Asian Comedy Fest brings 70-plus AAPI performers to NYC with proceeds supporting immigrant services

Asian Comedy Fest will return to New York City from May 5 to May 7 for its seventh year, bringing more than 70 Asian and Pacific Islander performers to Sugar Mouse in Manhattan. Proceeds from the six-show festival will support Immigration Social Services, a nonprofit that has served immigrant families in Manhattan’s Chinatown and Lower East Side for more than 50 years.

The festival will take place over three nights, with shows scheduled at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. each night. Tickets are priced at $30 per show or $50 for a full-night pass. The festival will take place over three nights, with shows scheduled at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. each night. Tickets are priced at $30 per show or $50 for a full-night pass, with general admission available via Eventbrite.

This year’s lineup spans stand-up, improv, puppetry, musical comedy and alternative comedy. Featured performers include Aaron Chen, Youngmi Mayer, Sureni Weerasekera, James Tom, Kathleen Kim, Mic Nguyen, Michael Cruz Kayne, Adam Mamawala and Asian AF.

Organizers said nearly 200 performers submitted for this year’s festival, with almost half of the lineup new to the event. Co-producer Kate Lee Moran said the festival aimed to focus on “uplifting rising stars, celebrating our community, and giving back.”

Co-producer Edward Yoo Pokropski pointed to the mix of formats and geographic range in this year’s lineup, describing a program that pulls performers from across the country. “The thing that makes Asian Comedy Fest great is seeing all the new talent coming from all different parts of the country,” he told The Rebel Yellow, adding that “our variety show night is a mix of improv, clowning, puppeteering and more.”

At Immigration Social Services, Community Engagement Manager Judy Lei detailed how the funding will be allocated. “This support comes at a critical time and will directly benefit low-income students in our afterschool programs and supplement workout equipment for our Older Adults Exercise Program at Chung Pak Senior Housing.”

The festival’s New York roots were echoed by Sandro Roco, founder and CEO of Sanzo. “ACF has built something that reflects the best of what NYC’s Asian American community has always been: creative, proud, and refusing to be kept in the background,” Roco said.