October is shaping up to be one of the busiest months on the UAE’s live entertainment calendar. Two of Egypt’s most loved voices are sharing a stage in the capital, and the Dubai Comedy Festival is bringing in big names from London, New York and across the region. Here’s who they are before you buy a ticket.
Tamer Hosny & Tamer Ashour
Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi · October 17 2026
They share a first name, and on 17 October they’ll share a stage too, but they’ve taken very different routes to the top of Arab pop.
Tamer Hosny, known to fans as the “Star of the Generation,” built his career well beyond the recording studio. He works across music, film and production, and he’s known for his romantic sound and a stage presence few performers in the region can match. His hits have stayed on playlists for years, including “Yana Ya Mafish,” “180 Darga,” “Omry Ebtada,” “Ya Bent El Eh” and “Awelny Kalam.” He has also won recognition outside the Arab world: he holds a Guinness World Records title, and he became the first Arab artist to leave his handprints and footprints at Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theatre.
Tamer Ashour, the “Voice of Emotion,” is a quieter kind of star. He’s a performer and a composer, and his songs deal with love, loss and the small moments that stay with people. His delivery is honest and recognisably his own, and over the years that has won him a devoted following across the region. Fans will know him for “Zikrayat Kaddaba,” “Ekhtarna Leh,” “Thania Wahda” and “Enta Ekhtart.”
Putting the two of them in one arena means two careers, two styles and a lot of songs the audience already knows by heart. Expect a crowd that sings along to every word.
Mo Gilligan
Dubai Opera · October 12 2026 · Dubai Comedy Festival
Few comedians have risen as fast as Mo Gilligan. The British comic started out with sketches that went viral online, and within a few years he was selling out arenas. His first tour, Coupla Cans, sold out in minutes. The next, There’s Mo to Life, filled venues across the UK and Europe.
He has won several major awards, and now he’s taking his act worldwide with The Mo You Know World Tour 2026. The Dubai Opera date is a return visit to the Dubai Comedy Festival. If you’ve seen him before, you’ll know what to expect: high energy, sharp observations and not much time to catch your breath between laughs.
Zarna Garg
Dubai Opera · October 16 2026 · Dubai Comedy Festival
Zarna Garg’s story could carry a film by itself. She was a homeless teenager in Mumbai, and today she’s one of the most recognised stand-up comedians in the world. She told that story in her memoir, This American Woman. It became a New York Times bestseller, drew more than 10,000 four- and five-star reviews, and was named one of Amazon’s Best Books of 2025.
On stage, she’s an outspoken Indian immigrant who jokes about family, culture and the mess of modern life. Her new show, Million Dollar Excuses, is all about how to get out of anything. That’s a subject plenty of parents and in-laws in the audience will recognise.
She has also built a strong career beyond stand-up. She regularly opens for Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, and she’s developing her own sitcom, Zarna, with Mindy Kaling and Kevin Hart. She made her acting debut in the indie hit A Nice Indian Boy, where the New York Times singled her out as a standout. Next, she appears in the Hulu series Not Suitable for Work and the Amazon film Clashing Through the Snow. Fans who want more family chaos between shows can listen to the Zarna Garg Family Podcast, which she hosts with her husband and kids.
Abbas Bukhari
The New Covent Garden Theatre, October 16, 2026 Dubai · Dubai Comedy Festival
If you saw Abbas Bukhari’s Small Talk, you’ll understand why he’s back so soon. The audience response to that show was huge, and he’s now returning to Dubai with a completely new stand-up special.
Bukhari has become one of the most distinctive voices in Urdu stand-up comedy. He has millions of fans across the region and a run of sold-out shows behind him. His skill is taking ordinary moments and turning them into stories, whether that’s married life, family expectations, friendships or the everyday absurdities everyone deals with. His style is relaxed and conversational, so his shows often feel like catching up with an old friend who happens to be very funny.
Expect all-new material, a few surprises and plenty of laughs.