HAYLEY SPROULL TO HOST BEST FOODS COMEDY GALA
The New Zealand Comedy Trust & Best Foods Mayo present
Best Foods Comedy Gala
Hosted by Hayley Sproull
Make sure to mark your calendars and get ready for a night of comedy brilliance as the New Zealand Comedy Trust proudly presents the Best Foods Comedy Gala for 2025, hosted by multi-talented comedy sensation, Hayley Sproull. This unmissable night serves as the curtain-raiser for the 2025 NZ International Comedy Festival with Best Foods Mayo, for over three weeks of laughter, and an incredible selection of what’s hot in comedy, from 2 – 25 May.
Following a sold-out Best Foods Comedy Gala in 2024, audiences will get the chance to catch a night packed with hilarity, showcasing a top selection of international and local comedians performing at the 2025 festival. Tāmaki Makaurau gets the giggles on Friday 2 May at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Aotea Centre before the ultimate night of comedy heads to Te Whanganui-a-Tara on Saturday 3 May at The Opera House.
Hayley Sproull is a comedy force to be reckoned with. You’ll recognise her as the host of TVNZ’s Have You Been Paying Attention? and The Great Kiwi Bake Off, and as a co-host on ZM’s Fletch, Vaughan & Hayley Breakfast Show. Hayley’s comedy career launched in 2012, when she won Best Newcomer at the NZ International Comedy Festival. Since then, she’s collected accolades across theatre, television, and radio, and was named a Fred Award Finalist this year. Hayley has made her mark on screens in Taskmaster, 7 Days, and Golden Boy.
Hayley is a familiar face on the Comedy Gala stage, after debuting in 2018. Now she’s thrilled to be back and taking on the coveted role of host. “I'm absolutely tickled to be asked to host the 2025 Best Foods Comedy Gala. It's such a huge honour. I've watched lots of my friends absolutely crush the job over the years, so I'll definitely be asking them for their advice - do I say 'hello' to start, or just a cool 'hi'? Are the audience close enough to notice that I only grow hair on my knees but not my shins?! What if I need to pee while I'm on stage - will they wait for me??? All things I hope to wrap my head around by next year. Cannot wait!” says Hayley.
The first comedians on the 2025 line-up are set to be announced later this month, ready to bring the laughs to the Gala stage in Auckland and Wellington. Comedy fans across Aotearoa will still get their comedy fix, with the country’s biggest night in comedy filmed exclusively for THREE.
Proceeds from the Best Foods Comedy Gala support the New Zealand Comedy Trust, empowering the next generation of comedy talent and championing the craft of laughter through year-round development initiatives. A big thank you goes to Best Foods mayo for continuing to support the NZ comedy industry for nearly a decade! Everyone can share a laugh through the annual NZ International Comedy Festival with Best Foods Mayo.
The 2025 NZ International Comedy Festival with Best Foods Mayo runs from 2 – 25 May, with the full programme to be announced in March 2025.
BEST FOODS COMEDY GALA
AUCKLAND
Friday 2 May
Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Aotea Centre
50 Mayoral Drive, Auckland Central
WELLINGTON
Saturday 3 May
The Opera House
113/111 Manners Street, Te Aro