Dubai Comedy Festival 2026 returns: Dates, venue and what to expect

Laughing really should come with a prescription and luckily, Dubai agrees.

The Dubai Comedy Festival is officially making its return in 2026, ready to turn October into a 10-day laugh marathon running from October 9 to 18. Consider it your annual reminder that serotonin can, in fact, be booked in advance.

Who’s on the lineup?

The short answer: we don’t know yet.
The fun answer: it’s usually very worth the wait.

The festival is expected to bring together 50+ comedians across 40+ shows and three venues, so if previous years are anything to go by, your abs might get a better workout from laughing than the gym ever manages.

Last year’s lineup set the bar pretty high with crowd-crackers like Tom Segura, Joanne McNally, Morgan Jay, Zakir Khan and Mo Amer.

Family-friendly shows got their moment in the spotlight too, with acts like Tape Face, MUSH, 101 Ways to Annoy Your Parents and Other Really Old People, and Con Coutis proving that comedy chaos is truly an all-ages affair.

Where is it happening?

In classic Dubai fashion: everywhere and anywhere that sounds like a good time.

Last year, shows popped up across Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai Opera, and New Covent Garden Theatre at Mall of the Emirates. The 2026 venues haven’t been confirmed yet, but it’s a safe bet they’ll stick to the city’s big-ticket entertainment spots.

For now, the lineup remains under wraps, but stay tuned, we'll let you know as soon as it's confirmed.