Laughter in the blood: The Pasifika takeover of 2026 Comedy Fest

From Southside garages to the main stage at SkyCity, the 2026 New Zealand International Comedy Festival is officially a Pacific affair.

The Pacific contingent isn’t just showing up this year. They are leading the charge with some of the boldest, rawest, and most awarded sets in the festival’s history.

Whether you want raw storytelling, political ‘jeering’, or relatable South Auckland legends, here is your guide to the funniest brown faces hitting the stage this month.

Bubbah: ‘Lonely Fans’

Now based in Sāmoa, Bubbah has traded Auckland hustle for a slower pace. But her comedy is as high-octane as ever. Lonly Fans is an unfiltered dive into identity and desire, sparked by the “simple life” of the islands.

Expect her signature “out-the-gateness”, and unapologetic takes, sexual themes, and strong language.

• Auckland: 8 May, SkyCity Theatre

• Wellington: 9 May, Hannah Playhouse

Bubbah. Photo/Supplied

James Nokise: ‘One Night Rant’

Following a sell-out run last year, Sāmoan veteran Nokise returns with his razor-sharp political deconstructions.

With the 2026 political landscape providing plenty of fodder, Nokise takes aim at the “cartoonish shenanigans” of local leadership. One Night Rant is a high-intellect comedy that promises to have audiences “cheering and jeering”.

• Wellington: 9 May, The Fringe Bar

• Auckland: 21-23, Poppy’s Comedy

James Nokise. Photo/Supplied

Joe Daymond: ‘Hope I Made You Proud’

Māori-Fijian sensation is a certified household name. His new show tracks his meteoric rise from living in his car to touring with global legends like Bill Burr.

Hope I made You Proud is a raw, rags-to-recognition story told by a comic who has mastered the art of a viral moment, wholesome storytelling, and down-to-earth humour.

• Auckland: 8-9 May, Q Theatre

• Wellington: 20-21 May, Hannah Playhouse

• Daymond will also host the Comedy Mixtape showcase on 16 May at Q Theatre.

• His full improv show, Joe Daymond Doesn’t Have Material, will be filmed for social media on 22-23 May, Basement Theatre.

Angella Dravid: ‘I’m (Still) Happy For You’

The reigning 2025 Fred Award winner is back and she’s staying winning. Bringing a reworked version of her show, Dravid (Sāmoa, India) delivers the dark, deadpan brilliance that has made her a festival icon.

I’m (Still) Happy For You is toxic, it’s bitter, and it’s undeniably hilarious.

• Auckland: 12-16 May, Basement Theatre

• Wellington: 20-23 May, BATS Theatre

Angella Dravid. Photo/Supplied

Rhiannon McCall: ‘Nosferatu Looking For Love’

Nominated for the 2024 Billy T award, McCall (Cook Islands, Sāmoa, Pākehā) takes a wild pivot into character comedy. Transforming into a lonely vampire trying to break into show business, Nosferatu Looking For Love is a blend of clowning and audience interaction.

• Auckland: 5-9 May, Basement Theatre

Rhiannon McCall. Photo/Supplied

Southside Queens: ‘Once Upon a Struggle’

Straight out of Manurewa, this six-woman collective includes festival newcomers Trish, Love Hevani, Shaker, Guv’nah312, Ama, and Marzy.

These women are out to prove the Southside point of view is uniquely powerful. Formed from a community workshop, Once Upon a Struggle takes the crowd through hilariously relatable scenarios as mothers, public servants, and health scares.

• Auckland: 7-9 May, Poppy’s Comedy

The Southside Queens. Photo/Supplied

Opeti Vaka: ‘I love My Mum’

A Tongan comic and Billy T nominee is putting the spotlight on the most “undervalued people in society”: mums. I Love My Mum is a self-aware tribute to maternal love and the chaos of growing up in a Pacific household.

• Auckland: 19-23 May, Basement Theatre

Jonjon Tolovae: ‘Man, I Feel Like a Woman’

Man, I feel like a woman is a “one-woman show” - allegedly - from this Mt Roskill native of Sāmoan heritage. Tolovae explores the “rhythmic magic of taro thighs” and mandatory audience participation in a journey through laughter and conundrums as a fa’afine.

• Auckland: 19, 20, 23 May, Q Theatre (Cellar)

Jonjon Tolovae. Photo/Supplied

Richie Fa’avesi: ‘Living Proof’

The fearlessly funny, sharp witted Māori-Sāmoan-Cook Islander is Living Proof that there is always a way to make light of any situation. Fa’avesi’s humour connects deeply, blending heart, truth, and unapologetic Polynesian flavour that leaves audiences entertained, seen, and thinking long after the show ends.

• Auckland: 12, 13, 16 May, Q Theatre (Cellar)

Richie Fa'avesi's 'Living Proof' poster. Photo/Supplied

Pōneke House Party

Wellington is hosting a big bash of comedic powerhouses and musical performances.

Nokise will host this one-night only celebration featuring “the Humble Comedy King” and Topp Prize winner, Tofiga Fepulea’i, and rising opera/R&B talent, LILA JNR.

All profits from the event will be donated to the Mayoral Flood Relief Fund, supporting those impacted by the recent flooding in Te Whanganui-a-Tara.

• Wellington: 17 May, Opera House

Pōneke House Party. Photo/Supplied

The Local Scene

Keep an eye on Poppy’s Comedy, the legendary garage venue in Manurewa is hosting a suite of Pacific talent including:

• Kajun Brooking (Māori, Tonga): Me being Me - 14-16 May

• Jerome Chandrahasen (Fiji, India): Loose as a Goose- 14-16 May

OrinRuaine-Prattley will perform "Performative Stand Up Comedy" at this year's festival. Photo/Supplied

The Line-up shows include some of Aotearoa New Zealand’s industry stalwarts and rising stars.

• Josh Thomson (Comedy Fest in Kāpiti/Petone/Porirua)

• Li'i Alaimoana (Comedy Fest in Porirua)

• Tesi Naufahu (Joe Daymond’s Comedy Mixtape in Auckland)

• Bailey Poching (Problemz Live)

From major venues to South Auckland garages, this year's festival showcases world-class jokes with a heart firmly rooted in the Pacific.