Zakir Khan becomes first Indian comedian to perform at Royal Albert Hall: “I am able to bring to life the long-standing vision I had for my artistry”

Zakir Khan will be performing at prestigious venues such as Sydney Opera and Palais Theatre later this year.

August 7, 2023 - 1:37 PM IST

Fresh off the news of his much-awaited performance at Madison Square Garden next year, Stand-up comic Zakir Khan will be debuting at the Royal Albert Hall on 8th October 2023 with his show Zakir Khan Live. He will be the very first Indian content creator and comedian to take the stage at the iconic venue that enjoys a long-standing history of hosting some of the greatest creative legends of the world. Khan will be performing at prestigious venues such as Sydney Opera and Palais Theatre later this year, making him one of the most aspirational comic acts emerging out of India in recent times.

Zakir Khan becomes first Indian comedian to perform at Royal Albert Hall: “I am able to bring to life the long-standing vision I had for my artistry”

The hall, which was inaugurated in 1871 by Queen Victoria in memory of her late husband Prince Albert, is one of the UK’s premier concert venues which has played host to world-famous artists over the years. Legendary artists of the likes of Lata Mangeshkar, Gurdas Maan, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, A. R. Rahman, Ravi Shankar, Ghulam Ali, Zakir Hussain and Shiamak Davar have performed in the hall before.

Khan, who is one of the few comedians to do stand-up almost entirely in Hindi, has successfully attracted full houses at global venues such as Soho Theatre, Dubai Opera, The Beacon Theatre. His most recent tour in support of ‘Tathastu’ that sold over 1,00,000 tickets, saw him trek across USA, Singapore, Canada, Dubai and Australia and now he is bringing a series of brand-new headlining shows to Singapore, USA, New Zealand and Australia over the course of the next few months.

Commenting on the same, Zakir Khan who is one of the most relevant comedians currently emerging from the South Asian market states, “My introduction to the Royal Albert Hall ensued through my listening sessions of Ghulam Ali and Lata Mangeshkar. I used to purchase cassettes of their live performances at the prestigious venue. But sometime in the year 2015, I stumbled upon a video of Adele’s live performance at the Royal Albert Hall and I was mesmerised by what I witnessed. This is a blessing for creative talents like myself who have always envisioned taking India to the world in a truly state of the art fashion. I am truly grateful and elated with this opportunity and it almost feels surreal that my global touring repertoire comes to a full circle. With the grace of God and the love of my audiences, I am able to bring to life the long-standing vision I had for my artistry. This is one of the biggest shows of my life which would have not been possible with the dedicated efforts of OML and UTA. I don't know how many people will turn up for the showcase but to every attendee who will be a part of this momentous occasion in my life, I’d like to say that this will be a very special moment for me and I’m happy that you are an intrinsic part of it.”

Gunjan Arya, CEO, Only Much Louder states, “Embracing the global stage, we proudly witness the dawn of a new era in Indian entertainment, as Zakir Khan is set to grace the hallowed halls of Royal Albert. It's a testament to his boundless talent and unstoppable spirit. The spotlight shines brighter than ever before, illuminating the coming of age of Indian comedy on the grandest of stages”

Zakir Khan became a well-regarded personality in India’s comedy circuit in 2012 after winning the title of 'India's Best Stand Up', a comedy competition organised by Comedy Central. He later won over love and respect from the masses with the release of his three widely appreciated standup series Haq Se Single (2017), Kaksha Gyarvi (2018) and Tathastu (2022) on Amazon Prime Video and is now dominating the live arena circuit.