His 2023 New Zealand tour brought widespread success, with additional shows added and many dates selling out.
In New Plymouth the last time he was here, Carr took to Twitter/X with a picture of a knitted doll of himself and the caption: “I’m in New Zealand. First gig of the tour is in New Plymouth, which is frankly no improvement on the original”.
The gag simultaneously took aim at New Plymouth and the British city of Plymouth, with some taking offence to the tweet and biting back.
“Woah woah woah Jimmy I’m a big fan of you but don’t go dissing my city,” one said.
Hawke’s Bay Today editor Chris Hyde, in reviewing Carr’s Hastings show in 2023, noted how a number of the jokes were centred around vulnerable people and local community members.
“They’re just jokes, [Carr] implores as he mocks transgender issues and domestic violence victims, describes Central Hawke’s Bay residents as products of incest, and even laughs at gypsies, again,” Hyde said.
“Carr would argue that his constant jabs are designed to slowly bring down any of the politically correct walls his crowds bring into the theatre with them. But it just doesn’t feel necessary. ‘I’m going down swinging,’ he proclaims, as he hits his already weak opponents below the belt.”
Carr told podcaster Joe Rogan in 2023 about his experience involving a patched Hells Angels gang member while he was in NZ.
“I met a guy in Hamilton in New Zealand where they have biker gangs... I met him on stage. I’m chatting to a guy in the front row. ‘What do you do?‘” the comedian recalled asking the man.
The 2026 Laughs Funny tour will kick off in Invercargill on Wednesday, January 7, before finishing in Auckland on Wednesday, January 28.
Tickets go on sale on Monday, April 7, at 2pm from bohmpresents.com.
Jimmy Carr: Laughs Funny 2026 NZ Tour dates
Invercargill – Civic Theatre – Wednesday, January 7
Dunedin – Town Hall – Thursday, January 8
Queenstown – Events Centre – Friday, January 9
Christchurch – Wolfbrook Arena – Saturday, January 10
Nelson – Trafalgar Centre – Tuesday, January 13
Wellington – TSB Arena – Wednesday, January 14
Palmerston North – Regent on Broadway – Saturday, January 17
New Plymouth – TSB Stadium – Tuesday, January 20
Hawke’s Bay – Toitoi Events Centre – Wednesday, January 21
Rotorua – Sir Howard Morrison Centre – Saturday, January 24
Tauranga – Mercury Baypark – Sunday, January 25
Hamilton – Globox Arena – Tuesday, January 27
Auckland – Spark Arena – Wednesday, January 28
Mitchell Hageman joined the Herald’s entertainment and lifestyle team in 2024. He previously worked as a multimedia journalist for Hawke’s Bay Today.