(From left) Local radio show hosts Leigh Ryan and Jamie Way, Civic Theatre manager Claire Harris and Freeroam Theatre’s Jhi Raynor are inviting the Wagga community to join in the fun at this year’s Wagga Comedy Fest. Photo: Jarryd Rowley.
Comedian Jimmy Rees and political provocateur Jordan Shanks (aka FriendlyJordies) will perform in Wagga for the first time after being announced as the headliners for the 2026 Wagga Comedy Fest.
Melbourne funnyman Rees has gained popularity for his viral skits, particularly his border control videos that make fun of Australian cities.
FriendlyJordies, who posts mostly politically themed content on his YouTube channel, has visited the Riverina several times over the past six years, collaborating with Griffith-based MP Helen Dalton and featuring in videos critical of the National Party and the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
The two social media icons will be joined by more than 10 other local, national and international comedians, including Tom Gleeson, Ross Noble, Claire Hooper, Mel Buttle and Denise Scott, marking the Wagga Comedy Fest’s biggest-ever lineup.
The festival will kick off on Thursday, 4 June, and run across the King’s Birthday long weekend to Sunday, 7 June, with shows at the Civic Theatre, Riverina Playhouse, the pop-up Laugh Lounge and the E3 Art Space.
Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre manager Claire Harris said the Comedy Fest had become one of the region’s premier annual events and was expecting to attract more than 4000 people to the city.
“Having a festival in the middle of winter to draw people out of their homes and have a laugh is something that people just really, really enjoy,” Ms Harris said.
“The acts that come here always have such a good time. They love coming to Wagga. They sell out their shows, and the Wagga audiences are great and quite vocal, so it’s never hard to get them to come back.”
Jordan Shanks (aka FriendlyJordies) with MP Helen Dalton stirring up Narrandera Shire Council. Photo: Supplied.
Ms Harris said preparations for this year’s festival began in September 2025.
“We start planning this in September for June the following year. It takes a lot of planning,” she said.
“It’s been building over the last 11 years, way before my time. The Wagga community keep turning up and showing up and buying tickets. So that’s enough to bring acts coming back, and it just feels like it’s getting bigger and bigger and more energy each year.”
Two of the local mainstays for the Wagga Comedy Fest are radio hosts Leigh Ryan and Jamie Way. The pair has hosted and taken part in the annual Great Comedy Debate for the past four years.
“The debate gets more and more popular each year, so much so that we’ve graduated from the E3 Art Space to the Riverina Playhouse to make room for everyone,” they said.
“The debate is a great way to see just how funny Wagga people are. The teams are filled with local celebrities, and it never fails to bring a laugh.
“Last year, Dane Simpson’s mum, Lee, argued that money does, in fact, equal happiness, and she was probably the funniest debater of the night. She’s never done any comedy in her life, and that’s what’s so great about the debate.”
The Freeroam Theatre will also give audiences the chance to join in the action, with Jhi Raynor and the team set to host five improv shows at the new lagoon-side pop-up venue the Laugh Lounge.
“Improv is different from stand-up in the way that with improvisation, anything can happen,” Mr Raynor said.
“It’s a bit chaotic, it’s a bit silly, but there’s so much passion and energy that goes into it that it’s a completely unique experience.
“The five shows that we’re running range from a Whose Line Is It Anyway?-inspired game show to a completely improvised late-night cabaret experience, something that has not been seen here in Wagga.”
Tickets for the Wagga Comedy Fest went on sale from Tuesday (24 March) and can be purchased at the Civic Theatre box office or online here. The event will run on the 4-7 June King’s Birthday long weekend.
