Get ready to laugh Joburg! Live shows worth booking next

Joburg has no shortage of material – and the city’s comedians know exactly what to do with it. Live comedy is serving up everything from sharp social observations and cultural commentary to painfully relatable takes on everyday South African life - case in point is the recent Kings and Queens of Royalty at Emperors Palace.

The show featured stand-up royalty, from Joey Rasdien, Tumi Morake, Darren Maule and Bash with Tash. Conrad Koch and his famously outspoken puppet Chester Missing also joined the bill, alongside Vikash ‘Harry’ Mathura and Vafa Naraghi.    

Naraghi has also been firing up across the country with his city-to-city show. We caught up with him backstage to hear his take on what's shaping local comedy right now.   

Established headliners are sharing the calendar with emerging performers, while English, Afrikaans and multilingual shows offer something for almost every sense of humour - and Joburg’s comedy calendar is only getting started. 

Here are the live comedy shows worth booking next:  

Riaad Moosa: The Best Medicine

Hosted by Dr Riaad Moosa, this feel-good showcase brings together well-known comedians and emerging voices for a mix of relatable storytelling, spontaneous humour and big-stage comedy.

• When: August 14–15 at 8.30pm
• Where: Theatre of Marcellus, Emperors Palace 
• Age restriction: 16L
• Tickets: Blu Blood 

Vafa Naraghi: Becoming South African

Vafa Naraghi’s one-man show explores identity, language, race, masculinity and national pride through the eyes of a Persian boy raised in Mahikeng. Following his appearance at Kings and Queens of Comedy, the three-time Comics’ Choice Award winner returns to Joburg for two performances that will be professionally recorded.

• When: October 2–3 at 7.30pm
• Where: Lyric Theatre, Gold Reef City
• Tickets: R150–R600 via Webtickets 

Staan Op Joburg

Afrikaans comedy gets its own Joburg showcase as Hannes Brümmer, Jaxx Justice, Melt Sieberhagen and Cobus van Rensburg take on love, politics, culture and the absurdities of everyday South African life.

• When: November 6, at 8pm
• Where: Theatre of Marcellus, Emperors Palace
• Tickets: Blu Blood 

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