Canberra Comedy Festival has rolled around bringing its wildly successful Festival Square. Uncontrollable laughter and family-friendly fun will fill Civic Square, in the Canberra Theatre Forecourt throughout the week of the festival 19 – 24 March.

It’s the perfect place to hang before the show full of free entertainment, comedy, movies, street performers, refreshing beers, fancy wines and tasty foods. Building on the festival each year, this years target is a 5-star rating on TripAdvisor for Civic Square!

“We are going to have a massive party in Civic Square,” Patrick Hornby from the festival says. “The Comedy Festival has set out to deliver a world class event, with a vibe that mimics that of what you would expect to at huge international festivals such as, Montreal, Edinburgh and Melbourne, all right here on Canberra’s doorstep.”

The festival may be filled with non-stop jokes but waste is no laughing matter, the Festival Square has gone green and has a zero plastic policy. However in good spirits they did still joke about it “Laughter is completely bio-degradable and safe to release into the atmosphere.” LOL.


Here’s what to eat & drink:

  • Keep $5 Happy Hour every day from the Tuesday to the Saturday on your radar.
  • Local drinks including BentSpoke beers and Contentious Character wine.
  • Junee liquorice factory, selling popcorn and chocolate.
  • The Meat Wizard will be there smoking up and carving guests some dinner (vego options included).
  • In collaboration with MySweetAlice- First Edition will be giving out FREE fairy floss and drink vouchers down at Festival Square to be redeemed at First Edition throughout the comedy festival period.

Don’t miss the FREE entertainment:

Wednesday (20 March): Screenings of comedy classics, The Princess Bride, Monty Python’s, The Holy Grail.

Thursday (21 March): Street performers.

Friday (22 March): free comedy shows kicking off at 5pm.

Festival Square also plays home to a variety of ticketed shows, including Dilruk Jayasinha, Idris Stanton, Emma Malik and heaps more.

Leave the kids at home, there’s an adults only festival club:

  • The late night festival club featuring lots of great acts from across the festival getting a little loose and jumping up on stage to drop an outrageously funny five minutes.
  • The chance to rub shoulders with the comedians cutting loose after hours.

Find out more