Whitney Cummings at Etihad Arena

Whitney Cummings brings her stand-up to Abu Dhabi for her UAE debut, performing at Etihad Arena as part of Abu Dhabi Comedy Season. The show is presented by Live Nation Middle East and is a seated, large-scale comedy night built around a single headliner.

Cummings has a reputation for sharp, unapologetic observational comedy, and Variety has called her one of the sharpest minds in comedy. She has been a successful multi-hyphenate for years: at 29 she created two network television shows that premiered in the same season, 2 Broke Girls for CBS and Whitney for NBC, the latter also starring her. She has since appeared in numerous TV shows and films, starred in six stand-up specials, worked as an executive producer on Roseanne for ABC, and hosts the podcast Good For You. The current tour is called Big Baby and runs through 2027.

Etihad Arena sits on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi's entertainment district, which is also home to Yas Marina Circuit, Ferrari World and Yas Mall. The arena is one of the biggest indoor venues in the UAE and regularly hosts international concerts, sports events and live shows. Yas Island is a drive from Dubai, usually about an hour to an hour and a half by car, so for many Dubai residents this works as an evening out of town, with the option of making a night of it on the island.

This night suits anyone who follows stand-up and wants to catch a performer who has not played the UAE before. Expect a seated arena show where the focus is on one comedian talking to the room, rather than a multi-act line-up. Fans of her TV work, her specials or her podcast will recognise the voice, and newcomers can simply enjoy a headline stand-up set as part of the city's comedy season.