Image is of a crowd of people walking through Adelaides Garden of Unearthly Delights.

40 Must-See Comedy Shows at Adelaide Fringe Festival 2026

Get Ready for Non-Stop Laughs at Adelaide Fringe!

A laughter-filled adventure awaits at the Adelaide Fringe Festival, where some of the best comedians in Australia take the stage with brand-new stand-up comedy shows!

A massive comedy lineup is lighting up iconic venues across the city: The Howling Owl, Rhino Room, Courtyard of Curiosities and The Garden of Unearthly Delights.

Whether you’re catching your favourite or discovering a rising star, there’s something for everyone.

Adelaide Fringe runs from 20 February - 22 March. Grab your tickets, plan an unforgettable night out, and be part of the funniest festival in Australia!

Image is of Abby Howells standing in a pink lacy dress. She has blonde short wavy hair and it holding a doll that looks similar to her. She is standing in front of a red curtain.
ABBY HOWELLS
The Cave

Rhino Room
17 - 21 Mar

Welcome to The Cave.

What is The Cave? Well, you’ll have to come to find out.

Does Abby know what The Cave is? Oh yeah, don’t worry about that

Directed by Carlo Ritchie

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Image is of Alex Ward. Alex has medium length brown hair and is wearing a off-white sweater. She is standing in front of a light brown backdrop and smiling.
ALEX WARD
Literally Anyone

Rhino Room
24 - 28 Feb

Alex had an awkward weekend in a painfully generic Airbnb, and she’ll probably tell you about it.

Seen on Have You Been Paying Attention?

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Alexei Toliopoulos has short brown curly hair and a moustache. He is wearing a yellow un-buttoned shirt, white t-shirt and a gold necklace. The background is white.
ALEXEI TOLIOPOULOS
VHS

The Howling Owl
10 - 15 Mar

Pop the tape into the VCR and join Alexei as he takes you on an adventure in movie watching.

Directed by Zachary Ruane

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Bronwyn Kuss is wearing a blue button up shirt. She has red curly hair. Her body and face is turning toward the side and she is looking off camera. The background is beige.
BRONWYN KUSS
Bronwyn & Sons

Rhino Room
24 - 28 Feb

A drunk witch told Bronwyn she should have a baby. She didn’t. But she could have. It’s not that hard. Anyway, this is about what happened instead.

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Celia Pacquola has medium length brown wavy hair. She is wearing a white sweatshirt and large pink hoop earrings. She has a worried look on her face and she is looking out of frame. The background is burnt orange.
CELIA PACQUOLA
Gift Horse

The Garden of Unearthly Delights
17 - 25 Feb

Celia wasn’t planning on doing a show in 2026, then her boyfriend gave her an inflatable kayak for her birthday... So here we are.

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Claire Hooper has short blonde wavy hair. She is wearing a purple patterned dress and is looking into the camera lens and smiling. Claire is holding a bunch of orange roses and is sitting in front of a red background.
CLAIRE HOOPER
fun show xx

The Howling Owl
20 - 22 Feb

Claire Hooper is gonna discover how to have fun.

Or she’s gonna ruin fun for everyone.

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Dave Hughes has short grey hair and is wearing a green and orange checkered shirt. He is standing in front of a blue backdrop and smiling.
DAVE HUGHES
Cooked

The Garden of Unearthly Delights
23 Feb - 8 Mar

There is no one else that comes close to the phenomenon that is Dave Hughes. Behind that cooked looking facade is a mind that works like no other.

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Dave Thornton has short brown hair and a beard. He is wearing a white under shirt and a navy blue buttoned up top. He is sitting in front of a door. The background has been edited to have a blue filter.
DAVE THORNTON
More or Less

Rhino Room
3 - 8 Mar

A seasoned performer whose shows have been described as ‘devastatingly effective’ (Chortle), Dave is back with a brand-new hour of stand-up

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Image is of Dilruk Jayasinha. He is wearing a grey shirt and a black leather jacket. Dilruk has short dark hair and a dark beard. He is smiling into the camera lens.
DILRUK JAYASINHA
Gratitude Guy

Rhino Room
10 - 14 Mar

Dilruk Jayasinha is the GOAT (gratefullest of all time)!

Dilruk has appeared on Utopia and Celebrity MasterChef Australia and filmed a stand-up special for Amazon Prime.

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Image is Fergus Neal. Fergus has long brown hair and is wearing a dark sweatshirt. He is holding up an iPhone and looking into the screen with a surprised expression on his face. The image has been edited to look like Fergus is a cartoon
FERGUS NEAL
Boy

The Howling Owl
24 Feb - 1 Mar

Fergus brings his sharp wit and warm storytelling to the weird world of boyhood. BOY is a heartfelt hour about finding your way as a man—whatever that means.

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Image is of Geraldine Hickey standing in front of a yellow background and smiling. She has short grey hair and is wearing a colourful buttoned up shirt.
GERALDINE HICKEY
A Weight Off My Chest

The Garden of Unearthly Delights
2 - 13 Mar

I had breast reduction surgery, but they took them all. I didn't want them. As seen on I’m A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, Spicks & Specks, The Cheap Seats and Have You Been Paying Attention

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Image is of Gillian Cosgriff. Gillian has medium light coloured hair and bright blue eyes. She is wearing a grey skirt and a white frilly top. She is stepping through an oval cut out. The background is pink and the oval is blue.
GILLIAN COSGRIFF
Life, Oh Life

The Garden of Unearthly Delights
26 Feb - 1 Mar

Award-winning musical comedian Gillian Cosgriff is here to talk about life. Not just her life. Not just your life. Life as a concept.

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Image is of Jenny Tian wearing a long sleeve green and white striped shirt and navy blue overalls. She has long black hair and red lipstick. Jenny is holding three oranges and looking into the camera.
JENNY TIAN
When Life Gives You Oranges

The Garden of Unearthly Delights
10 - 22 Mar

Fresh off touring the United States, Jenny Tian is back in Australia with her brand-new show.

*this show is not about oranges

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Image is of Jordan Barr who has long wavy blonde hair and is wearing a purple zip up jacket. The background is a purple starry galaxy.
JORDAN BARR
Choir Girl

Rhino Room
10 - 14 Mar

Jordan is unbulliable. This show is about the people who have tried.

Expect embarrassing stories, dark humour, and a weird chick demanding your attention

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Image is of Josh Thomas wearing a blue and white stripy shirt smiling into the camera. Josh has blonde floppy hair and is standing in front of a green wall.
JOSH THOMAS
Work In Progress

Rhino Room & The Howling Owl
20 - 28 Feb

Josh Thomas is working up a brand-new show. He promises this new live show will be an hour of dumb, fun, in no way *important* stand up.

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Image is of Kath Ebbs standing on stage and holding a microphone. They are wearing a black singlet and have short blonde curly hair.
KATH EBBS
Cowboy C*untry with Kath Ebbs

The Garden of Unearthly Delights
Sat 14 Mar

Cowboy Country is a Queer line dancing event...or should I say rodeo, for all!

Hosted by Sydney based actor and content creator Kath Ebbs.

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Image is Lano (left) and Woodley (Right). They are both wearing blue and red astronaut uniforms and looking into the camera.
LANO & WOODLEY
in Space

The Garden of Unearthly Delights
10 - 22 Mar

Filled with their virtuosic physical routines and hilarious love/hate bickering, Lano & Woodley in Space is side-splitting fun to infinity and beyond.

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Image is of Lizzy Hoo. She is wearing a green and blue Squiggly shirt. The background is the same pattern as the wallpaper and Lizzy is camouflaging into it. She has short brown hair and glasses.
LIZZY HOO
Says Hoo?

The Howling Owl
24 Feb - 1 Mar

Says Hoo? is a brand-new hour of stand-up comedy from your fave comedian Lizzy Hoo (now with short hair, yep she's in her bob era).

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Image is of Lloyd Langford wearing a green button up shirt. He is standing in front of a pink background and has a confused expression on his face.
LLOYD LANGFORD
Okay, I Believe You

Rhino Room, The Garden of Unearthly Delights & The Howling Owl
3 - 8 Mar

A brand-new stand-up comedy show from a man that sounds like a YouTube video played at half speed.

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 Lou Wall has long orange hair that has been pulled back into a ponytail. They are wearing a green Adidas jacket and a white Adidas top. The background is purple.
LOU WALL
Where Are All The Tall Grandmas?

The Howling Owl
3 - 8 Mar

In this hilariously unhinged hour, Wall dives into the disappearance of tall old women everywhere.

“Wall is a comedy whirlwind.” New York Times, 2025

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Image is of Mel Buttle wearing a teal button up shirt. She has medium length brown hair and is sitting smiling in front of a light blue background.
MEL BUTTLE
Taking My Sunglasses Off To Hear You Better

Woodville Town Hall
Sat 28 Feb

This is a return of Mel Buttle’s 2025 Adelaide Fringe show for one night only! “Buttle’s dry critique of the perils of life has the audience in hysterics.” ★★★★ The Age

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Image is of Michael Hing wearing a grey suit, white shirt and brown reading glasses. He is leaning and looking into the camera. The background is red.
MICHAEL HING
Real Human Man

The Garden of Unearthly Delights
3 - 8 Mar

A brand-new hour of jokes and stories from a man who has spent a lot of his life having to convince people he's not a robot.

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Image is of Nath Valvo wearing a white and blue patterned shirt. He has short brown hair and is smiling toward the side of the camera. The background is a grey blue.
NATH VALVO
Home Body

The Garden of Unearthly Delights
9 - 15 Mar

Nath's been out of the house...the drama of it all! Jokes, gossip and high-kicks at a sensible hour.

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Image is of Nick White wearing a stripy blue and white shirt. He has short brown hair, a beard and blue eyes. He is looking into the camera and smiling without teeth.
NICK WHITE
Nick White's Talent Night

Rhino Room
10 - 14 Mar

Nick White craves validation from audiences. This year he is upping the ante by seeking validation through 6 additional personas that live through him.

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Image is of Nikki Britton. Nikki has long blonde hair and blue eyes. Blue fabric is draped over Nikki and the frame of the image. She is cradling a bit of the fabric and looking into the camera.
NIKKI BRITTON
Not To Be Dramatic

The Howling Owl
20 - 22 Feb

Nikki Britton has made being a silly bitch an artform.

Seen on Have You Been Paying Attention, Guy Mont's Spelling Bee and soon, Amazon's Deadloch.

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Image is of Nikki Britton wearing a rainbow aerobics outfit. She is smiling and standing in front of an orange background.
NIKKI BRITTON
Nikki Britton's Not Your Nan's Aerobics

The Garden of Unearthly Delights
Sat 21 Feb

"Not your Nan's Aerobics" is an hour of hilarious, horny and heart pumping fun! It's a basic, low impact, zero pressure dance aerobics class meets stand up show.

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Image is of Pete (left) and Frankie (right) Rowsthorn looking into the camera and smiling. Pete is wearing a light blue button up shirt and Frankie is wearing a dark long sleeve shirt.
PETE & FRANKIE ROWSTHORN
Smooth and Wrinkly

The Garden of Unearthly Delights
24 Feb - 1 Mar

Aussie Comedy Icon Pete Rowsthorn is pairing up with his daughter, triple j’s Frankie Rowsthorn.

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Image is of Pete Helliar. He is dressed in the Australian soccer jersey and has a deflated soccer ball on his head like a hat. He is wearing faded green and yellow face paint and looks disheveled. The background is green.
PETE HELLIAR
An International Kerfuffle

The Garden of Unearthly Delights
17 - 25 Feb

In this hilariously true story, Pete Helliar finds himself at the centre of a media firestorm.

Directed by Zoë Coombs Marr

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Image is of Rove McManus wearing a blue suit and white shirt. The camera is above Rove and he is reaching up his right hand toward the lens.
ROVE MCMANUS
Tonight's Guest: Rove McManus (tales from the talk show trenches)

The Garden of Unearthly Delights
9 - 15 Mar

Rove McManus has had over 25 years of talk show hosting under his belt. That's a lot of talking - so why stop now?

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Image is of Sam Taunton. Sam has short brown hair and is earring a navy blue rain jacket. He is looking up to the top left and smiling. The background is light brown.
SAM TAUNTON
This Must Be The Place

The Garden of Unearthly Delights
3 - 8 Mar

Join Sam for this 60 minute story, filled with a lifetime of suburban misadventures and nostalgia.

“Serendipitous comedy gold.” The Age

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Image is of Sez. Sez has long brown hair and big blue eyes. She is wearing a blue and white striped shirt and a denim jacket. She is holding an acoustic guitar and looking into the distance.
SEZ
Sorry, What?

Rhino Room
3 - 8 Mar

An hour of music, comedy and questionable life choices.

“If you only see one dyslexic, bisexual musical comedian this festival, make it Sez.” ★★★★ The Age, 2025

Read more

Image is of The Fairbairns. Jaxon is wearing a black tshirt and Lachlan is wearing a white tshirt. Both have blonde wavy hair. The background is grey.
THE FAIRBAIRNS
Fair Dinkum

The Garden of Unearthly Delights
17 - 22 Feb

The Fairbairns are bringing an hour of sketch comedy live to the stage for the very first time.

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Image is of Tilly Oddy-Black. Tilly is wearing a white t-shirt and has long blonde hair. She is looking up and smiling.
TILLY ODDY-BLACK
Tilly Does A Show

The Garden of Unearthly Delights
16 - 22 Mar

Tilly Oddy-Black brings her online world to the stage for the first time.

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Image is of Tom Ballard standing in a field. He is holding a mic stand in one hand and dangling a microphone in the other. He is wearing black jeans, a pink button shirt and a navy blue jacket.
TOM BALLARD
Be Funny Challenge (Impossible)

The Howling Owl
3 - 8 Mar

Australia’s Special Envoy For Comedy Tom Ballard returns in 2026 with a new show packed with jokes

As seen on Fisk, Deadloch, Tonightly, Guy Mont Spelling Bee.

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Tom Gleeson sits in front of a grey backdrop. He's wearing a black tshirt and smiling.
TOM GLEESON
Out of Touch

The Garden of Unearthly Delights
20 Feb - 22 Mar

Hard Quiz host. Taskmaster Australia host. Gold Logie winner. 5 times AACTA winner.

Tom Gleeson is completely out of touch. His head is up his arse.

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Image is of Tommy Little. Tommy is lying on a mustard coloured corduroy pillow and has an incense coming out of his ear. There is smoke surrounding the image. He is smiling.
TOMMY LITTLE
Namaste The Fuck Away From Me

The Garden of Unearthly Delights
20 Feb - 8 Mar

After a decade of being fuelled by whiskey and adrenaline Tommy decided it was time to treat his body to some wellness.

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Image is of Vidya (left) and Mel (right). Both are wearing bright blue singlets with a black mesh long sleeve over the top. Vidya has dark hair and a fringe and Mel has light curly hair. The background is red.
VIDYA RAJAN AND MEL MCGLENSEY
Greg

Courtyard of Curiosities
17 - 22 Mar

Rising stars of alt-comedy, Vidya & Mel are excited to bring you GREG - their debut show as a comedy duo made with love (and a little horror) for people named Greg.
Directed by Sharnema Nougar.

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Image is of Wil Anderson. Wil has short grey hair and is wearing a dark jacket. He is smiling and looking to his left.
WIL ANDERSON
Whatchu Talkin' 'Bout Wil?

Rhino Room & The Howling Owl
20 Feb - 14 Mar

After a 2025 sold-out national tour of his completely improvised stand-up show, Wil Anderson is back. Every night a different show for the audience in the room.

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Image is of Wil Gibb. He is wearing a red and orange crocheted top and is posing toward the camera. Wil has red hair and the background is orange.
WILL GIBB
Condfidence is Key

The Garden of Unearthly Delights
16 - 22 Mar

Comedian Will Gibb takes the audience through his battle with having TOO MUCH condfidence and the situations he's ended up in because of it.

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Image is of Zoe Coombs Marr sitting on a stool and dangling a microphone from her left hand. She is wearing a white shirt, blue jeans and a black and white checked top. The background is yellow.
ZOË COOMBS MARR
The Splash Zone

The Howling Owl
3 - 8 Mar

Strap in. Let’s go. Zoë’s feeling fun. Known for award-winning, high-concept meta-comedy, this is Zoë stripped right back, for her funniest, most straight-shooting stand-up hour yet.

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