New Zealand International Comedy Festival back after Covid-induced break

The Billy T Award nominees for 2023 (from top left, clockwise): Janaye Henry, Jack Ansett, Maria Williams, Gabby Anderson, and Abby Howells.

The New Zealand International Comedy Festival is returning after two years, with some of the world’s top international comedians joining the best of our local talent.

More than 150 local and international comedians will be performing in Auckland and Wellington throughout May as part of the festival’s 30th birthday celebrations.

It is a welcome return for the festival, after the Comedy Trust, which runs it, cancelled the 2022 programme due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was the second time the pandemic cancelled the festival, with the initial lockdown in March 2020 forcing that year’s event to be called off as well.

The show was able to go ahead in 2021, but the closed borders meant the festival was international in name only, but comedians from Australia and the UK will be part of the line-up this year for the first time since 2019.

Amongst the crop of international comics making the trip are Travel Man host Joe Lycett, Great British Sewing Bee host Sara Pascoe, Black Books star Dylan Moran, Taskmaster winner Ed Gamble, and Aussie comic Heath Franklin, who is performing as himself this year rather than as his alter ego, Chopper.

TV host and comedian Melanie Bracewell will be hosting Best Foods Comedy Gala. Photo / Getty Images

Billy T award winner Melanie Bracewell will be coming home from Australia to host the Best Foods Comedy Gala, which kicks off the festival, while Celebrity Treasure Island winner Chris Parker will be wrapping things up at Last Laughs. Other highlight shows include a special local v international edition of 7 Days Live, and a new edition of The Great Comedy Debate, hosted by Taskmaster NZ winner Josh Thomson.

Other local comedians performing as part of the festival include ZM’s Hayley Sproull, TV star Guy Montgomery, Shortland Street’s Kura Forrester, reigning Fred Award winner Eli Matthewson, musical duo Two Hearts, Justine Smith, Ben Hurley, and Rhys Matthewson.

The festival also sees the return of the Billy T Award, which is awarded to the best rising star in local comedy. Previous winners include Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement, Dai Henwood, Rose Matafeo and reigning champ Brynley Stent. The 2023 nominees - Abby Howells, Gabby Anderson, Jack Ansett, Janaye Henry and Maria Williams - will finally get to see who will win the iconic yellow towel, after being nominated at the end of 2021.

Tickets go on sale at midday today. The full programme and tickets can be found at comedyfestival.co.nz.

For more local comedy, listen to Billy T’ Billy, the NZ Herald’s comedy podcast in association with the International Comedy Festival. Season 2 premieres April 4