or visiting, this festival offers the perfect opportunity to embrace the fun-filled festivities while also exploring the unique wonders of the Top End - from breathtaking natural attractions to Darwin's buzzing hospitality scene."
Quotes from Darwin Entertainment Centre CEO Georgia Hendy:
"Having the festival scheduled between Adelaide Fringe Festival and before the other capital cities kick off their own comedy festivals means we've been able to program artists that are on that comedy circuit and may not have considered coming to Darwin. Our audiences deserve premium entertainment, and we can't wait to deliver!
"We know that Darwin has a vibrant comedy scene, so we're really excited to add to the mix with the Darwin Comedy Festival elevating opportunities for locals to appear on the same bill as high-profile artists and celebrating their successes and hard work."
