International festival appearances, three National Arts Festival Ovation Awards and a very bad travel experience come together in one of South Africa’s most talked-about comedy shows
Fresh from recent performances in London and Stockholm, multi-award-winning South African comedian Dalin Oliver is bringing his acclaimed stand-up show Stuck in Dubai to Johannesburg this October. With three National Arts Festival Ovation Awards, a Fringe World Festival Award and three Comics Choice Comedy Award nominations to his name, Oliver returns to South Africa after taking his latest show to international festival stages.
Oliver’s Johannesburg season forms part of his biggest national tour yet, taking Stuck in Dubai from Cape Town to stages across the country, while also expanding its international footprint through appearances at the Bitesize Festival at Riverside Studios in London and Stockholm Fringe in Sweden.
For Johannesburg audiences, Stuck in Dubai offers the chance to see the show that recently earned Oliver his third National Arts Festival Ovation Award, a sharp, personal and highly relatable take on one of the worst travel experiences of his life. What started as a travel nightmare has become one of Oliver’s most successful comedy stories, now making its way from international festival stages to the Johannesburg spotlight.
WHY JOBURG SHOULD GET STUCK IN DUBAI
At the heart of Stuck in Dubai is a travel nightmare that became comedy gold.
What began as an experience Oliver would probably rather forget has been transformed into a sharp, energetic and highly relatable stand-up show about things going spectacularly wrong, the absurdity of modern travel and the unexpected situations life throws at us.
But Stuck in Dubai is about far more than being stranded.
Oliver uses the experience as a springboard into stories about life, travel, expectations and the strange ways people respond when plans go completely off the rails. His trademark storytelling style turns the personal into the universal, making audiences laugh at situations they may recognise all too well.
“Every comedian hopes life hands them stories worth telling,” says Oliver. “I definitely didn’t expect getting stranded to become the inspiration for an entire show. Looking back now, what felt incredibly stressful at the time has become one of the funniest experiences of my life.”
The result is a show that combines personal storytelling, sharp observational comedy and Oliver’s high-energy performance style, with enough twists to make audiences wonder where the story is going next.
FROM SOUTH AFRICA TO LONDON AND STOCKHOLM
Oliver’s Johannesburg return comes at an important point in an increasingly international career.
This year, he has taken Stuck in Dubai to audiences around South Africa while also stepping onto international stages, including five performances at London’s Bitesize Festival at Riverside Studios and an appearance at Stockholm Fringe, marking another milestone in his international comedy journey.
For a South African comedian building an audience beyond the country’s borders, the international dates offer a compelling next chapter in Oliver’s career, while his national tour brings the same show back to the audiences who have supported him at home.
“I’ve toured before, but this feels different,” says Oliver. “This is my biggest tour yet, both in terms of the number of cities and what the show means to me personally. I genuinely feel this is my strongest show yet, and I can’t wait to bring it to Johannesburg.”
THREE OVATION AWARDS AND COUNTING
Stuck in Dubai arrives in Johannesburg with serious festival credentials.
The show earned Oliver his third National Arts Festival Ovation Award following its run in Makhanda, adding to an already impressive list of career achievements.
A former teacher who turned professional comedian, Oliver has spent more than a decade building a career that has taken him to 10 countries and more than 25 international cities.
His accolades include a Fringe World Festival Award, three National Arts Festival Ovation Awards, three Comics Choice Comedy Award nominations and recognition as one of the Mail & Guardian’s 200 Young South Africans.
He has also performed at major comedy and arts festivals internationally, including the Bitesize Festival in London and Stockholm Fringe.
For media looking for a story beyond another comedy show announcement, Oliver’s Johannesburg season offers a broader narrative: a South African comedian taking a distinctly local voice onto international stages, then bringing that experience back home.
THE COMEDIAN BEHIND THE SHOW
Oliver’s career has also crossed comedy, broadcasting and sport.
He is a familiar face on Showmax, DStv and Comedy Central Africa, while sports audiences know him as the host of the Late Late Tackle with the Springboks podcast. He has also worked as a sports broadcaster at Good Hope FM.
That crossover between comedy, sport, broadcasting and live performance has helped establish Oliver as one of South Africa’s most versatile comedy voices, with a style that is energetic, conversational and grounded in everyday experiences.
His appeal lies in his ability to turn ordinary situations into stories audiences immediately recognise, while his international work continues to introduce his comedy to new audiences.
FROM ONE BAD TRIP TO A NATIONAL COMEDY TOUR
The premise behind Stuck in Dubai is simple: sometimes the worst experiences make the best stories.
What Oliver experienced as a travel disaster has evolved into an award-winning show that has now travelled from South African stages to international festivals.
And with Johannesburg forming one of the biggest stops on his 2026 tour, audiences have the opportunity to see the show before the national tour wraps up later in the year.
“One of my favourite things about touring is discovering how different every audience is,” says Oliver. “Each town has its own personality and rhythm, but laughter has this incredible way of bringing everyone together. Whether you’re watching in Cape Town, Kimberley or Johannesburg, we’re all laughing about the same human experiences.”
DALIN OLIVER: STUCK IN DUBAI, JOHANNESBURG
Show: Dalin Oliver – Stuck in Dubai
Dates: 14–18 October 2026
Venue: Studio Theatre at Montecasino, Johannesburg
Tickets: R150–R200
Tickets are available via Webtickets.
The Johannesburg season follows Oliver’s performances across South Africa and internationally, including London and Stockholm.
For audiences who want comedy with a story behind it, Stuck in Dubai is the trip worth taking.
2026 NATIONAL TOUR DATES
21 July–1 August: Cape Town
7–9 August: Hilton Arts Festival, KZN
14–16 August: Bitesize Festival, Riverside Studios, London – 5 performances
26–30 August: Stockholm Fringe, Sweden
11 September: Kimberley – Flamingo Casino
12 September: Bloemfontein
18 September: St Francis Bay
19 September: Knysna
20 September: Sedgefield
25–26 September: Paarl
3–4 October: Durban
14–18 October: Johannesburg – Studio Theatre at Montecasino
24 October: Strand
31 October: KuGompo City
6 November: Gqeberha
14 November: Stellenbosch
ABOUT DALIN OLIVER
Dalin Oliver is a multi-award-winning South African comedian, broadcaster and storyteller whose energetic and relatable comedy has taken him to stages across South Africa and internationally.
A former teacher turned full-time comedian, Oliver has performed in 10 countries and more than 25 international cities. His career highlights include winning a Fringe World Festival Award, receiving three National Arts Festival Ovation Awards, earning three Comics Choice Comedy Award nominations and being named one of the Mail & Guardian’s 200 Young South Africans.
He has performed at major international festivals, including the Bitesize Festival in London and Stockholm Fringe, and has appeared on Showmax, DStv and Comedy Central Africa.
Oliver is also the host of the Late Late Tackle with the Springboks podcast and a former sports broadcaster on Good Hope FM, combining his passion for comedy, sport and storytelling across multiple platforms.
With Stuck in Dubai, Oliver enters another chapter of his career, taking an award-winning South African comedy show to audiences at home and abroad.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook: Dalin Oliver Comedian
Instagram: @dalinoliver
X: @DalinOliver
TikTok: @dalinoliver
