The IMA Comedy Club is back for its seventh edition, running from January 28 to February 1, 2026. Francophone and Arabophone comedians will take the stage one after another throughout the festival. Check out the full lineup of this year's event.
Winter gloom has no place at the Institut du Monde Arabe (IMA). Every year, this cultural hub hosts a major comedy festival that champions the talents of French stand-up comedians with immigrant backgrounds. The IMA Comedy Club is a multi-day comedy festival bringing together emerging comedians and established stars on the stage of the Institut du Monde Arabe. This popular event, open to all, features performances in both French and Arabic, offering a vibrant celebration of humor and multiculturalism.
This festival is celebrating its seventh edition from January 28 to February 1, 2026. Once again, it's led by Tarik Seddak, the former artistic director of Studio Bagel, Golden Moustache, and the Jamel Comedy Club. Standing alongside him is a lively lineup of over a dozen comedians and stand-up artists, all eager to keep us laughing.
Love and relationships, cultural clashes, everyday challenges, friends, family, romance, money, current events... The topics are as diverse as the styles of our guests. The programming features performances in French, but also in various Arabic dialects. This year, the Arab World Institute is hosting a special evening dedicated to marriage, in conjunction with the upcoming exhibition Mariages - Farah, scheduled for September 2026.
Here's the detailed lineup for the IMA Comedy Club 2026:
- Grand Opening Night
January 28, 2026
For its opening show, the IMA Comedy Club is bringing together a handpicked lineup of some of the most promising and impactful comedians: Rebeu de Poche (host), Adel Fugazi, Flora Amara, Sofia Titrit, and Youness Hanifi.
- Rebeu de Poche
Walid Jabbari, aka Rebeu de Poche, is a regular on Paris’s top comedy stages and a member of the Jamel Comedy Club troupe. With frantic energy and rapid-fire jokes, he isn’t shy about mocking political giants and calling out social injustices. After numerous TV appearances on France Télévisions and Canal+, he’ll perform in February 2026 at the Petit Palais des Glaces with his show “Don’t Forget Who You Are.”
- Adel Fugazi
Known for his offbeat humor where the absurd becomes a tool for reflection and escape, Adel Fugazi has carved out a unique place in the stand-up scene. After making waves at the Montreux Festival, he joined the prestigious Jamel Comedy Club, won awards at the Paris Comedy Festival, and reached the finals of Comedy Class with Eric and Ramzy.
- Sofia Titrit
A young Parisian comedian of Moroccan descent, Sofia titrit launched her stand-up career after studying business school. Through a colorful cast of characters—including Ghita the Kilimini, an outspoken and hilariously candid figure—she shares fresh, heartfelt humor. Whether on stage or Instagram, Sofia creates a relatable universe that’s both amusing and genuine.
- Flora Amara
Flora Amara is the approachable, energetic friend who always lifts your spirits. She breaks down everyday situations everyone recognizes, and has appeared in seasons 11, 12, and 13 of the Jamel Comedy Club, as well as regularly on Rires et Chansons.
- Youness Hanifi
With boundless energy and a sharp sense of humor, Youness recounts his misadventures and shares his worldview. Hailing from Lorraine, he has a knack for transforming daily moments into hilarious stories. Through lively storytelling and colorful characters, he whiskers audiences into his comedic universe where life’s absurdities take on new meaning.
- Awk.word Comedy Club Night
January 29, 2026
Arabic-language show
The 2026 edition of the IMA Comedy Club celebrates humor’s linguistic and cultural diversity by featuring Lebanese collective awk.word, a group of multilingual performers presenting a bold, unapologetic comedy show.
Established in 2018, awk.word is Lebanon’s leading stand-up platform, and since its inception, it’s been challenging the comedy scene by raising social awareness and fostering change through laughter. The collective tours across the Middle East, Europe, and Canada with their stand-up acts.
- Nidhal Saadi: “Second Chance”
January 30, 2026
Stand-up in Tunisian dialect
Nidhal Saadi from Tunisia is bringing his latest show to the IMA as part of the 2026 Comedy Club line-up.
In this solo performance, Nidhal shares what no one dares admit but everyone experiences—his "second life." He talks about fatherhood amid sleepless nights that turn into iconic scenes, about fame that sometimes gets derailed by a drooling baby, and about marriage—an instruction manual that doesn’t exist. With his energy, sincerity, and sharp humor, Nidhal turns everyday struggles into laughter, doubts into punchlines, making life a spectacle everyone can relate to.
- Gala Night “Wedding Special”
January 31, 2026
A “Wedding Special” evening hosted by Malik Belkhodja and Sabrine Zayani, with Aby, Myriam Baroukh, Solay, and Saad.
- Malik Belkhodja
Born in Algeria, raised between Tunisia and France, Malik Belkhodja’s story is one of constant wandering: between these three countries, between chasing his dreams and seeking stability, between love and freedom, and between his Muslim faith and worldly temptations—Malik refuses to choose. As a cultural bridge, he offers reflections on coexistence and the weight of perceptions, which he shows are often not so different from oneself. Malik is an IMA Comedy Club laureate.
- Sabrine Zayani
A vibrant blend of French and Tunisian roots, actress, comedian, and producer Sabrine Zayani exudes energy and crafts a colorful universe through snippets of her life and eccentric characters.
- Aby
Just 23, Aby opens up about her transitioning into adulthood, sharing the adventures of her teenage years—every young woman's journey packed with stories and mischiefs.
- Myriam Baroukh
Humorist Myriam Baroukh tackles life's big questions with wit and authenticity: Does following the conventional happiness path truly bring joy? If not, what’s next? She discusses happiness, AI, beavers, her husband, and even psychiatric hospitals—she talks about everything… and makes you laugh while doing it! Currently touring, she performs across France and internationally, from Lomé (Togo) to Brazzaville (Congo), Brussels, Geneva, Lausanne, and the renowned Montreux Festival (Switzerland).
- Solay
Stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and director Solayman Belmihoub—known simply as Solay—has become a rising star in French comedy. His humor, a sharp mix of self-deprecation and keen observations of daily life, resonates with young parents who see themselves in his candid, incisive sketches.
- Closing Show - Adel Fugazi: “Pause”
February 1, 2026
A fitting finale for the 7th edition of the IMA Comedy Club: combining absurdity, lightness, and sharp insight, Adel Fugazi invites audiences into his unique universe for a moment of respite from the outside world.
Blending absurdity and originality, Adel offers a break from everyday chaos—covering light, universal topics with a fresh perspective, slightly counter-current to current trends. It’s a breath of fresh air!
After impressing at the Montreux Festival and joining the Jamel Comedy Club troupe, he achieved victory at the Paris Humor Festival. In 2024, he reached the final of Comedy Class with Éric and Ramzy. Adel is ready to welcome you into his world—are you prepared to step in?
Get ready to crack a smile and secure your tickets now: a hilarious weekend is coming up at the IMA!
