Month-long Kochi Comedy Festival brings national, regional talent to the stage
Kochi: The inaugural edition of the Kochi Comedy Festival is underway, bringing a mix of national and regional stand-up acts to the city through May 16.
The month-long festival kicked off with an Opening Night Show on April 19 at the KINFRA International Convention Centre, Kakkanad. The show featured comedians Kenny Sebastian, Abish Mathew, Gautham Govindan, Shamik Chakrabarti, and Anand Rathnam, along with artistes from Kerala.
Organised by Comedy Lounge Kochi, the event drew nearly 800 people. Among the performers was Jomy Josy Maliakal, a lawyer who first discovered stand-up through Abish Mathew’s Son of Abish and took the stage during two lineup shows.
The festival’s weekend schedule will see one-hour specials at Spotlight Socials in Kochi until May 16. The lineup includes national names as well as homegrown comedians Vishnu Pai, Abhishek Murali, Geoffery Shocky, Athul John, and Akshay Joyal. The event marks a major push to build Kerala’s stand-up scene, giving local audiences access to prominent voices in Indian comedy alongside emerging talent from the state.
