Laugh out loud on the reg with some of Melbourne's favourite comedy nights
Melbourne might often be dark and gloomy and almost always full of people wearing black – but don't be fooled, we love a good laugh. Live comedy venues are sprinkled all across the city, with regular nights to get your funny bone tickled. From clubs, pubs and bars, you can get tickets throughout the week, and at a pretty good price point, too.
Some venues have a comedy night once a week, and others serve up laughs multiple (or almost every) single evening. Plan one for every night of the week with the following list, perfect for a great ab workout – minus the crunches.
Laughing for hours on end is thirsty work. Refresh and refuel at one of the city's best bars.
When: Monday
Local Laughs is the best comedy room on the southside, hands down. It takes place at the Local Taphouse – a European-inspired neighbourhood tavern specialising in craft beer and great food. It almost sounds too good to host stand-up, but it works perfectly. We’d argue this is the most handsome and cosiest room on the scene. Sometimes punters stay sitting around long after the show has ended.
When: Tuesday
George Gerswhin once said, “Life is a lot like jazz. It's best when you improvise.” Lido Cinema improvised and turned its jazz room into a comedy room. You might not have been previously aware that cinemas have jazz rooms. Most don’t, but this one does, and it sure works for stand-up. The small soundproof room makes Lido the best intimate comedy night happening in Melbourne at the moment, and seeing comedy in a cinema means you can enjoy the show with wine, beer and tapas-style food from the candy bar.
When: Tuesday
This comedy night takes place in the Catfish’s upper band room and hosts some of the best headliners and up-and-coming acts from Australia. It’s always a hot line-up, having seen its fair share of international drop-ins over the years. Be sure to grab a Philly cheesesteak from Sparrow's while there!
When: Thursday
This room wins best courtyard comedy. In the colder months, the Rochey's regular Thursday night gigs take place in the quaint, moodily lit room upstairs at the Rochester Hotel, but come summer the comedy is moved to the outdoor courtyard. Comedians have been known to smoke on stage… Smoking kills, but so do these sets. This is a great option for those living in the inner north who can’t quite be bothered going into the city.
When: Thursday, Friday and Saturday
South Melbourne’s the Rubber Chicken is much more of a pub than a comedy club – but you can expect your meal served with a side of laughs. Home to some of the best Caribbean-Aussie fusion cuisine within the city limits, you’ll come for the food, but stay for the comedy. You’ll find regular acts from Thursday through to Saturday, with most tickets around the $30 mark. Expect experienced comedians – this isn’t your open night amateur hour type of place.
When: Thursday, Friday and Saturday
There’s a thin line between comedy and tragedy, so we suppose it makes sense that a shiny purpose-built comedy theatre popped up in Melbourne during 2020. Comedy Republic is a space created by comedians, for comedians and made out of comedians (we jest, as far as we know anyway). The venue has three regular comedy nights every week, with shows Thursday through Saturday. The venue also hosts additional comedy gigs and events outside of its regular weekly shows too.
When: Friday
Have a love for improv? For more than a decade, the Big Hoo-Haa has been delighting Melbourne with its weekly improv comedy night, which these days takes place at the Butterfly Club. Improv is of course a high-risk, high-reward game where luck and the zeitgeist of the audience on the night can determine the comedians' success or failure. The Big Hoo-Haa has two teams, the Hearts and the Bones, who battle it out for the ultimate improv crown every Friday at 8pm.
When: Friday
After years of Melbourne crying out for a decent Friday night gig, Comedy at the Coopers Inn answered our prayers (or agnostic demands). It's not the only excellent Friday night show in the city anymore, but with different line-ups every week showcasing the best stand-ups from Melbourne, interstate and abroad, it's still a damn good way to kick off your weekend. It’s worth keeping an eye on the room’s Facebook page too, as they often offer sneaky promo codes for those who want to book ahead.
When: Sunday
Located in a laneway off Errol Street, Voltaire is an intimate theatre space perfectly suited to hosting a stand-up comedy night. These Sunday weekly comedy nights in North Melbourne showcase the city's newest stand-up stars. The first level venue opens to a cosy seated space with a corner bar, usually manned by the lovely owner himself. If your Sundays are full, Club Voltaire often runs other comedy shows throughout the week.
Do you find yourself on the streets of Melbourne in the middle of the night, looking for a place to get a decent feed? Don't worry, we've got you covered.
