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Desi Comedy Fest to bring stand-up showcase to Chicago
The event will focus on topics including identity, immigrant experiences, relationships, culture, and modern American life.
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Staff Reporter - Tue, 19, May 2026
- 05:22 EDT
- 16
Poster of the event / Desi Comedy Fest
The Den Theatre in Chicago will host the acclaimed Desi Comedy Fest, a South Asian stand-up comedy showcase, on May 31.
The festival, founded in 2014 by comedians Samson Koletkar and Abhay Nadkarni, has grown into one of North America’s leading platforms for South Asian comedians.
After successful shows in Boston and the Bay Area earlier this year, the organizers noted that the Chicago event will feature comedians who have appeared on Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO, Comedy Central and major comedy festivals across the United States.
Talking about the event, co-founder Abhay Nadkarni said, “Chicago has one of the richest comedy traditions anywhere in the world.”
He continued, “From improv legends to stand-up icons, this city knows comedy, and we’re excited to bring a lineup that reflects the next evolution of diverse American comedy.”
Nadkarni is also a co-founder of the festival. He was born in Delhi and raised in Doha and Bangalore. He is a nationally touring comedian with an Amazon Prime special, Brown Jesus.
ALSO READ: Desi Comedy Fest expands to East Coast with Boston debut
“Desi Comedy Fest has always been about creating space for unique voices while delivering huge laughs for everyone in the room,” added co-founder Samson Koletkar.
He added, “Chicago audiences are smart, energetic and comedy-savvy, exactly the kind of crowd we love performing for.”
Samson Koletkar is the co-founder of Desi Comedy Fest and is one of the few Indian Jewish stand-up comedians known for his wit, warmth and clean humor.
According to the organizers, the event will focus on topics including identity, immigrant experiences, relationships, culture and modern American life through stand-up comedy and storytelling.
The Chicago lineup includes Koletkar and Nadkarni along with comedians Atul Patel, Diya Basrai, Elizabeth Aziz, Prateek Srivastava and Vik Pandya.
Organizers said the festival has expanded beyond its Bay Area roots and now hosts performances in cities including Los Angeles, Seattle, Toronto, New York, Boston, Washington and locations in India. Over the years, the festival has featured hundreds of comedians and attracted thousands of audience members.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
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