BOSTON, MA, UNITED STATES, February 27, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Desi Comedy Fest, America’s biggest South Asian comedy festival, makes its historic East Coast debut on March 19 at The Comedy Studio, marking a bold national expansion after more than a decade of elevating South Asian voices on major stages across the San Francisco Bay Area.
Co-founded and co-produced by San Francisco based comedians Samson Koletkar and Abhay Nadkarni, Desi Comedy Fest enters its 11th year having presented 75+ shows, featured 250+ comedians, and entertained more than 14,000 audience members. What began as a Bay Area cultural institution has grown into a nationally recognized platform for diaspora storytelling, spotlighting the rising influence of South Asian voices in American entertainment.
Boston – long celebrated for its sharp, intellectually driven comedy culture and home to a vibrant South Asian community – provides a fitting backdrop for the festival’s inaugural East Coast edition. With a city that appreciates intelligent, thoughtful stand-up, the March 19 showcase reflects both audience demand and strategic growth.
Hosting the event at The Comedy Studio, one of the country’s most respected comedy institutions, further underscores the milestone. Renowned for cultivating influential stand-up voices and championing bold, original work, The Comedy Studio offers the kind of intimate, artist-first setting where sharp writing and cultural insight resonate deeply.
The Boston lineup showcases the breadth and global depth of contemporary South Asian comedy, bringing together internationally recognized performers and rising voices whose stories span continents and cultures:
SAMSON KOLETKAR: Co-founder of Desi Comedy Fest and the world’s only Indian Jewish stand-up comedian, known for his wit, warmth and clean humor. Named one of Silicon India’s “10 Indian Comedians Who Found Success in the U.S.,” he has been featured on NPR, NBC, CBS, NDTV, The Times of India, Ha’aretz, and jWeekly, and was a semi-finalist in the Seattle International Comedy Competition.
ABHAY NADKARNI: Co-founder of the festival, born in Delhi and raised in Doha and Bangalore. He has appeared at the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival and Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and his Amazon Prime special Brown Jesus highlights his sharp, globally informed perspective.
AWAIS HUSSEIN: A Boston-area comedian whose high-energy storytelling draws from his Pakistani roots. A regular on the New England comedy scene, he brings bold, unfiltered humor to the stage.
SHIVANI DAVE: An Indian-American comedian recognized by the New York Comedy Festival and Boston Comedy Festival, and a 2024 Ladies of Laughter finalist known for her sharp cultural commentary and commanding presence.
NEEL GHOSH: A Bengali-American and native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, whose artistic work spans comedy, music, and improvisation on stages nationally and internationally.
SHYAN SUBRAMANIAN: A New York–based comedian originally from Massachusetts who has appeared on Good Morning America and blends Indian and American perspectives with quirky, culturally tuned humor.
“This East Coast expansion has been a long time coming,” said Koletkar. “For over a decade, we’ve built Desi Comedy Fest into a premier platform in the Bay Area. Bringing that energy to Boston – a city that values smart, incisive comedy – is both a bold step forward and the beginning of something permanent.”
Nadkarni added, “South Asian storytelling in mainstream entertainment is growing rapidly. Audiences are eager for authentic, globally informed voices. Launching our East Coast edition at a venue like The Comedy Studio signals that these stories belong on America’s most respected stages.”
The Boston performance is part of Desi Comedy Fest’s inaugural East Coast run, with additional shows in New Jersey, Washington, DC, and New York City later that week. Moving forward, the festival will establish a bi-coastal presence – March on the East Coast and August in the San Francisco Bay Area — solidifying its role as a national cultural institution.
Over the years, Desi Comedy Fest has toured internationally, including a four-city tour of India, and has presented shows in cities such as Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Diego, New Jersey, Toronto, and Vancouver – consistently drawing packed houses while elevating bold South Asian comedic voices.
Event Details:
Desi Comedy Fest – Boston
Thursday, March 19 – 7:30 PM
The Comedy Studio, 5 John F. Kennedy St, Cambridge, MA 02138
Tickets are available at www.DesiComedyFest.com
Samson Koletkar
Samson Koletkar
+ +1 415-676-1371
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability
for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this
article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
