One stage. Every voice. Every accent. Every story. From October 16–18, 2026, we’re bringing 40+ comedians and five shows to three New York City stages — and we’d love for you to be in the room.
New York is a comedy town. It’s home to some of the biggest names in stand-up, some of the most storied clubs in the world, and festivals that draw crowds from everywhere. It’s also home to one of the largest South Asian communities in the country — and to a generation of desi comedians who are selling out rooms, headlining specials, and reshaping what mainstream comedy sounds like.
And yet, in all that time, this city has never had a comedy festival built entirely for South Asian performers.
This October, we’re changing that.
From October 16–18, 2026, we’re launching the inaugural NYC South Asian Comedy Festival — three nights, five shows, and more than 40 comedians from across the South Asian diaspora: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and beyond. We’re Laughing Lassi, the city’s leading South Asian comedy show, and this is the weekend we’ve been building toward. Our community’s stories take center stage — and everyone who loves great comedy is invited.
We’re not putting South Asian comedy on stage as a single story. We’re putting the whole range of it up there: different countries, languages, faiths, and lived experiences, sharing one mic — because South Asia isn’t one accent or one story, and neither is its comedy. For years, our comedians have shown up as one or two names on someone else’s lineup. This festival changes that. For one weekend, the whole stage is ours — and it’s open to anyone who loves great stand-up.
Five shows. Three nights. Three iconic NYC stages.
Each show is its own distinct experience — pick one, or come for the whole weekend.
🎤 Best of NYC — After Party with DJ
Friday, Oct 16 · 7:00 PM · Lofte 23 (22 West 23rd St.) Opening night. The finest South Asian voices in the city take the stage, hosted by our producer Ali Mehedi and headlined by Gauri B — followed by an after-party with a live DJ. 👉 Get Tickets
🎤 Brown Unhinged
Saturday, Oct 17 · 7:00 PM · Broadway Comedy Club Raw, unfiltered, and unapologetically brown — comedy with no guardrails, hosted by Sandeep Sen. 👉 Get Tickets
🎤 Roast Battle — India vs. Pakistan vs. Bangladesh vs. Sri Lanka
Saturday, Oct 17 · 9:00 PM · Broadway Comedy Club Four countries. One mic. No mercy. A fast-paced battle of wit hosted by Divya Gunasekaran — trust us, this is the one everyone will be talking about all weekend. 👉 Get Tickets
🎤 Family Friendly Comedy Show
Sunday, Oct 18 · 7:00 PM · Top Secret Comedy Club Clean stand-up for every age — bring the whole family, aunties and uncles included. Hosted by Badar Tareen and headlined by Aanchal Agrawal. 👉 Get Tickets
🎤 Desi Women Takeover
Sunday, Oct 18 · 9:00 PM · Top Secret Comedy Club An all-women South Asian lineup closes our festival on its highest note, hosted by Malika Sen and headlined by Aparna Nancherla. 👉 Get Tickets
A lineup that spans headliners and rising stars
We’ve brought together more than 40 performers from around the world — a mix of nationally recognized headliners and the emerging voices shaping the next generation of stand-up. Among them: Aparna Nancherla, Gauri B, Aanchal Agrawal, Abby Govindan, Vik Pandya, Shenuque Tissera, Sabeen Sadiq, and many more.
And we built this lineup — we didn’t leave it to chance. Every comedian was selected through a multi-judge review process, chosen to reflect the full breadth of South Asian identities, comedic styles, and lived experiences.
Four years in the making
This festival is built on four years of Laughing Lassi. We’ve spent that time producing sold-out South Asian comedy shows across New York City and introducing hundreds of comedians to new audiences. What started as a monthly showcase has grown into one of the country’s leading platforms for South Asian stand-up — and a dedicated festival is the natural next step.
But our goal is bigger than a great weekend of shows. We’re building a home for South Asian comedy in New York — a place where established comics, emerging talent, and audiences from every background come together to celebrate great stand-up. We hope this becomes an annual tradition: one that helps launch careers, builds community, and reflects where comedy is headed.
Be in the room where it starts
With just 640 seats across all five shows, this first edition is intimate by design — and tickets are moving fast. If you want to say you were there when New York’s South Asian comedy scene got its own festival, now’s the time.
NYC South Asian Comedy Festival 📅 October 16–18, 2026 📍 Lofte 23 · Broadway Comedy Club · Top Secret Comedy Club — New York City 🎟️ Get your tickets now
Official press release: Download PDF
Official press release kit: Download PDF
Follow along for lineup drops and announcements on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok — @southasiancomedyfest.
We can’t wait to see you there.
— Ali Mehedi & the Laughing Lassi team