Is Just For Laughs Sydney the same festival as Just For Laughs in Montreal?
No. Just For Laughs Sydney is its own festival, held in Sydney under the Just For Laughs name. The Just For Laughs group produces the original festival in Montréal, held since 1983, and lists Sydney among its other festivals, with Québec City, Toronto, Vancouver, Singapore and Bermuda. Sydney's fourteenth edition runs 9 to 22 November 2026.
One group, several festivals
The Just For Laughs festival in Montréal has been held since its first edition in 1983, and the Just For Laughs group calls it the world's largest comedy festival. The group's own site, hahaha.com, says it also runs a series of festivals in Québec City, Toronto, Vancouver, Singapore, Sydney and Bermuda. The company behind it, founded by Sylvain Parent-Bédard in 1997, acquired the Just For Laughs assets in 2024. Sydney and Montréal share a name and a parent group, but they are separate festivals in separate cities.
Just For Laughs Sydney
The Sydney Opera House describes Just For Laughs Sydney as being in its 14th edition, bringing the spirit and star power of what it calls the world's largest comedy festival to stages across Sydney from 9 to 22 November 2026. Shows run at the Opera House and other theatres, with the JFL All-Star Gala on 21 November. The Sydney festival's own site quotes Sylvain Parent-Bédard, President and CEO of Just For Laughs, naming Bohm Presents as the partners behind the line-up.
Singapore follows the same model
Just For Laughs Singapore works the same way. Its site says Just For Laughs returns for its second Singapore edition, running from 6 October to 1 December 2026, and repeats the group's description of the Montréal festival and its sister festivals. Each city's festival has its own dates, venues and line-up, so check the local festival's site rather than the Montréal programme.
Sources
- Just For Laughs (hahaha.com): About the group ↗
- Sydney Opera House: Just For Laughs ↗
- Just For Laughs Sydney: home ↗
- Just For Laughs Singapore: home ↗
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Facts as of 17 October 2026. Festivals change their plans: confirm on the festival's own site before you book. Every question