Event details
Overview The Dubai Comedy Festival is a 10-day marathon of laughs, and the first time such an event has taken place in the emirate. Events and gigs are taking place all across the city.
Dates October 15 to October 24, 2015
Venues It’s a festival, so it’s taking place at several locations across Dubai. The Walk at JBR serves as the Comedy Strip, while the main stage and garden has been built at next to Sky Dive Dubai in Mina Seyahi. Gigs will also take place at Madinat Theatre and the Meyana Theatre at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel.
Tickets We have included the cheapest prices below. To find out premium ticket prices for your desired act, click here.
Parking Parking is available at Dubai International Marine Club, but it is still some way from the main venue. The festival organisers say that if you arrive by car, you’re at the wrong venue, as there is no parking at the main stage area itself. You are advised to use public transport Taxi Taxi is a convenient way to get to the main stage and garden, but upon exit you may find the queues quite long Tram The nearest tram station is JBR1, followed by a 10 minute walk Metro Dubai Marina followed by a 20 minute walk or five minute taxi ride.
Performers
There are some 24 comedians lined up to make you laugh and, what’s more, there is a language for nearly everyone!
Dave Chappelle
When October 22 and 23, 18-years and above. Show starts at 8pm. Doors will open at 6pm Venue Dubai Comedy Festival Main Stage, Skydive Dubai Tickets From Dh295
Known as the “Comic Genius of America” by Esquire, his talents have been sprawled across the entertainment industry as everything from performer to screenwriter. Despite saying he was born for this, Dave “retired” from comedy years ago. However he is known for making completely unannounced appearances on the comedy circuit. Dave is ready for Dubai. The real question however is whether Dubai is ready for Dave.
Trevor Noah
When October 24, 18-years and above. Show starts at 7pm. Doors will open at 6pm Venue Dubai Comedy Festival Main Stage, Skydive Dubai Tickets From Dh295
Trevor Noah is so good that even Jon Stewart noticed him. As the new host of The Daily Show, Trevor is soon to be catapulted to fame far beyond his family kitchen where his performances were tolerated out of motherly love. Born and raised right at the very end of the African continent (in other words, very, very far from fame and fortune) He is flexing so much muscle – with his shirt on – he wasn’t even asked to remove it for his recent GQ cover shoot.
Hannibal Buress and Jerrod Carmichael
When October 16, 18-years and above. Show starts at 8pm. Doors will open at 6pm Venue Meyana Theatre, Jumeirah Beach Hotel Tickets From Dh295
If you think you’ve seen this face before, it’s probably because you’re a fan of Broad City or 30 Rock. With a name like Hannibal it was inevitable that he would command attention. Thankfully for this Hannibal, it had nothing to do with his dietary preferences and everything to do with his ability to serve delicious dead-pan comedy.
Jerrod Carmichael was featured in Variety as being one of the top ten comics to watch. Who are we to argue with Variety? So here he is: fresh in from LA where he is currently developing an untitled pilot for NBC which he will not only write, but also star in and produce. Voted as a New Face at the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival, clearly he is one to watch.
Ali Al Sayed
When October 19, 13-years and above. Show starts at 8pm. Doors will open at 7pm Venue The Madinat Theatre, Madinat Jumeirah Tickets From Dh195
When Rolling Stone Middle East magazine called him "One of the funniest people in 2012” he thought it was a joke. Born and raised in Dubai, Ali Al Sayed’s comedic repertoire has been inspired by his own life and those of his unsuspecting friends who inspire his material. A true child of the desert, his brand of humour is hot and his wit dry. Ali has performed all over the world and region, but considers his biggest and most important performance to be the homegrown international talent he wishes to nurture right here in Dubai.
Bader Saleh
When October 15, 18-years and above. Show starts at 8pm. Doors will open at 6pm Venue Meyana Theatre, Jumeirah Beach Hotel Tickets From Dh195
Anyone who has a show viewed by 297 million people must be many things. Mostly though, they must be seriously good. With more than 2.6 million YouTube subscribers and over 1.8 million followers on Twitter, Bader is practically a household name across the GCC. Besides comedy, he also stars in his own hit show and has been selected (apparently over some supermodels) to be the face of Dubai in a Minute for Visit Dubai.
Mac King
When October 22, family friendly. Show starts at 3pm. Doors will open at 1pm Venue Dubai Comedy Festival Main Stage, Skydive Dubai Tickets From Dh150
Mac King is known for many things - quirky humour, visual gags and sleight of hand. He is also known as the only comedian (or person for that matter) who has been upstaged by a goldfish. His show was recently voted one of the best shows in all of Las Vegas. While a lot of that is because he is a ridiculously good comedian, most of the credit must go to the goldfish who steals the show each time it magically appears over an audience member’s head…
Nitin Mirani
When October 17, 18-years and above. Show starts at 8pm. Doors will open at 6pm Venue Dubai Comedy Festival Main Stage, Skydive Dubai Tickets From Dh125
There's a lot going for you when you're officially the fourth funniest person in the world. It has vindicated Nitin's choice in career and certainly patched things up with his mum who warned him that people would laugh at him if he became a comedian. But those days are thankfully behind him. His name has been in up in bright lights, in bright cities. Caroline's and The Gotham Comedy Club in New York, The Laugh Factory in Chicago and The Comedy Store in London.
Abish Mathew
When October 17, 18-years and above. Show starts at 8pm. Doors will open at 6pm Venue Dubai Comedy Festival Main Stage, Skydive Dubai Tickets From Dh125
Part musician, part one man act, Abish has been a regular on the comedy circuit for so long, one would expect him to be much older than he actually is. Clearly talented, his repertoire extends from improv to stand up and original music.
Atul Khatri
When October 17, 18-years and above. Show starts at 8pm. Doors will open at 6pm Venue Dubai Comedy Festival Main Stage, Skydive Dubai Tickets From Dh125
A comedian and a CEO. No that's not a joke. One day after Atul turned 40, he decided he wanted to be funny and became a comedian. Remarkably he was actually very good at it. It came as a surprise to everyone who knew him. After all, on which planet is a computer engineer able to have an audience in stitches? But that's exactly what Atul has managed to do.
Kenny Sebastian
When October 17, 18-years and above. Show starts at 8pm. Doors will open at 6pm Venue Dubai Comedy Festival Main Stage, Skydive Dubai Tickets From Dh125
Kenny has more than 200 shows under his belt performing the length and breadth of the Asian subcontinent. When he is not performing, he writes and produces his own comedy shows. His most recent was an entire session of India’s first improv sketch show: The Living Room of Comedy Central India.
Neeti Palta
When October 17, 18-years and above. Show starts at 8pm. Doors will open at 6pm Venue Dubai Comedy Festival Main Stage, Skydive Dubai Tickets From Dh125
Voted the best Stand Up Comic at the Oz Fest in 2013, Neeti has brought something rather unusual and surprising to the Indian English comedy scene: a girl. With shows across more than 30 cities, Neeti is ranked number one of the Top 20 Indian Comedians to watch out for according to CNN IBN.
Andy Askins
When October 22 and 23, 21-years and above. Show starts at 9pm. Doors will open at 7.30pm Venue Movenpick Hotel, Comedy Strip at JBR The Walk Tickets From Dh250
Be careful, Andy Askins has a habit of tearing the roof down. He has been known to spare no audience or destination; from Mumbai to Tokyo and even quiet, respectable Switzerland. The man shows no mercy. His lines bring the house down every time. Despite this habit, he is still manages to be regularly invited on TV shows. This is because he is really good at two things: killer lines and killer tunes. Yes, you may have heard that song before, but have you heard the Andy Askins cover version?
Wayne Deakin
When October 22 and 23, 21-years and above. Show starts at 9pm. Doors will open at 7.30pm Venue Movenpick Hotel, Comedy Strip at JBR The Walk Tickets From Dh250
There are not many comedians who can claim to have performed in front of a single audience of 24,000 people. Wayne “Deaks” Deakin is one of them. His brand of amusement has whipped him out of Melbourne and fixed him as a regular on the American and Canadian circuit. With consecutive nights already under his belt at New York’s famous Caroline’s, this star from Down Under just keeps rising.
Dane Baptiste
When October 22 and 23, 21-years and above. Show starts at 9pm. Doors will open at 7.30pm Venue Movenpick Hotel, Comedy Strip at JBR The Walk Tickets From Dh250
South East London-born Dane burst onto the stand-up circuit rising quickly up the ranks and achieving notable success in numerous comedy competitions. Since the incredible success of his debut show, Citizen Dane (which saw him nominated for Best Newcomer at the Fosters Comedy Awards), he has completed two sold out runs at London’s Soho Theatre (with additional dates added due to phenomenal demand), written and stared in his own sitcom for BBC3 performed at the Melbourne Comedy Festival.
Mina Liccione
When October 17, 21-years and above. Show starts at 8pm. Doors will open at 7pm Venue Tribeca, JA Ocean View Hotel, Comedy Strip at JBR The Walk
Mina Liccione stands head-and-shoulders above her contemporaries… literally. At six-foot, Mina’s repertoire is as unmissable as she is. A New York native, this award winning Broadway veteran, choreographer and comedian has been causing a riot everywhere she goes with her self depreciating routine and hilarious impersonations and voices. She has performed with the who’s who of the comedy circuit. From Dean Obeidallah and Hollywood legend Michael Winslow to Bon Jovi, Mina has shared the limelight with some super stars.
Andy Smart
When October 19, 21-years and above. Show starts at 7.30pm. Doors will open at 5.30pm Venue Habtoor Grand Hotel, Comedy Strip at JBR The Walk Tickets From Dh250
A chancing man, he has been taking risks with his life for as long as he can remember. From running with the bulls, to American football to the Iranian football team, he has lost big. Thank goodness the man has a sense of humour. It has literally been his saving grace. Otherwise who knows what would have become of him. As part of the highly successful Vicious Boys, Andy became practically a household name in the UK. A veteran of the circuit, and has performed in 28 consecutive Edinburgh Festivals and more cities than he can remember across the globe.
Ian Coppinger
When October 19, 21-years and above. Show starts at 7.30pm. Doors will open at 5.30pm Venue Habtoor Grand Hotel, Comedy Strip at JBR The Walk Tickets From Dh250
Ian Coppinger has performed in so many cities and venues around the world, listing them would be the ultimate joke. A celebrated improviser, he co-founded The Dublin Comedy Improv and has done battle with the best of them all over the world. His repertoire of talents extends from the stage to radio and film. Widely acknowledged as Ireland’s hardest working comedian (itself a one liner of genius) Ian, by popular demand, has not missed a single performance at the Kilkenny Cat Laughs Comedy Festival since 1995.
Stephen Frost
When October 19, 21-years and above. Show starts at 7.30pm. Doors will open at 5.30pm Venue Habtoor Grand Hotel, Comedy Strip at JBR The Walk Tickets From Dh250
Stephen is mostly known as one part of the duo “The Oblivion Boys”. With Mark Aden, the pair caused hilarious mayhem with their irreverent stand-up and comedy routine. Eventually, even BBC 2 relented and gave them a show of their own - Lazarus and Dingwall. A veteran of the comedy scene, Stephen has also made regular appearances on TV playing small roles in everything from Mr. Bean Rides Again to Blackadder. Frost still appears regularly with Comedy Store Players in The Comedy Store, London.
Steve Steen
When October 19, 21-years and above. Show starts at 7.30pm. Doors will open at 5.30pm Venue Habtoor Grand Hotel, Comedy Strip at JBR The Walk Tickets From Dh250
Part actor, part comedian, Steve is best known for being one half of an improv partnership with Jim Sweeney. Old school pals, the two kept on being pals through their many television and comedy shows. Steve had a major role in Sweeney's award winning play Danny’s Wake which was subsequently adapted into a sitcom for Radio 4. He has also appeared as a solo performer on Who’s Line is it Anyway? While some might call it career suicide, he particularly likes everyone to know that he is a supporter of Fulham Football Club.
Mohammad Salem
When October 15, 18-years and above. Show starts at 8pm. Doors will open at 6pm Venue Meyana Theatre, Jumeirah Beach Hotel Tickets From Dh195
Mohammad Salem made his name in front of the toughest audiences known to man: schools and universities. He survived, just. His jokes quickly spread from Alexandria to Cairo before regional fame found and crowned him as the Best Comedian in the Middle East at the Amman Comedy Festival in 2009. He has been performing his brand of Arab humour all over the world ever since.
Ibrahim Al Khairallah
When October 15, 18-years and above. Show starts at 8pm. Doors will open at 6pm Venue Meyana Theatre, Jumeirah Beach Hotel Tickets From Dh250
Ibrahim is a comedian who also happens to be a YouTube sensation. With one million views, and hundreds of thousands of followers, he is a laugh-a-minute sensation from Saudi Arabia to Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. In addition to his many accomplishments, he was also crowned as the Arabic Winner at the Amman Comedy Festival 2010.
Waddah Swar
When October 15, 18-years and above. Show starts at 8pm. Doors will open at 6pm Venue Meyana Theatre, Jumeirah Beach Hotel Tickets From Dh250
It took one Martin Lawrence show way back in 1998 for Waddah to know that comedy was his thing too. One of the comedy pioneers in the region, he took to the stage with Axis of Evil and never looked back. He has since shared billing with Maz Jobrani, Ahmed Ahmed and Russell Peters to name only a few. In 2013, he participated in the much anticipated KitKat Comedy Show Break and won the title of ‘Funniest Arab.
Fahad Albutairi
When October 15, 18-years and above. Show starts at 8pm. Doors will open at 6pm Venue Meyana Theatre, Jumeirah Beach Hotel Tickets From Dh250
Fahad Albutairi is the first Saudi to enjoy people laughing at him as he is the nation’s first comedian to appear on stage professionally. Fahad has rolled his punchlines with some of the industry’s biggest names: Gabriel Iglesias and Eddie Griffin know his name – as do thousand and thousands of followers on YouTube. As a co-founder of Saudi’s “New Media” movement Fahad has become a firm fixture on the international tour.
Adi Khalefa
When October 15, 18-years and above. Show starts at 8pm. Doors will open at 6pm Venue Meyana Theatre, Jumeirah Beach Hotel Tickets From Dh250
Straight out of Palestine, Adi Khalefa describes his off-stage life as essentially being a perpetual open mic session. With his special comic blend of social critique and personal sarcasm, Khalefa has toured Europe, USA and performed basically everywhere in Palestine and Jordan. He even has six comedy specials under his belt, and now we're lucky enough to have him here in Dubai.
Bret Ernst
When October 22 and 24, 18-years and above. Show starts at 9pm. Doors will open at 7.30pm Venue Andreas Restaurant, Habtoor Grand Hotel, Comedy Strip at JBR The Walk
In a city filled with stars, Bret has rocked it some major veterans. He’s taken the stand with Vince Vaughn, Craig Ferguson of The Late Late Show and even Kesha for her Blah Blah Blah production. We are told he is best known for his “Roller Skating Bit”. But we assume that is only to deflect from his stint as a former wrestling Society X commentator. Audiences would be well advised to laugh on cue.
Contact
Website Dubai Comedy Festival
