Bassem Youssef returns to the UK in 2026 with ‘The Belly of the Beast Tour’ at the Royal Albert Hall, London

Following sold-out global runs and continued international acclaim, comedian and satirist Bassem Youssef returns to the UK this summer with his new stand-up show The Belly of the Beast, taking place at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall on Sunday 14 June 2026.

Tickets will be available via O2 Priority from 10am Wednesday 25 February, followed by Royal Albert Hall Members pre-sale from 10am Thursday 26 February, with general on sale opening 10am Friday 27 February via livenation.co.uk.

Widely recognised as the pioneering host of Al Bernameg, the Middle East’s first political satire show, Youssef rose to prominence during the Egyptian revolution when his short YouTube clips evolved into a television phenomenon reaching tens of millions of viewers weekly.

Since then, he has built a global reputation combining political commentary with sharp observational humour, selling more than 100,000 tickets worldwide in 2024 with his previous stand-up production The Middle Beast. His international profile continues to grow through appearances across major television series, including Mo (Netflix), Ramy (Hulu), Lioness (Paramount+) and Upload (Amazon).

In recent years, Youssef has also generated worldwide discussion through high-profile media appearances, including his widely viewed interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored, which became the programme’s most-watched interview to date. The Belly of the Beast sees Youssef return to the live stage with new material reflecting on global politics, cultural identity, media narratives and his own experiences. Known for blending satire with personal storytelling, his shows consistently balance humour with thoughtful commentary.

UK Tour Date:
June 2026
Sunday 14 June – London, Royal Albert Hall

Bassem Youssef:

Bassem Youssef hosted the popular TV show Al Bernameg – the first political satire show in the Middle East. Originally a 5-minute YouTube show, Al Bernameg became the first online-to-TV conversion in the Middle East and the most-watched show across the region, with 30 million viewers every week and over a million subscribers to its YouTube channel. In recognition of his success, Youssef was named among Time Magazine’s most influential list for 2013 in the “Pioneers” category, awarded the International Press Freedom Award by the CPJ, and chosen by Foreign Policy magazine as one of the global thinkers in the same year.

The first title in Bassem’s children’s book series, The Magical Reality of Nadia, was published on February 2nd, 2021, by Scholastic and is currently being developed as an animated series. Bassem can be seen in Mo (Netflix), Ramy (Hulu), Lioness (Paramount+) and Upload (Amazon). In October of 2023, Bassem’s interview with Piers Morgan saw worldwide acclaim and was shared and reposted on the internet all over the world – it is now the most viewed interview in the history of Piers Morgan Uncensored. In 2024, Youssef sold over 100,000 tickets to his one-man stand-up comedy show, The Middle Beast, where he performed in theatres and arenas all over the world. Bassem lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.