Dates: Friday October 16th – Saturday October 18th, 2026
Lineup and Venues: TBD
🌟 Submission 🌟
🎤 Calling all South Asian comedians! Submissions are now OPEN for the 2026 NYC South Asian Comedy Festival! Show off your talent, make NYC laugh, and join a community of amazing performers.
Fill out the form below to apply, and don’t forget to read the terms and conditions. Spots are limited, so get your submission in today!
Early Submission Deadline: April 30th, 2026.
Late Submission Deadline: May 31st, 2026.
🌟 Welcome to the NYC South Asian Comedy Festival🌟
Presented by Laughing Lassi
🎤 A Festival of Laughter, Culture, Identity & Beautiful Chaos
The wait is over.
For the first time in New York City, the sharpest, funniest voices from Bangladesh 🇧🇩, India 🇮🇳, Pakistan 🇵🇰, and Sri Lanka 🇱🇰 — alongside the global South Asian diaspora — come together for one unapologetic celebration of who we are.
This isn’t just comedy.
It’s culture, contradiction, survival, and joy — told through punchlines.
The NYC South Asian Comedy Festival, proudly presented by Laughing Lassi — New York’s premier South Asian stand-up show — began as a grassroots movement to spotlight underrepresented voices. Now, it evolves into something bigger:
A global stage for South Asian comedy.
✨ What Makes This Festival Different
This is not a token showcase.
This is a three-day cultural takeover.
- Top South Asian comedians from NYC
- International acts from Toronto, London, Dubai, Mumbai, Karachi, Dhaka, Colombo, and beyond
- Five premium, high-concept shows:
- 🎉 Opening Night
- 🔥 Roast Battle: India 🇮🇳 vs Pakistan 🇵🇰 vs Bangladesh 🇧🇩 vs Sri Lanka 🇱🇰
- 👑 Desi Women Takeover
- 🕌 The Halal Show (Clean & Family-Friendly)
- 🌶 Brown & Dirty (Uncensored & chaotic)
From immigrant parents and identity crises to religion, dating, and the things we’re “not supposed to say out loud” — nothing is off limits.
Whether you’re first-gen, second-gen, or just here for great comedy —
you’ll see yourself in these stories.
🎉 Why It Matters
South Asian comedians have been reshaping comedy for years — grinding in clubs, building audiences online, and breaking barriers without a true platform.
This is that platform.
We’re here to:
- Amplify voices from across South Asia — not just one narrative, but many
- Move beyond stereotypes and one-dimensional representation
- Create space for identity, nuance, and creative freedom
- Celebrate our cultures — Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan — with pride and irreverence
Comedy is our protest.
Comedy is our storytelling.
Comedy is our freedom.
And now — it finally has a home.
🗽 Why New York?
Because New York is the comedy capital of the world.
And South Asians?
We’re the capital of ambition.
Laughing Lassi, founded by Ali Mehedi — a Bangladeshi immigrant who carved his path through NYC’s stand-up scene — has been producing sold-out shows since 2022.
This festival is the next evolution:
Bigger stage. Bigger vision. Bigger impact.
We’re not waiting to be included anymore.
We’re building our own spotlight — and turning it all the way up.
📅 Festival Details
🗓 October 16th – October 18th, 2026
📍 Venues: Manhattan + Brooklyn + New Jersey
🎟 Tickets: Early access via email waitlist
Join the waitlist for lineup announcements, ticket drops, and submission opportunities.
🎙 Be Part of History
This is more than a festival.
It’s a cultural reset.
Welcome to the NYC South Asian Comedy Festival.
Welcome to the loudest, realest laughter the city has ever heard.
Welcome home.
