OML expands international touring schedule, showcasing Indian comedy talent globally

The schedule includes more than 20 OML-repped comedians performing in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia.

OML’s artists management business at the Mumbai-headquartered media and entertainment company has announced an amplified international touring schedule for 2024.

The company continues to spearhead its global expansion collaborating with a network of over 1,800 creators spanning 24 countries. Since 2002, OML has transformed the Indian live-touring ecosystem, following and taking its expansive roster to international territories. As leaders in the global touring circuit, OML is committed to working with a diverse set of comedians and other performing artists to facilitate their international tours.

Gunjan Arya, CEO, Only Much Louder says, " We have been very lucky to be repping hardworking and ambitious talent which has allowed us to take risks and scale up while enabling us to have front row seats in expanding the global footprint of the Indian comedy ecosystem, by OML partnering with promoters across 60+ cities and programming over 500 shows, just this year. We are very grateful for the overwhelming response and support we've received. Our commitment to spotlighting diverse talent on international platforms remains steadfast.”

The upcoming 2024 international schedule features more than 20 OML-repped comedians going on international tours. After conquering the Royal Albert Hall, Zakir Khan set his eyes on North America with more than 20,000 tickets sold so far and a sold-out performance at Madison Square Garden in March.

Abishek Kumar and Nirmal Pillai also take their crowd work show to North America later in August and September. Prashasti Singh heads to Europe performing in Munich, Amsterdam, London, Dublin, Stockholm and Paris in March.

On the other hand, Anirban Dasgupta and Urooj Ashfaq, hot off their recent runs at Soho Theatre in London, making their way to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival where they are taking their solo shows for month-long runs, followed by the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Azeem Banatwalla too will have a month-long run at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Rahul Subramanian heads to the Middle East for a series of shows before going to Australia where Biswa Kalyan Rath too takes his show on the road.

Comedian Prashasti Singh says “I have always wanted to perform to a wider audience across the world. The idea of doing it is both exciting and nerve wracking! OML has helped me plan and execute live shows outside India and now I’m thrilled to take my show on the road to Europe for the first time. Looking forward to now being a part of International Festivals too”.

In 2024’s touring schedule, OML has collaborated with a portfolio of Indian as well as international promoters. Furthermore, they have partnered with the world’s three biggest comedy festivals - the Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2024; Just For Laughs; and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to showcase their roster’s talent.

Comedian Zakir Khan says “What we have achieved is bigger than what I dreamed, I don’t think I ever thought we'd be able to achieve even 10% of what all we have done just this year and the humbling part is abhi toh yeh sirf shuruaat hai (this is just the beginning).”

Over the last few years, OML has expanded its international market share to include shows featuring and headlining Indian comedians in over 60 cities across the USA, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Sweden, Scotland, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Kenya, Spain, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia and more.

According to the release, the company has scaled up its presence from local comedy clubs to globally renowned and aspirational venues such as Madison Square Garden in New York; the Royal Albert Hall in London; the Etihad Arena in  Abu Dhabi; the Meridian Hall in Toronto;  the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay in Singapore; and the Sydney Opera House in Australia to name a few. From 13 shows in 2018, OML has amplified its international touring presence to a staggering 500+ shows across the world in 2024.

Rishabh Nahar, senior VP, artist management says, “ With over 500 shows across 60 cities, we are not just pushing boundaries but also forging new avenues for Indian talent to shine on a global stage. This is just the beginning of an exciting chapter for OML and the exceptional artists we represent. The number of Indian comedians touring in these markets have exponentially increased and the promoters with whom we have developed and scaled markets with are now also trusted partners for comedians who are not repped by OML too, thereby building a lot of inclusivity. OML has the highest market share of revenue, tickets and volume of shows when it comes to international touring of Indian comedians. And more importantly, our artists have been able to create a global impact for the Indian entertainment ecosystem.”

OML had programmed a whopping 114 shows at the Fringe in 2023, a feat unrivalled by any other Indian agency so far and in 2024, the number goes up to 150. This year also marks OML programming the highest number of shows at the Soho Theatre in London. These amplified efforts have consequently opened up international opportunities for the Indian comedy industry as a whole, bringing Indian talent to a global stage and audience.

In 2018, the overall Indian comedy industry pulled off a total of 35-38 international shows, of which OML facilitated 13. OML also helped develop and grow international comedy markets beyond Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern territories such as Singapore, Dubai and Thailand.