Comedian Jack Whitehall adds new date to run of Dubai shows in January

Jack Whitehall is turning his run of Dubai shows into a hat-trick.

The British comedian and TV presenter has added a third date to a series of performances in the UAE, announcing he will hold a warm-up gig ahead of two already-confirmed shows at Dubai World Trade Centre.

The funnyman is bringing his Stood Up tour to the city as part of the Dubai Shopping Festival, and will take to the DWTC stage on Wednesday, January 13 and Thursday, January 14.

However, he will first test out his material on the Queen Elizabeth 2, holding a warm-up show at the ship's onboard theatre.

The ocean liner-turned-hotel, which is permanently docked at Mina Rashid port, will host the panel TV show favourite and Fresh Meat actor on Tuesday, January 12.

Tickets, which are now on sale at platinumlist.net, start at Dh295. Due to social-distancing requirements, seats are only available in batches of two, three or four. The theatre typically houses up to 515 people, though limited seating will be on offer as part of Covid-19 safety precautions.

The comic, who is well known for his Netflix show Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father, was due to perform in the UAE last year, but the gig was postponed due to the pandemic.

Ahead of his arrival, Whitehall told The National that incorporating jokes and observations about the pandemic into his show feels "inevitable", so he will be bringing an updated version of his well-toured Stood Up routine to the UAE.

Whitehall is not the only star jetting into the UAE to perform as part of DSF. Gigs announced for this year's event include DJ Alan Walker at Coca-Cola Arena on Thursday, January 7, Pakistani singer Atif Aslam on Friday, January 15, and British singer-songwriter Calum Scott at Dubai Opera on Wednesday, January 20.

There will also be a multi-artist closing concert at the Coca-Cola Arena to mark the end of DSF, with acts yet to be announced.

The 26th Dubai Shopping Festival runs from Thursday, December 17, to Saturday, January 30. The six-week event will feature live concerts, markets, art installations and stage shows, as well as sales, promotions and competitions.