Chromatic materials such as polydiacetylene change colour in response to a wide variety of environmental stimuli, including changes in temperature, pH and chemical or mechanical stress, and have been extensively explored as sensing devices. Here, we report the facile synthesis of carbon nanotube/polydiacetylene nanocomposite fibres that rapidly and reversibly respond to electrical current, with the resulting colour change being readily observable with the naked eye. These composite fibres also chromatically respond to a broad spectrum of other stimulations. For example, they exhibit rapid and reversible stress-induced chromatism with negligible elongation. These electrochromatic nanocomposite fibres could have various applications in sensing.