BELLY LAUGHS: THE FIRST EVER COMEDY AND FOOD FESTIVAL CELEBRATING ASIAN AMERICAN CULTURE IN LOS ANGELES COMES TO L.A. LIVE JULY 12-13, 2025
HEADLINERS INCLUDE HASAN MINHAJ, KUMAIL NANJIANI, MARGARET CHO, ZARNA GARG, JOEL KIM BOOSTER, NIMESH PATEL, SHERRY COLA, HARI KONDABOLU, ASIF ALI, AND JONNIE PARK (DUMBFOUNDEAD)
MORE THAN 30 COMEDIANS OVER THE TWO-DAY WEEKEND INCLUDING SURPRISE GUESTS
MAMA’s NIGHTMARKET CURATES MORE THAN 20 OF LA’s FAVORITE ASIAN RESTAURANTS
SPONSOR 99 RANCH DROPPING EXCLUSIVE MERCHANDISE AT THE FESTIVAL FOR THE FIRST TIME
PARTNERS INCLUDE CAPE (COALITION OF ASIAN PACIFICS IN ENTERTAINMENT), NEDERLANDER CONCERTS, L.A. LIVE, AND GOLDHOUSE
TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE FRIDAY, MARCH 28
LOS ANGELES – March 25, 2025 – Get ready for Belly Laughs Comedy and Food Festival, the groundbreaking comedy and food festival that celebrates Asian American culture like never before! Set to take place July 12 and 13, at L.A. Live, this two-day extravaganza showcases an exciting blend of cutting-edge comedy and delicious Asian cuisine, featuring more than 30 top-tier comedians across the Asian diaspora, including comedy legends Hasan Minhaj, Kumail Nanjiani, Margaret Cho, Zarna Garg, Joel Kim Booster, Nimesh Patel, Sherry Cola, Hari Kondabolu, Asif Ali, Jonnie Park (Dumbfoundead), and surprise guests to be announced. Additional artists include Andrea Jin, Jason Cheny, Irene Tu, Dylan Adler, Joe Wong, Sabrina Wu, Jenny Yang, Aaron Chen, and more! Full lineup below.
Sharing the spotlight with the hilariously funny comedians, MAMA’s NIGHTMARKET will curate a mouthwatering selection of food, highlighting over 20 of the best Asian restaurants from around Los Angeles including Chef Tuệ Nguyễn & Điđi, Bobapop, Feng Mao, Guzzu Bento-Ya, Holy Basil, and more! Alongside the delicious food, MAMA’s NIGHTMARKET offers live entertainment, cultural programming, and interactive experiences that allow guests to immerse themselves in Asian culture through the MAMA Stage, including live cooking demonstrations and surprise performances. MAMA’s mission of connecting communities through diverse, vibrant flavors takes center stage, offering platforms for underrepresented restaurants and communities to showcase their culinary talents while blending the joy of food with the energy of live entertainment.
Belly Laughs features three stages at the iconic L.A. Live campus providing a dynamic comedy experience with something for everyone – from insightful commentary to irreverent humor all complemented by delicious food from the local Asian American community.
“The Belly Laughs Festival is an exciting extension of CAPE's work championing people, stories, and culture," said Michelle K. Sugihara, Executive Director, CAPE. “We’re honored to be a part of such an incredible celebration to highlight these talented comedians and restaurants.”
“We’ve always dreamed of growing MAMA’s NIGHTMARKET, but this takes it beyond anything we could have imagined – bringing communities together with incredible flavors, comedians, and cultural moments,” said Jared Jue, Founder, MAMA.
"I think we could all use a laugh right now,” said Bing Chen, CEO & Co-Founder, GoldHouse. “We're so honored to partner on the Belly Laughs Festival with so many friends and artistic heroes to further propel the modern comedic Renaissance that so many Asian Pacific leaders have led."
A major highlight for this inaugural event is the partnership with 99 Ranch Market, marking the first time the renowned Asian grocery chain will offer exclusive 99 Ranch branded merchandise for purchase, adding a unique touch to the festival.
Additionally, the Belly Laughs Comedy and Food Festival will offer inspired signature drinks from Martell, the oldest of the great Cognac houses with historic ties across Asia, and Skrewball Whiskey, the original peanut butter whiskey founded by Cambodian-born refugee, Steven Yeng.
Whether you’re there for the comedy, the food or the cultural celebration, Belly Laughs promises an unforgettable weekend.
Belly Laughs Comedy and Food Festival gives special thanks to the following sponsors for their generous support:
99 Ranch Market
Martell Cognac
Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey
Asian Comedy Fest and Yao King
EDITOR’S NOTE:
Belly Laughs Comedy and Food Festival
Saturday, July 12 + Sunday, July 13, Noon to 11PM
L.A. Live
Open to all ages
Tickets available via AXS.com, Friday, March 28, 10AM
Open to all ages
ARTIST LINEUP:
Hasan Minhaj
Kumail Nanjiani
Margaret Cho
Zarna Garg
Joel Kim Booster
Nimesh Patel
Sherry Cola
Hari Kondabolu
Asif Ali
Jonnie Park (Dumbfoundead)
+Surprise guests to be announced
Andrea Jin
Jason Cheny
Irene Tu
Dylan Adler
Joe Wong
Kiran Deol
Jenny Yang
Helen Hong
Aparna Nancherla
Sabrina Wu
Jes Tom
Tien Tran
Fumi Abe
Robin Tran
Ismael Loutfi
Aaron Chen
Nori Reed
Tatyana Guchi
D’Lo
Paul Ogata
Yudhi Sharma
RESTAURANT LINEUP:
Chef Tuệ Nguyễn & Điđi
Bobapop
Feng Mao
Good Alley
Guzzu Bento-Ya
Hermanos Empanadas
Holy Basil
Kanomwaan Thai Gelato
Kolkata Chai Co
Mayura
Riviera Seafood Club
Tenkatori
Yum Sະlut
More to be announced
For more information and to sign up for alerts, please visit bellylaughsfestival.com
Who is MAMA?
What you eat matters and MAMA knows best. As a community-driven platform, MAMA celebrates and preserves immigrant culture by sharing diverse flavors and traditions with the world. By amplifying the voices of underrepresented restaurants and food makers through storytelling, experiences and recommendations, MAMA connects communities through multicultural dishes.
MAMA'S NIGHTMARKET brings the mission to life through one-of-a-kind event experiences that immerses you in diverse food and drink culture. It’s a curated selection of restaurants and unique undiscovered or beloved dishes from every corner of your city, combined with a showcase of cooking, entertainment, and of course, karaoke.
About Nederlander Concerts
Nederlander Concerts promotes and produces a wide range of quality live entertainment throughout the United States and in 2024 was ranked among the top 20 promoters in the country by Pollstar magazine. As a boutique, independent event promotion and venue management firm, Nederlander operates and/or programs the most coveted and awarded small to mid-sized venues, including the Hollywood Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles, Vina Robles Amphitheatre in Paso Robles, The Backyard in Sacramento, Portneuf Health Trust Amphitheatre in Pocatello, Idaho, San Jose Civic, and California Performing Arts Center in San Jose, among others. Also, the company promotes events at third party arenas, theatres, and clubs across the country, including the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, the Grove of Anaheim, San Diego Civic, Bank of America Performing Arts Center in Thousand Oaks, Paramount Theatre in Oakland, Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts in Worcester and many more.
About CAPE (COALITION OF ASIAN PACIFICS IN ENTERTAINMENT)
CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment)(Opens in New Window) is the world's longest-running non-profit organization creating opportunities and driving change for Asian and Pacific Islander success in Hollywood. For almost 35 years, CAPE has advanced representation in film and television by championing people, stories, and culture. Through our industry-renowned programs such as the CAPE New Writers Fellowship and the CAPE Leaders Fellowship, our consulting and talent referral services, our research and tip sheets, and the CAPE Database, CAPE is breaking barriers to representation from the writers’ room to the boardroom to the living room. Follow @CAPEUSA on Instagram or visit capeusa.org(Opens in New Window).
About L.A. LIVE
L.A. LIVE is a vibrant 4 million square foot entertainment destination located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. It is a place that truly captures the essence of the city's lively and dynamic atmosphere. L.A. LIVE offers a wide array of entertainment options, including world-class music venues, a sports and entertainment arena, restaurants, clubs and hotels.
Developed by Los Angeles-based AEG, L.A. LIVE is considered to be the nation's most active “live content and event campus.” It features 260,480 square feet of conference center and ballroom facilities, a 100,000 square foot special events deck, the famous Lucky Strike Lanes and Lounge, a one-of-a-kind GRAMMY Museum, saluting the history of music and the genre's best-known awards show all centered around Peacock Place, a multi-use outdoor event space. L.A. LIVE showcases more events, award shows, sporting competitions, concerts and hospitality options than any other destination in the world.
About GoldHouse
Gold House is the leading cultural ecosystem that unites, invests in, and champions Asian Pacific creators and companies to power tomorrow for all. Our innovative programs and platforms include membership systems and events to fortify belonging among the Asian Pacific community and with other marginalized communities (Membership, Futures, #StopAsianHate, One House); first-of-its-kind investment vehicles and accelerators to propel the next generation of top Asian Pacific founders, creatives, and leaders (Gold House Ventures, Creative Equity Fund, Venture and CreativeAccelerators); and industry-leading research, consulting, and marketing to promote authentic and affirming mainstream portrayals (Gold Story Consultation, Gold Open, Gold List, A100 List, Gold Gala). To learn more, visit www.goldhouse.org or follow @GoldHouseCo on Instagram, Facebook, X/Twitter, Threads, and LinkedIn.