DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The Dubai Comedy Festival will return for its eighth edition from 8 to 18 October 2026, bringing ten days of stand-up shows, international stars and citywide performances, organisers announced on Tuesday.
The festival promises “a world of laughs,” with a programme designed to appeal to Dubai’s multicultural community – a city where nearly 200 nationalities live side by side. It has grown into one of the emirate’s major cultural highlights, offering regional and international comedians a prominent platform to reach diverse audiences.
The event has expanded significantly since Dave Chappelle headlined the inaugural edition in 2015, delivering his first Middle East performance at Skydive Dubai. Since then, the festival has welcomed global and regional names including Mo Amer, Bassem Youssef, John Achkar, Gad Elmaleh, Nemr, Vir Das, Gaurav Kapoor, Maz Jobrani and Morgan Jay.
The 2025 edition underlined the festival’s scale, with shows across four major venues, performances in seven languages and more than 60 hours of comedy presented through 34 events featuring over 70 artists.
Organisers say the 2026 programme will build further on that momentum, with headline acts to be announced soon.
Updates will be available on the official website: www.dubaicomedyfest.ae
