The curtains dropped on the Dubai Comedy Festival 2025 on October 12, after 11 glorious days of joke-flying, mic-dropping and full-throttle giggles that took over the city’s best stages. If you were there, you probably left with sore cheeks, a souvenir chuckle, and maybe a note in your phone that said: “See more comedy next year.”
The venues that made us feel fancy
Think of it as a laughter tour around town: Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai Opera, New Covent Garden Theatre and the Playhouse Studio at Mall of the Emirates staged the festival’s biggest moments — the kinds of venues that make you feel fancy even when you’re mid-snort-laugh. The lineup leaned global (and deliciously eclectic): Tom Segura opened the festival, Zakir Khan closed the big arena run, and acts like Mo Amer, Omid Djalili, Joanne McNally and Andrew Schulz kept the energy electric in between. It was stand-up, improv, sketch and family-friendly mayhem — sometimes all in one night.
A festival that spoke seven languages
Here’s the thing about a good comedy festival: it’s part concert, part cultural cocktail party, and part social glue. In Dubai’s case this year, 11 days meant hundreds of setlists, multilingual punchlines (English, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, French, German, Russian — take your pick), and a crowd that genuinely wanted to be there. The vibe? Cosmopolitan, curious, and very into laughing together — which, frankly, is the perfect recipe for making strangers feel like old friends within the space of a punchline.
Headline nights — the ones we replayed in our heads
There were a bunch of headline moments — Segura’s big opener at Coca-Cola Arena, Andrew Schulz bringing the Flagrant Live energy, Mo Amer selling out extra dates, and Zakir Khan’s arena set that wrapped the festival with a big, warm communal laugh. Add the viral clips, the local standouts who proved Dubai’s comedy scene keeps growing, and the improv shows that somehow turned random audience suggestions into pure gold — and you’ve got memories for a lifetime (or at least for your Instagram grid).
Voices from the festival
Festival partners and organisers were clearly proud — and why wouldn’t they be? Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, highlighted how the festival “unites residents, visitors, and global performers through the universal language of laughter,” and emphasized the festival’s role in building Dubai’s cultural identity. Michael Daniel of BRAG put it even more simply and sweetly: “It’s a heartbeat.” Those quotes don’t just underline success — they remind us why live comedy matters: connection, perspective, and the accidental therapy of a shared laugh.
From revival to runways — the festival’s glow-up
Since its launch in 2016 and its 2020 revival, Dubai Comedy Festival has become a proper home for both international stars and rising regional talent. The 2025 edition — the festival’s seventh run — reinforced that growth, bringing together big names and fresh voices, and making space for multiple languages and styles to share the same stage. That mix is the festival’s secret sauce: something for everyone, and an unexpected favourite for those who wandered in thinking they’d “just pop by.”
What people loved
- Big arenas, big laughs: headline shows at Coca-Cola Arena were major crowd-pleasers.
- Homegrown highlights: local and regional comics got big moments on big stages — always great to see.
- Language diversity: multiple languages, multiple laughs — proof comedy isn’t picky about dialects.
Looking ahead — already dreaming of 2026
Organisers have teased that Dubai Comedy Festival 2026 will be “bigger and better” — more acts, more venues, and of course, more chances to laugh till your ribs ache. If 2025 was any indicator, 2026 will be the time to clear your calendar, bring every friend, and maybe book seats for the shows you know will sell out (yes, some did). The city’s comedic calendar just keeps getting thicker — and funnier. (Consider this your friendly reminder to prioritize comedy over chores. Seriously.)
Final note: missed it?
You didn’t miss a moment forever — clips, specials, and returning acts mean the jokes (and the joy) will keep circulating. And if you went? Congratulations — you survived 11 days of prime joke intake and probably acquired a new favourite comic or two. Either way, Dubai Comedy Festival 2025 proved one delightful truth: the world can never have too many laughs. Target next year — louder, prouder, and with even more snacks.
— Want this trimmed into a punchy newsletter blurb, an Instagram caption series, or a “Top 5 must-see moments” carousel? Pick one and I’ll spin it into bite-sized giggle fuel.
