Dubai Comedy Festival: Final Days, 20 Shows Left

The Dubai Comedy Festival runs from Friday 9 to Sunday 18 October 2026, and today, Thursday 15 October, the final four days are left: 20 shows still to come, including Vir Das, Zarna Garg and Shane Todd. Tickets start from AED 125 and are sold through the official site. Below is every remaining show, with prices, age limits and venues.

The Dubai Comedy Festival is the city’s annual multilingual stand-up festival, now in its seventh edition, with shows in English, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Russian, German and French. This post lists every show left from 15 to 18 October, with prices and age limits checked on the official Dubai Comedy Festival site today, plus help picking a show and getting there. For everything else happening this month, see our guide to things to do in Dubai in October.

Dubai Comedy Festival 2026: every remaining show, 15 to 18 October

The table below covers all 20 shows left in the Dubai Comedy Festival programme, verified on the official site today. Prices are “starting from” figures, so better seats cost more.

Nino Arial’s solo French show is listed on the official Dubai Comedy Festival site without a price; check the listing for the latest figure.

Which Dubai Comedy Festival show should you book?

With 20 shows left, the hard part is choosing. Use this quick picker for the comedy shows left at the Dubai Comedy Festival this week.

• Taking children: Kings and Queens of Comedy on Sunday 18 October (2+, from AED 150) is the most family-friendly show left. John Achkar’s Feena Nehke (13+) on Saturday and Sunday is the next best option for teens.
• Big names, big rooms: Vir Das closes the festival at Coca-Cola Arena on Sunday 18 October (from AED 195). Zarna Garg’s Million Dollar Excuses plays Dubai Opera on Friday 16 October (from AED 195), and Shane Todd’s Hold Me Back is the same night at New Covent Garden Theatre (from AED 195).
• Hindi and Urdu comedy: Amit Tandon’s Aise Kaise is at Dubai Opera on Sunday 18 October (from AED 150), and Abbas Bukhari’s new Urdu special plays New Covent Garden Theatre on Friday 16 October (from AED 125).
• Arabic comedy: John Achkar plays two nights at Dubai Opera. Mario Bassil has a solo show at Pepperoni on Sunday 18 October (from AED 200). Sheel W Mashi brings Arabic improv to Pepperoni on Friday 16 October (from AED 175).
• For comedy fans: Alexander Merkul’s Russian stand-up and improv tonight, Thursday 15 October (from AED 150), and the French One Year of Pepperoni anniversary show at Dubai Opera on Saturday 17 October (from AED 175). Note: Kris Fade performs in English within that French-led line-up, according to FEW.
• Cheapest nights out: the DCF x Pepperoni Comedy Showcase runs every night from AED 125, and Pitch Them Perfect at Pepperoni is the same price on its final night tonight, Thursday 15 October.

What Dubai Comedy Festival tickets really cost

Every price on the official Dubai Comedy Festival site is a “starting from” figure. That is the cheapest seat in the room; better rows and categories cost more, and the exact difference only appears when you pick your seats.

The official Dubai Comedy Festival listings do not say whether 5% VAT is included in the shown price. Treat the final total at checkout as the authority, and read it before you pay.

Buy only on the official Dubai Comedy Festival site, which links straight to booking. Platinumlist powers the checkout. Do not buy from resellers or social media sellers: if the ticket does not scan, there is no box-office fix. Dubai Opera’s own listings mark tickets as non-refundable, so be sure of your date before you pay.

Age limits: who can go to which show

Age rules change from show to show, which confuses first-time Dubai Comedy Festival buyers. The pattern is simple: the big theatre shows are mostly 16+, the intimate Pepperoni Comedy Club shows are 18+, and only a few shows welcome younger audiences.

For families, the remaining options are Kings and Queens of Comedy (2+, Sunday 18 October) and John Achkar’s Feena Nehke (13+, Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October). Sixteen and seventeen year olds can attend the 16+ shows, which include Zarna Garg, Shane Todd, Neema Naz, Rafi Bastos, Amit Tandon, Alexander Merkul, Vir Das and the One Year of Pepperoni anniversary show. Every Pepperoni Comedy Club show and Mario Bassil’s solo show are strictly 18+. Bring ID if you look underage; venues do check.

Getting to the venues and when to arrive

1. Dubai Opera Auditorium is in Downtown Dubai. Take the Red Line to Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall station and walk over, or park at Dubai Mall. This is where Zarna Garg, John Achkar, Amit Tandon and the One Year of Pepperoni show play.
2. New Covent Garden Theatre is inside Mall of the Emirates. Take the Red Line to Mall of the Emirates station. It hosts seven of the remaining shows, including Alexander Merkul’s Russian set tonight.
3. Coca-Cola Arena is at City Walk. A taxi or ride-hailing drop is the simplest option for Vir Das’s closing night on Sunday 18 October.
4. Pepperoni Comedy Club hosts the nightly showcase, Pitch Them Perfect, Sheel W Mashi and Mario Bassil’s solo show. Check the exact address on your ticket and arrive by taxi.

Doors open well before showtime: 6pm for Shane Todd and Vir Das, 6:30pm for Zarna Garg and Kings and Queens of Comedy, 9pm for the One Year of Pepperoni anniversary show and the nightly Pepperoni shows, and 2:30pm for Amit Tandon’s Sunday matinee. John Achkar’s doors open at 5pm on Saturday 17 October and 9:30pm on Sunday 18 October. Arrive at least 30 minutes before doors for a relaxed entry. If you are new to the metro, our guide to how to travel in Dubai as a tourist explains Nol cards and fares.

Seeing a show at Dubai Opera? Arrive early and make an evening of it around Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa; our top attractions and experiences for every traveler picks what is worth your time nearby. Need a pre-show coffee near Mall of the Emirates or Downtown? Our best coffee shops in Dubai has options near both venues. First time in the city? Start with our Dubai travel guide.

Fact check: three numbers other guides get wrong

Show count. Some announcement guides describe the 2026 Dubai Comedy Festival as “40+ shows and 50+ artists”. The official programme lists 30+ shows and 40+ artists this year.

Ticket sale date. Pages published in June and July still say tickets “go on sale 14 July”. That date is history: the Dubai Comedy Festival is live now and runs until Sunday 18 October.

Venues and languages. Early announcement posts name only the first-wave headliners of the Dubai Comedy Festival and three venues. The full 2026 programme runs across five venues, with German, French, Urdu and Russian shows the early posts never mention.

Frequently asked questions

Can I still get tickets for the Dubai Comedy Festival?

Yes. The Dubai Comedy Festival runs until Sunday 18 October 2026, and 20 shows remain between Thursday 15 and Sunday 18 October. Tickets are on sale now through the official festival site. Headline nights like Vir Das and Zarna Garg can sell out, so book the same day you decide.

How much are Dubai Comedy Festival tickets?

Tickets start from AED 125 for the Pepperoni Comedy Club shows, which run every night. Headline theatre shows start from AED 150 to AED 200, with the top listed price AED 200 for Mario Bassil’s solo show. All listed prices are “starting from” figures, so expect to pay more for better seats.

Which Dubai Comedy Festival shows can I take kids to?

At the Dubai Comedy Festival, Kings and Queens of Comedy on Sunday 18 October allows ages 2 and up, and John Achkar’s Feena Nehke on 17 and 18 October allows 13 and up. The 16+ shows admit 16 and 17 year olds. Everything at Pepperoni Comedy Club is 18+.

Are the Dubai comedy shows in October in English?

Not all of them. The 2026 programme runs in English, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Russian, German and French. English-language options left include the nightly DCF x Pepperoni Comedy Showcase, Shane Todd, Zarna Garg, Neema Naz, Rafi Bastos, Vir Das and Kings and Queens of Comedy. Check the language column in the programme table before you book.

Where is the New Covent Garden Theatre?

It is inside Mall of the Emirates on Sheikh Zayed Road. Take the Dubai Metro Red Line to Mall of the Emirates station and follow the mall signs. It hosts seven of the remaining Dubai Comedy Festival shows, including Alexander Merkul’s Russian set tonight.

Can I get a refund on Dubai Comedy Festival tickets?

Check the terms at checkout before you pay. Dubai Opera’s own event listings mark festival tickets as non-refundable, so treat every purchase as final. Never buy from resellers: a ticket bought second-hand may not scan at the door.

Four days left, 20 shows, and the closing night belongs to Vir Das. Pick your night from the table above and book on the official Dubai Comedy Festival site before the final curtain on Sunday 18 October.