Minister for Creative Industries, Martin Foley, joined comedy artists and acts at Melbourne’s Greek Centre for Contemporary Culture today to celebrate the opening of the 2015 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
The festival – one of the world’s top comedy events – features more than 550 shows, with major international comedy stars, undiscovered gems and a vast array of Australian talent on the bill.
Special events include the Opening Night Gala, which will again raise money for Oxfam, and the National Raw Comedy Finals, which uncover the best new Australian comics.
Held in City Square and Federation Square, The Very Big Laugh Out will deliver free world-class comedy, every day of the festival.
The program also offers more than two dozen comedy shows that are tailored for children and their families.
Renowned as one of the world’s top three Comedy Festivals, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival brings hundreds of thousands of visitors from regional Victoria, interstate and overseas to the city each year.
Nearly 500,000 tickets were sold in 2014, generating more than $8 million for the Victorian economy, in addition to the $20 million generated by patrons from Greater Melbourne and regional Victoria.
The 2015 Melbourne International Comedy Festival runs from 25 March to 19 April 2015. For full program details, go to:
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley
“Comedy is the engine-room of so many of our creative industries.”
“This festival doesn’t end in April. Touring and education programs take in cities and towns across the country and abroad, supporting the industry year-round.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020