Prepare for a night brimming with comedy gold!
The 2024 NZ International Comedy Festival with Best Foods Mayo is delighted to kick off the funniest Fest in town with the annual Best Foods Comedy Gala! Join host Chris Parker (2018 Fred Award Winner, the NZ Comedy Trust’s 2022 Top Prize Winner, Taskmaster NZ, Celebrity Treasure Island NZ) for a rock solid show- stopping sell-out, celebrating Aotearoa comedy with some of the finest local and international acts this Comedy Fest. Don't miss the chance to be a part of the comedy magic – one-night-only at Auckland’s Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre at Aotea Centre.
We're thrilled to announce our first five local and international comedians joining the line-up, with further acts to be announced!:
- From across the ditch comes one of Australia's best and most iconic comics, Heath Franklin’s Chopper (2018 Comic's Choice Winner Melbourne Intl. Comedy Festival, 7 Days)
- Star of Taskmaster NZ and our 2021 Billy T Award winner, Brynley Stent makes her return to the Best Foods Comedy Gala after a hilarious debut last year. You’ll have also seen her on Celebrity Treasure Island NZ and Shortland Street.
- Hot off his new season of Raised By Refugees, the host of the 2020 Best Foods Comedy Gala Pax Assadi comes to show off some of his latest gear, you might have seen him hosting The Great Kiwi Bake Off or have enjoyed him as part of his comedy sketch group Frickin' Dangerous Bro.
- Reigning Billy T Award winner Abby Howells (Shortland Street, 7 Days, Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont- Spelling Bee and Comedians Giving Lectures) make her debut performance, after stunning audiences at last year’s Comedy Fest.
- Takashi Wakasugi (2023 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Director's Choice Award
Winner, ABC's Tonightly with Tom Ballard & Comedy Up Late) returns for 2024, and this time he will also star on the Gala stage!
This epic night will be filmed live for THREE's Month of Comedy!
Proceeds from the Best Foods Comedy Gala will support The New Zealand Comedy Trust, who run the annual NZ International Comedy Festival with Best Foods Mayo, to continue their work supporting the development of the local comedy industry.
$2 per hour to a max of $12 on weekends and a $12 flat rate for weekday evenings at The Civic car park. Find out more.