Melbourne and Sydney Fringe 2026
An overflow of wit and humour, compelling improv skits, a genuinely warm corporate romance and a captivating Brown women spoken word are some of the South Asian offerings this year. (Melbourne and Sydney Fringe 2026)
Sydney Fringe Festival (1-30 September)
THE RACIST IMMIGRANTS
This title’s sure to catch your eye – because immigrants and rac*st? What?
But what can we say, these are just your typical next-door immigrants and their attempt to assimilate. Comics Delhi Buoy (Chetan Singh) and Aditya Gautam feature as Immigrant E and Immigrant B respectively.
Be prepared for an hour of unfiltered, unabashed comedy that will leave you questioning everything (yes, everything) you think you know about immigrants and immigrant cultures. Shattering stereotypes and inducing non-stop laughter, nothing’s quite off limit: taxis, food, nu*e beaches, boats, you name it! Also showing at Melbourne Fringe.
THE ALGORITHM OF US
From the company behind And What Will People Say? comes this unmissable corporate romantic comedy. In a world that is hellbent on optimising everything, two corporate rivals stumble upon the one irrational, stubborn and inconvenient problem no algorithm can quite tackle: love.
This is the story of Laari and Veeraj, where we uncover the many things, we sacrifice in the pursuit of success and the miracles we often risk losing when we remain too busy to notice what lies before us. Sharp, hilarious and brimming with warmth, this romcom is an ode to falling in love in today’s world.
ETHNIC COMEDY DINNER
Aditya Gautam, of ‘Artificially Unintelligent: Show About Humans, AI’s and Scams’ and ‘Don’t Call Me a Papadum’ fame, is back to stun with a new standup. This time, an ethnic laughter riot is at the dinner table! Featuring Hindu gods, Bollywood movies, cricket tales, accents and much more, this show will leave you laughing till your cheeks hurt.
ALL INDIA MASS MIGRATION COMEDY
No more Indians they say?! It is only natural that the Indians strike back with the most lethal weapon of them all… comedy.
The boldest, spiciest show from the 2026 Melbourne International Comedy Festival has now made its way to Sydney Fringe. Bringing together some of the best, award-winning comics onto one stage, this is a straight-up laughter galore you simply must witness.
Note: taxi rides or tech support or tasty papadums don’t come with the show. Fret not though, some top-notch, uncapped comedy is surely guaranteed.
SEVEN DEADLY SCENES
Some very important questions will be dealt with: Can virtue be cruel? Can sins be exquisite? Can humanity truly be saved from the abyss of hell?
Presented by Improv Theatre Sydney, this production is a unique experience where audience secrets and sins are transformed into improvised theatre scenes. The ensemble cast features South Asian acts Amogh S and Aarushi G.
AVINAASH THANABALAN – INSIDE AN IMMIGRANT SUITCASE
What’s it really like being an immigrant, having to ride the waves of living between two (wholly different) worlds? Avinaash Thanabalan’s comedy act dives into the heart of it: cultural confusion, identity crises, piling family, and societal expectations.
Energetic, relatable and bracingly honest, expect an hour of sharp humour and genius storytelling – whether you’re an immigrant or simply someone’s who’s ever searched for belonging, this one hits (very) close to home.
TELEVISION: LIVE
BREAKING NEWS: The golden age of TV is back, all thanks to these hilarious bunch of improvisers.
Inspired by the shows you grew up on, the performers concoct fun improv scenes that will (without a single doubt) take you down memory lane. The crew features South Asian acts Kirit Chaudhary and Sharanya Mathanarajan.
GUNEET KAUR – SHARPER
An hour of continuous, effortless whip-smart comedy by the very witty Guneet Kaur. Penned as a fearless comeback to anyone who has ever dared to get Kaur to tame her edges, Sharper carries forward Kaur’s signature style of exploring her complex identity with some extreme self-awareness.
7-ELEVEN ATTACK
It’s the Great Hilarious Australia Takeover and the Indians are coming.
RAW Comedy SA Winner/Nationals runner-up, Delhi Buoy, brings his hilarious show as he strategises the great Australian takeover using a mission he is calling – The 7/11 Attack! Also showing at Melbourne Fringe.
RIV NARAK – NO MORE INDIAN JOKES
Basically, everyone told Riv Narak to stop doing Indian jokes. Everyone being critics, friends, fellow comedians and even Indians. This brand-new comedy show attempts to prove them right and somehow, repeatedly fails. Hilarious and authentic, be prepared to laugh out loud!
AN AUGMENTATION OF SITAR BY RAVI
These are the sounds of the majestic sitar like never before. Every night is special, with live guest collaborations as Ravi Ramjas defies genres to play stunning covers of popular songs. A memorable delight for anyone who loves music.
Melbourne Fringe Festival (29 September – 18 October)
BROWN WOMEN POETRY
When brown women take the mic, rebellion and softness come alive in the same sentence.
Making its Melbourne Fringe debut, this showcase brings together South Asian women poets for a curated, intimate evening of spoken word and poetry. At the heart of Brown Women Poetry is the simple idea that there is no single South Asian story. Every poet arrives with their unique work, conceived from lived experiences, ideas, imagination and memory, imagination. This season will feature 5 shows with 10 artists, including a multilingual show with poetry in Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi.
There is nothing quite like the magic of a poem being heard live, and Brown Women Poetry reiterates just that.
ANICONIC
One divine marriage. One sacred site. What could ever go wrong?
This Melbourne Fringe premiere invites the audience to witness a sacred world being recreated in real time as the wedding of Shiva and Parvati unfolds in a magnificent combination of live performances, music and virtual reality. Through dance, two performers activate an ancient world as the space around them transforms. Part performance, part installation, part digital pilgrimage, this showcase interweaves ritual and technology.
The temple is no longer a static monument in Aniconic; it becomes a living space where life happens and experiences collide.
AN EVENING OF CLASSICAL MUSIC AND BHARATANATYAM
Welcome to the enchanting world of Bharatanatyam, one of India’s oldest and most revered classical dance traditions. Vishantay Pillay invites the audience on a margam, a holistic artistic journey, ranging from rhythm and devotion to expressive movements.
Bringing the power and emotional depth of this timeless dance tradition, this is a performance that will stay with you long after.
NA-IBA: THE OTHER, A LOOK AT MEDEA
Drawn from Euripides’ Medea and created entirely in the present tense, this Divergent Theatre Collective production unveils a myth of displacement, expressed by women who have lived it from the inside.
More than a mere reimagining, NA-IBA is a reckoning. Australian-based Punjabi actress Isha makes up the ensemble cast who hold roots across the Philippines, India, Malaysia, Chile, Vietnam and Iran. Together, they question: where does this ancient tale of displacement, treachery, and rage still reside?
For the full Melbourne and Sydney Fringe 2026 program, and to find out more about these shows, visit the Sydney Fringe Festival website and Melbourne Fringe Festival website.
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