Note: All submitted events must be approved before they appear in the calendar.
Over 165,000 Arab Americans call the D.C. area home. The 20th Anniversary Arab American Comedy Festival is culminating a 10 month tour at the Kennedy Center on June 8th.
The festival was founded in the wake of Arab American discrimination after 9/11. Over the past 20 years the much heralded annual festival has made incredible strides in combating bigotry and negative media portrayals of Arab Americans (including Muslims, Christians, Jews, Buddhists and non-religious Arabs in its roster) over two decades, while showcasing the top talent and fostering connections with industry professionals.
The universality of comedy with this festival’s headliners has proven appeal across the country. The Festival has been celebrated by The New York Times, Vanity Fair, NPR and Boston Globe.
Our D.C. show will star seven headliners who have performed in past festivals:
Co-Founder Maysoon Zayid (record setting TED Talk “I’ve got 99 Problems… Palsy is Just One,” regular on CNN, MSNBC, OWN and General Hospital)
Co-Founder Dean Obeidallah (MSNBC, CNN, The Dean Obeidallah Show” on SiriusXM radio, Comedy Central’s “Axis of Evil,” award-winning doc “The Muslims are Coming!”)
Rola ZZZ (DC Improv, Gotham Comedy Club, Traumedy, Dubai TV) – DC local!
Mohanad Elshieky (Comedy Central, Conan, Lemonade’s “I’m Sorry” podcast, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee)
Majdy Fares (three-time Moth Grandslam champion, 1001 Nights Comedy Festival)
Laura Laham (Best of the Fest in 2022’s Burbank Comedy Festival)
Go Remy (100 million views on YouTube, “Brown Nation” sitcom, Comedy Central Records)
Funding for New York Arab-American Comedy Festival’s anniversary tour is provided by the Doris Duke Foundation. For more information please visit our website ArabComedy.com
