Palmy Comedy Fest 2026

We're gearing up for next year's Palmy Comedy Fest! 32 shows over four weekends, 20 February to 14 March, all at the Globe Theatre in Palmy!

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See all our listings, including Nightly Passes (20% off for seeing all four shows on a given night) at the link below:

Samantha Hannah: Super Secret Show

Fresh out of maternity leave and armed with a notebook full of ideas, Samantha Hannah is sneaking off to Palmerston North to figure out how to be funny again. She’s forgotten how to speak to adults, but she’s practising in a new city, where her work colleagues can’t find her. She’s even leaving the baby behind!*

Expect new jokes, risky bits, and the kind of chaos only a work-in-progress can deliver.

Don’t tell anyone - except literally everyone in Palmy.

*The baby will be with his dad. He’s fine. Please come.

Snap: Old.

Time flies when you're increasingly aware of your own mortality. Despite being in his 30s, Snap is now physically, mentally, and spiritually an old man. Join him for an hour of jokes about it!

“Snap is a unique piece of work. He is a very funny man with a very silly name. 10/10 would Snap again.” – Jordan Raskopoulos, The Axis of Awesome.

“Clearly a talented comic” – Theatreview

“Leaves us roaring with laughter” – ArtMurmurs

Joel Vinsen: Joel's Lair of Laughs 

After a summer spent holed up working on new jokes, and making horrendous noises with his headless guitar, 2026 Billy T nominee Joel Vinsen is coming to Palmerston North for ONE NIGHT ONLY to show you the results. Expect silliness, filthiness, weirdness, and a sh*tload of big laughs. This is not your standard stand-up, and this is definitely NSFW. Consider yourself warned. 

Come and help Joel choose which jokes will escape his lair, and feature in his upcoming Billy T show, and which will forever remain hidden from the outside world, never to be spoken of again. Also, there will be guitar, it will be a headless guitar, and Joel will make some weird sounds with it.

Late Night Line-Up

A grab bag line-up of local and visiting comics where anything goes! Enjoy the madness for just five bucks. Tonight’s MC: Kyle Southam (Wairarapa)

Untitled Rainbow Youth Showcase

A comedy showcase for rainbow youth and their families to enjoy. 

Come see camp, talented and funny queer comedians telling jokes, singing funny songs, and being out and proud on the stage. 

Manish Latch - Almost Kiwi

Manish is an Indian immigrant comedian based in New Zealand, delivering sharp, positive, and feel-good comedy about family, culture, dogs, and the hilarious struggle of trying to fit into Kiwi life. With quick crowd work and infectious energy, every show feels personal and unique.

Morgan & Jayda’s Sketchy Comedy Show

It’s Friday the 13th, and ‘tis the season for award-winning comedy! 

Have you ever met a sketchy character and thought “I wish this person wasn’t real”? Well the sketchy characters in this show are entirely fictional. The people playing them are real… real good comedians!

Join Morgan Hunter-Bell and Jayda McIndoe (combined 6x Golden Gag award winners) for an “Errors Tour” filled with hits from the 90s and today, with special guest appearances from the ghosts of Comedy Hub past and present (spooky!)

Late Night Line-Up

A grab bag line-up of local and visiting comics where anything goes! Enjoy the madness for just five bucks. Tonight’s MC: Richard Dryden

Justin Ngai: The Hill I'll Ouchies On

An hour of hilarious hot takes — some serious, some bizarre — from award-winning comedian Justin Ngai. Is tall poppy syndrome a good thing? Is patriotism a harmful concept? Does chocolate milk belong in tea? Find out from the authority.

Auntie Lianne: Solid Gold(card) Hits

If you’re looking for big laughs, the “wet your pants” kind, don’t miss my show. 

First date? Married for years? Alone and content? Alone and NOT content?

Hens’ night? Workplace Social Club?….book now

Whatever your situation, I will share hilarious stories. I am an award-winning comedian doing what I do best…

You will leave knowing your money was well spent.

Opeti Vaka: Work In Motion

2026 Billy T nominee Opeti Vaka is back with a brand-new work-in-progress comedy show digging into mothers, childhood memories, parenting, and the beautiful chaos of everyday life. With sharp observations and warm storytelling, Opeti unpacks the lessons we learned growing up, the ones our mums swore by, and the confusing moment you realise you’re now the adult in the room. From laugh-out-loud family moments to honest reflections on love, discipline, and survival, this show is raw, playful, and still taking shape. Come be part of the process, catch the jokes before they’re polished, and help shape a show that’s equal parts heart and hilarity.

Late Night Line-Up

A grab bag line-up of local and visiting comics where anything goes! Enjoy the madness for just five bucks. Tonight’s MC: Patch Lambert!