The Laughs Keep Coming: New Acts Revealed for the 2026 Comedy Season

Live Nation and Jubilee Street Management are excited to announce the next wave of comedians set to bring laughs to stages across Australia and New Zealand in 2026. Featuring a mix of local standouts, New Zealand favourites and a must-see international act, CARLO RITCHIE, DAMIEN POWER, EMMA HOLLAND, HAYLEY SPROULL, TARANG HARDIKAR, TOM SAINSBURY and URVI MAJUMDAR will kick things off in January with brand-new shows touring through major comedy festivals and special headline performances.

Live Nation presale begins Thursday 4 December, 11am local.

Tickets for all shows go on Friday 5 December, 11am local.

For complete tour and ticket information visit livenation.com.au and livenation.co.nz.

CARLO RITCHIE – A Bit of This, A Bit of That (Performing in Melbourne only)

If I were to sum this show up in a sentence – say for the purpose of promoting it at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival – why I’d say it was “mostly jokes about the RMS Titanic.” There’ll be stuff about the country, some hard truths about Pornography and maybe even our old friend the Austro-Hungarian Empire will stop in to say hello. I’ll be there, you’ll be there, it’ll be a good time. I reckon you should see it.

Carlo Ritchie returns to the Melbourne Comedy Festival for the first time since 2018 and by god, we all remember what happened the last time.

DAMIEN POWER – Unnerved

Widely regarded as one of Australia’s best comedians, Damien Power returns to the festival circuit with a new hour of comedy.

Don’t miss him, off the back of a sold out tour.

EMMA HOLLAND – The Dog Dies at the Start

I told my manager I wanted to write a show about dead dogs, and she said “oh god” but that’s not really my problem, it’s her job to market it. This show isn’t sad, you will leave feeling good. I promise. Thinking about asking my vet for a refund on the euthanasia just to see what happens.

HAYLEY SPROULL (NZ) – The Baroness

Sky-rocketing towards 40, with a happily untenanted womb and a life of love, leisure and lingus, Hayley Sproull feels less barren, and more … Baroness.

As seen on Taskmaster NZ, The Great Kiwi Bake-off and Have You Been Paying Attention?

TARANG HARDIKAR (INDIA) – If I’m Not Wrong

Tarang Hardikar is a standup comedian popular for his unique observational style of comedy. Tarang brings to you his new comedy hour full of anecdotes about his bizarre childhood and his peculiar habit of questioning every minute aspect of life. Why has no one ever seen a growing coconut tree? Why is the biggest prize in sports a cup? Why didn’t you keep the paneer in the fridge?

TOM SAINSBURY (NZ) – Lessons Not Learnt

After a sell-out 2024 Australian tour (and several life wisedoms still not absorbed), comedy chameleon Tom Sainsbury is back with his brand-new live show Lessons Not Learnt.

You’ll know Tom from New Zealand Taskmaster, Wellington Paranormal and his weirdly accurate social-media sketches – the ones that make you go, “Oh no… that’s me.” Whether he’s being a nosy neighbour, an overbearing boss or one of his iconic 80s mums, Tom dives headfirst into the gloriously awkward bits of everyday life.

Expect dodgy decisions, small-town scandals, misguided confidence and a few emotional breakthroughs (maybe). It’s part stand-up, part therapy session, and part fever dream of all the things Tom should have learnt by now.

So grab your mates, your mum, or that friend who never learns from their mistakes, and prepare for a night of laughter, nostalgia and light self-loathing – in the best possible way.

Hold onto your sides… Tom Sainsbury is rolling back into town, wiser in theory, but not in practice.

URVI MAJUMDAR – “Miss!”

Urvi Majumdar is a Teacher by day, Comedian by night and hoping not to get recognised for the wrong one! From surviving 6 periods of PE to mishaps on Compass, a date that lasted 21 mins and road rage, nothing’s off limits in this brand-new hour of raw and honest stand-up from one of Australia’s best.

Urvi has performed to sold-out crowds around the country. You might recognise her from ABC’s critically acclaimed hit shows Fisk, Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont Spelling Bee and Spicks and Specks, Channel Ten’s Cheap Seats or SBS’s Celebrity Letters and Numbers and The Cook Up with Adam Liaw.

Her debut solo comedy show Urvi Went to an All Girls School was adapted by Screen Australia and ABC, into an AACTA and AWGIE nominated webseries and a half hour pilot which aired on ABC and ABCiview.

About Live Nation Entertainment

Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Media & Sponsorship. For additional information, visit livenationentertainment.com.