Comedy night
Ticketed stand-up show with local or touring comedians, usually with a bar and a raffle.
Typically raises
$4,000
$1,500–10,000 per eventest.
About $123 per organiser hour
Is it right for us?
- Money
- $2,000–10,000
- Work
- Weeks, part-time
- Helpers
- 3–6 people
- Lead time
- 1–2 months
- Red tape
- Some
Uncommon: less common, so it gets attention
- People
- 5-10
- Organiser time
- 25-40 (estimate)
- Lead time
- 6-10 weeks
- Up-front cost
- $500–$3,000. Comedian fees, venue, sound.
- Risk
- Medium. Comedian fees are committed before tickets sell.
How it works
The money, as an example sum
Sell at $40 a ticket, keep $40, so 138 tickets = $5,520, or about $4,020 after about $1,500 of costs. That’s about the typical result.
Using the figures on this page. Your prices and costs will differ.
Where the money figure comes from
Estimate. Rotary Club of Henderson charged $40 a head for its comedy fundraiser; results not published.
Last checked October 2026. Ran this? Tell us what you raised and we’ll use real results to improve the figures.
Step by step
- Book a venue and a headliner.
- Set ticket price to cover fees at 60% capacity.
- Sell tickets online.
- Promote with comedians' clips.
- Run the show with a short fundraising pitch at interval.
- Pay acts and bank the rest.
Getting the word out
Even a well-run plan fails if nobody hears about it. There are two asks, and the first one goes out first.
- Ask for help
- Helpers for the day or night, and local businesses for prizes.
- Ask people to buy
- People to book tickets or tables, and turn up.
- When to start
- Ask for helpers first, as soon as the date is set. Start the public ask about 3–4 weeks out, and book newsletter and paper notices before that: small newsletters close early.
Where to put it
- School, club and church newslettersYour own newsletter is free and read by the families most likely to say yes. Check when it closes.
- Local Facebook pages and community groupsPost in your town’s community page and local groups (check their rules), and share from your group’s own page.
- Facebook events and what’s-on listingsMake a Facebook event people can say they’re going to, and list it on your council’s or town’s what’s-on page.
- Community newsletters and magazinesResidents’ newsletters, village magazines and other churches’ bulletins often run community notices free. Small ones close early.
- Other groups sharing itAsk the school, kindy, church, sports club or marae down the road to share it in their newsletter or page. Offer to share theirs back.
The full guide to getting the word out: every channel from flyers to the evening news, with lead times and costs.
What you’ll need
- Place
- NeededA hired venue
- Landowner’s permission
- Not needed
- Council permit
- Not needed
- Food rules
- Not neededNo food sold
- Alcohol
- CheckUse a licensed venue and confirm its licence covers your event. A club licence usually covers members and guests only
- Gambling rules
- NeededClass 2: prizes up to $5,000 and all tickets printed worth up to $25,000. Run by a club or society, with the money going to community or charitable purposes. Prizes at least 20% of ticket value; sold in person only, every ticket numbered (our rule: on paper). Prizes over $5,000 need a Class 3 licence
- Health and safety
- CheckA simple risk check and briefing
- Insurance
- CheckCheck your cover
Use a licensed venue or get a special licence for your own bar. Check whether the comedian's agent needs a fee deposit up front.
Make more from it
often $300-1,500 (estimate)
the crowd is already there with cash or cards out
Silent auction of donated items
often $1,000-5,000 at a 100-person event (estimate)
guests browse between courses or acts
removes most upfront cost (estimate)
a sponsor's name on posters and tickets in return for paying the hard costs
Stack it: on its own, about $4,000. With the 2 priced add-ons above, roughly
$7,900est.
What you can get donated
Venue, MC, some comedians will reduce fees for charity.
Tips
- A recognisable headliner sells tickets; fill the rest with local acts.
Watch out for
- Material that offends your core supporters; brief comedians.
Comedy night: checklist
0 of 15 done
Before
On the day
After
Use a licensed venue or get a special licence for your own bar. Check whether the comedian's agent needs a fee deposit up front.
Also pairs with: Raffle, Short live auction at interval, Bar
Sources
* General fundraising information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Money figures are examples and estimates, not promises. Check current official requirements before you commit. About this guide