A club that barely existed a year ago is about to fill one of Dubai's biggest stages. Pepperoni Comedy Club, normally home to a 120-seat room at 25 Jump Street, is relocating for one night to Dubai Opera to celebrate its first anniversary on Saturday, October 17.
The 90-minute birthday show slots into Dubai Comedy Festival 2026 and brings a properly mixed bill. French star Redouane Bougheraba headlines alongside Dubai radio regular Kris Fade and fellow French comedian Nino Arial, with Abz Ali and Noha Bashir handling hosting duties. Expect material in both French and English, which is a fair reflection of the club's audience. Doors open at 9pm, the show kicks off at 9.30pm, and tickets run from Dhs175 up to Dhs550 for VIP seats.
Pepperoni opened in late 2025 and quickly built a following by combining a compact comedy room with an Italian-American diner and an outdoor terrace — dinner, drinks and stand-up in one spot. Its first year has included sold-out runs from big international names, most notably Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef, plus a steady stream of local up-and-comers.
The birthday bash isn't the club's only gig that weekend. As an official Dubai Comedy Festival venue, Pepperoni also hosts Daniel Fernandez's English-language show Do You Know Who I Am? on October 17, and Lebanese comedian Mario Bassil on October 18. Nino Arial pulls double duty too, playing Covent Garden Theatre at Mall of the Emirates on October 18. All tickets go through the Dubai Comedy Festival channels.
For visitors, this is a decent excuse to build a Dubai trip around something other than brunch and beaches. The Opera show puts you in Downtown Dubai, so you can pair it with Burj Khalifa views and dinner beforehand, then keep the weekend rolling with the smaller club shows if you fancy a second night of stand-up. Book early — the club's track record with sell-outs suggests the cheaper seats won't linger.
