American comedian Dave Chappelle will return to the UAE capital for Abu Dhabi Comedy Season in June.
The show, set for June 27 at Etihad Arena, will be Chappelle’s fourth in the UAE. His 2024 event, part of the inaugural Abu Dhabi Comedy Week, welcomed a record-breaking 14,000 guests, the largest attendance for a comedy event in the region’s history.
Organised by Live National Middle East and GME Events in association with the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi and Miral, Abu Dhabi Comedy Season will also feature comedians including Trevor Noah, Kevin Hart, Gad Elmaleh, Michael McIntyre, Fluffy, Pete Davidson, Bill Burr and more.
Chappelle promised he would return to the UAE at the end of his 2024 Abu Dhabi show, saying: “The fact that you guys are doing this festival here is one of the most powerful things that is happening in the world. I was told before stepping on stage that this is the biggest comedy show the Middle East has ever seen. Mark my words, I will be back.”
The comedian, both widely beloved and consistently controversial, is known for his razor-sharp wit and fearless approach to comedy. His last set included pointed observations about the Israel-Gaza War, which he referred to as a “genocide”, as well as comments on US political figures and the African-American civil rights movement.
The National's Saeed Saeed wrote in his review: "His latest show is primarily a celebration of telling jokes, no matter how big or small. At times it can be dazzling, with Chappelle’s ability to twist and turn a particular premise when recalling his experience travelling in a time machine, while at other times it as direct as the toilet humour unheard of since high school days."
Famed for his sketch comedy series Chappelle’s Show (2003 – 2006), Saturday Night Live hosting appearances and his six acclaimed Netflix specials, the comedian has won five Emmy Awards in his career.
Tickets, which require registration, go on sale at 8am on April 14 through Live Nation’s website and April 15 on Ticketmaster’s website, before a general sale on April 16.
