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Comedian Jimmy Carr to perform two gigs in Dubai in August

Carr will do two shows at Dubai World Trade Centre as part of Dubai Summer Surprises

Comedian Jimmy Carr is coming to Dubai for two gigs in August 2020, in what is undoubtedly excellent news for comedy fans spending their summer in the city.

Carr is bringing his Terribly Funny tour to the UAE and will perform two dates at Dubai World Trade Centre this August, as part of the 2020 edition of Dubai Summer Surprises – the citywide shopping and entertainment festival now in its 23rd year.

Part of DXBLaughs, produced by Done Events, the gigs will take place on Thursday August 13 and Friday August 14, with tickets going on sale early next week.

The gigs will mark Jimmy Carr’s first stand-up performances in Dubai.

Speaking to Time Out, Carr, who has sold more than 400,000 tickets to his shows over the past 18 months, promised audiences can expect his usual brand of close-to-the-bone quips.

“It’s pretty brutal. It’s my sense of humour, which is fairly dark. It’s the same as every other show I’ve done, except for every single word – so it’s all new jokes. There are going to be lots and lots of one liners,” he said, adding that audience should expect “three laughs a minute, minimum”.

After a quiet few months of lockdown at home in the UK, the comic and host of UK quiz show 8 Out of 10 Cats is excited to be returning to the stage – and Dubai, where he has previously holidayed.

“I’ve kind of got that back-to-school excitement. I get to go and do a gig. Brilliant!

“It feels as well for me like a little bit of a holiday. I’ve been to Dubai before, but the thing about Dubai is, if you say you’ve been there, if it was more than five years ago, you haven’t been there. They go, ‘no-no, we’ve rebuilt all of that’.”

If you don’t catch Carr on stage during his trip, you may well spot him hitting the city’s malls during Dubai Summer Surprises, to take advantage of a shopping scene he recalled as “exceptional”.

Both shows will follow the authorities’ latest guidelines on social distancing and precautionary safety measures, which will be explained in further detail once tickets go on sale next week.

“Challenging moments in history have always driven ingenuity and innovation,” said Girish Bhat, managing director of Done Events

“Our vision is to respond genuinely to the customers’ needs and make an impact during these difficult times. Done Events promises to deliver a safe experience following all the necessary health and safety protocols as well as social distancing arrangements”.

Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) added: “We are delighted to have Jimmy Carr as one of the leading comedy acts of Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) 2020. DSS is as much about entertainment as it is about shopping, and it is the combination of world-class leisure events, retail experiences and citywide attractions at incredible prices that sets DSS apart as one of the great summer shopping festivals in the world. Jimmy Carr is a welcome and exciting addition to this year’s DSS calendar.”

Stay to close Time Out to be alerted as soon as tickets for Jimmy Carr’s first Dubai shows go on sale.

For the latest on fantastic Dubai Summer Surprises events taking place across the city, click here.

Read Time Out’s full interview with Jimmy Carr in the digital issue of the magazine, out August 1.