Adelaide Fringe 2026 Top Picks: Comedy

Eight unmissable comedy shows, from charming childhood tales to grasps for meaning

Anisa Nandaula | image courtesy of Live Nation

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Zoë Coombs Marr – The Splash Zone

Gallery at the Howling Owl, 3-8 Mar, 7.45pm

Studio photograph of Zoe Coombs Marr sitting on a stall with a microphone dangling from a cable in her hand
Zoë Coombs Marr | Photo by Christa Holka

The award-winning comic forgoes the excel sheets and high concepts for a charming tale of childhood neurodivergence before that was a term we all recognised.

Dane Simpson: 100% Hits

Le Cascadeur at The Garden of Unearthly Delights, 2-8 Mar, 8.30pm

Dane Simpson, a man in a velvet blazer against a dark multicoloured background, looks into the camera in a head-and-shoulders close-up
Dane Simpson | Photo by Jac Cooper

Proud Gamilaraay comic Dane Simpson presents his best jokes from a decade-long career. The perfect gateway for new fans and nostalgic hit for the already initiated.

Jenny Tian – When Life Gives You Oranges

Spiegel Zelt at The Garden of Unearthly Delights, 10-22 Mar, 8.15pm

Jenny Tian | Photo courtesy of The Garden of Unearthly Delights

Fresh from a US tour, Jenny Tian (as seen on Taskmaster Australia) picks up the pieces of a marital near-miss in her signature style. Directed by Justin Hamilton.

He Huang – T.E.M.U JOKE FACTORY

Criterion at The Garden of Unearthly Delights, 3-12 Mar, 8pm

He Huang | Photo courtesy of The Garden of Unearthly Delights

Wave your toilet breaks goodbye. The T.E.M.U Joke Factory needs you. Sydney Comedy Fest’s Best Newcomer 2023 needs a new show ready for same-day delivery.

John-Luke Roberts: What I Talk About When I Run About, Talking

Hell’s Kitchen at Rhino Room, 10-14 Mar, 9pm

John-Luke Roberts | Photo courtesy of the artist

Spike Milliganesque songs and poetry abound in British comic John-Luke Roberts’ Adelaide show. One of the UK’s most consistently surprising Fringe acts.

Kate Dolan: Trout

The Chapel at The Courtyard of Curiosities at the Migration Museum, 19 Feb-1 Mar, 9.20pm

Kate Dolan | Photo by Nick Robertson

A deep dive into the off-kilter mind of award-winning Aussie comic Kate Dolan, as she fishes for meaning in a world that can often leave us gasping for air.

Anisa Nandaula – No Small Talk

Drama Llama at Rhino Room, 20-28 Feb, 7.30pm

Anisa Nandaula | image courtesy of Live Nation

Anisa Nandaula unpacks her chaotic life, as well as her suitcase full of souvenirs from her first trip to Uganda in over a decade, in an unfiltered stand-up hour.

Lou Wall – Where Are All The Tall Grandmas?

Monocle at The Howling Owl, 3-8 Mar, 6pm

Lou Wall | Photo by Monica Pronk

Vertically endowed Aussie comedian Lou Wall has a question regarding their old age. Does obscurity await? Expect a laugh-packed investigation of the tallest order.