Indian comedian, writer and actor Sumukhi Suresh has been announced as part of the lineup of Netflix Is A Joke Fest 2026, where she will perform as the only Indian comedian to be featured at this year’s edition of the global showcase.
Sumukhi Suresh joins Netflix Is A Joke Fest 2026 lineup as the only Indian comedian
Taking place across Los Angeles from May 4-10, the festival returns for its third iteration as one of the world’s largest comedy gatherings. Produced by Netflix in partnership with Live Nation, the citywide event will host more than 350 live performances including stand-up shows, variety acts, podcast tapings, screenings and special events across multiple venues.
Sumukhi will perform in Los Angeles on May 5, marking an important milestone in her international trajectory. Reflecting on the announcement, the comedian shared her excitement about reaching a stage she had only ever imagined being a part of, “If you had asked Sumukhi, a teen from Nagpur who was shy and under-confident, that she would be performing at one of the most prestigious international comedy festivals, she would not have laughed at you – but would have been in 100% disbelief.”
“It’s a milestone. A prime memory. The fact that I saw the lineup announced at Netflix Is a Joke Fest and now I’m on the lineup is thrilling. I can’t wait to bring my Indian multilingual craziness to the stand-up bit for the audience in LA,” Sumukhi said.
The 2026 lineup includes hundreds of artists representing the global landscape of stand-up, including international comedians like Zainab Johnson, Molly Kearney, Liza Traeger, Orie Styla, Michael Longfellow, Chris Redd and filmmaker-comedian Kevin Smith.
Suresh’s presence at the festival comes amidst a wide international haul. Following the international performance in Dubai on March 28, he is set to take his stand-up special Homonal on a multi-city United States tour from April 24 to May 17.
Homonal, which explores identity, relationships and gender expectations through Suresh’s candid, conversational humor, traces her journey from India’s digital comedy boom to the global live stage. He first rose to fame through highly viewed online sketches before creating, writing and starring in the acclaimed Prime Video series Pushpavalli, later expanding his presence into stand-up and television, including hosting and consulting on Comicstaan.
Her inclusion in Netflix Is a Joke Fest underlines the growing global visibility of Indian stand-up comedy and marks an important moment in the representation of Indian women on one of comedy’s biggest international platforms.
