An AI-powered tool developed by Datacom, that helped audiences navigate and choose from more than 680 shows in last year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival line-up – and attracted up to 6,000 daily interactions – is back in 2026 with clever new functionality to help people discover the right act, coordinate group plans and even organise their night out.
Building on the strong uptake and insights from last year, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) team and Datacom have introduced three enhancements designed to make the Funny Finder tool even more useful, practical and personalised. The festival itself – which marks its 40th anniversary in 2026 – is bigger than ever too, with nearly 800 shows in this year’s line-up.
One of the biggest requests from 2025 users was the ability to get recommendations based on the style and characteristics of artists they already enjoy.
This year, Funny Finder can match festivalgoers with comedians who share similar comedic traits – from genre and performance style to tone, energy and delivery.
Festivalgoers can now ask questions like: “If I like [comedian], who else should I see this year?” or even “I don’t like this type of act, so what will I like?”
Powered by richer artist profiles supplied by MICF, the Funny Finder tool can help audiences explore beyond familiar names and discover emerging talent with confidence.
“Audiences told us they wanted more personalised help navigating the festival, especially when trying something new or planning a night out with friends,” says Denise Damianos, the MICF’s Marketing & Partnership Director.
Many festivalgoers attend in groups and choosing a show that works for everyone can be challenging.
To help with this, Datacom has introduced a new multi‑preference feature that blends different tastes and suggests options that appeal across styles and genres.
Festivalgoers can now ask more complex questions like: “Some of us like X, some of us like Y – what show could we all enjoy?”
Whether it’s co‑workers, friends or family members with varying senses of humour, Funny Finder now makes group planning easier and more enjoyable.
“These updates make Funny Finder more responsive to the way people really experience the festival – discovering fresh talent, coordinating group plans and enjoying the Comedy Festival as a full night out,” says Damianos.
Datacom Director of AI, Lou Compagnone, says one of the benefits of working with the festival team again this year is that Datacom has been able to apply everything they learned in 2025 about the tool and how people used it.
“We learned a lot about how people used the tool last year and that has informed the adaptations. Working alongside the Festival team again this year has meant we can refine the tool based on real audience needs. The new features keep Funny Finder simple, helpful and human – and they show what’s possible when AI design is grounded in genuine collaboration and user insights.”
In 2026, Funny Finder has also gone beyond show recommendations to help people make the most of their evening.
Working with MICF, Datacom has integrated details for a range of partner bars and restaurants – enabling the tool to recommend places to eat or drink before or after a show, or help users find a gig near where they’re already dining.
Festivalgoers can now ask things like:
The tool responds with a small number of clear, practical options, making it easier for users to build a full night out without multiple tabs or endless scrolling.
“A great festival night should feel effortless, and that’s exactly what we focused on this year. By combining show details with nearby dining options and location‑aware suggestions, Funny Finder now helps people shape the kind of night out they want – without juggling multiple apps or tabs.”
These enhancements build on the strong collaboration established in 2025, when MICF and Datacom co‑designed the first version of Funny Finder.
With shared experience and new audience insights, the 2026 development cycle moved quickly – focused on the real behaviours, questions and challenges observed during last year’s festival.
The teams worked closely together to:
This collaborative approach has ensured the tool remains aligned with the MICF team’s goals, easy to use and genuinely helpful for audiences.
“What’s made this project so successful is the genuinely collaborative approach. Datacom listened closely to how our audiences behave and how our team works, and together we’ve been able to evolve the tool in ways that feel natural for the festival. It’s been a real partnership, and it continues to grow each year,” says Damianos.
Funny Finder’s first year demonstrated how valuable personalised, conversational support is for audiences trying to navigate it – and it also saw the tool garner some recognition from the tech industry too.
Funny Finder won the Emerging Tech category at the 2025 ARN Innovation Awards, with the win acknowledging the tool’s innovative approach to helping audiences find gigs that matched their preferences, among a packed festival line-up, using a conversational interface.
"When money and funding is tight, trying new opportunities can feel impossible. Add to it the fact that we only get one shot – the festival comes and goes, and we don't have the luxury of saying 'let's delay a month or two until we feel ready'. Top it off with dabbling in a world where you don't fully understand how the technology works, and it can feel risky. But that's where partnerships thrive,” says Damianos.
“Datacom brought the know-how and a motivated, talented team to show how AI can help comedy fans find their way to the funnies. Innovation doesn't happen when you play it safe. It happens when you find the right partner, trust the process and have the courage to take the leap."
“Working with the festival team has shown what’s possible when you combine deep audience insight with thoughtful AI design. There’s so much opportunity ahead, and we’re excited to keep evolving Funny Finder with the team to support even richer, more seamless experiences in future years,” says Compagnone.
“We’re also keen to explore other opportunities to use similar tools for other major events and programmes.”
The Funny Finder tool will be available throughout the 2026 festival on the Melbourne International Comedy Festival website 2026 Festival | Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Discover how Datacom's tailored AI solutions can transform experiences and drive results. Our AI-powered 'Funny Finder' tool at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival – now in its second year and supporting nearly 800 shows in the festival's 40th anniversary edition – delivered a more intuitive, natural way for audiences to get personalised show recommendations, attracting up to 6,000 daily interactions.
New for 2026, the tool acts as a full night-out concierge: matching festivalgoers with comedians similar to their favourites, helping groups with mixed tastes find shows everyone will enjoy and recommending nearby bars and restaurants to complete the evening. We blend deep local expertise with global AI capabilities to create human-first solutions for enterprises and government. We build strong foundations to help organisations harness AI effectively, accelerating their journey while enhancing, not disrupting, the workforce.
