Echuca hosts fresh comedy lineup as MICF Roadshow rolls out

On the evening of 15 May, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow pulls into Echuca’s Paramount Theatre.

Inside, a handpicked lineup of four or five comedians will take the stage for two hours. The kind of bill that might have cost $60 a ticket in the city a month ago runs closer to $45 here.

This is the MICF Roadshow, now in its 30th year. It scatters the festival’s best across 30-plus Victorian towns from April to July. The 40th festival wrapped in April, and the Roadshow is how its energy reaches Warburton, Cowes, Ballarat, and beyond.

Scenestr calls it “a seamless and ultra-hilarious evening.” The Sunday Times says it “has everyone’s humour covered.”

Each venue gets its own bill. Tim Hewitt hosted Bayswater. Dane Simpson leads in Ararat. UK comic Carl Donnelly and Malaysian act Kuah Jenhan add international texture alongside local names like Suren Jayemanne, Grace Jarvis, and Zoë Coombs Marr.

That shifting roster matters. It means a night at Bunjil Place in Narre Warren on 14 May was not a repeat of what Kyneton saw on 8 May or Frankston on 3 May. Checking the official Roadshow site for your local lineup is the first rule.

Tickets range from $39 to $50. Earlybird pricing can vanish months ahead. Bunjil Place earlybirds at $41 on sale until Dec 2025. Some venues are now tight.

Local radio is the sneaky way in. 91.7 The Wave has been running cue-to-call giveaways, with its current competition closing 22 May. Victorian outlets like ABC Mildura are in on the act. Venues like Chapel Theatre add more free tickets through social media draws.

For Melburnians, the Roadshow turns a night of comedy into a day trip. Bunjil Place sits near Westfield Fountain Gate, and Hallam Station on the Pakenham line is a one-kilometre walk away. Warburton’s Arts Centre is an hour’s drive from Lilydale with limited parking, but a post-show meal at the Black Spur Hotel and a river walk make the journey worthwhile.

The Roadshow continues through July, with stops in Shepparton and Geelong still ahead. Check the official site for your nearest lineup and keep an ear on the radio.