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Inside LA’s Biggest AAPI Comedy & Food Festival
By Kelli Luu | 15 Jul, 2025
Belly Laughs was a full course experience brought to L.A. Live to celebrate Asian American culture, comedy, and culinary pride.
This past weekend the Belly Laughs Festival brought food, comedy, and Asian-American culture to Los Angeles. 30 AAPI comedians, 20 Asian-owned food and beverage vendors and over 6,000 attendees got together at L.A. Live for a celebration of a unique Third Culture.
Famous names like Asif Ali, Margaret Cho, and Bobby Lee took the stage at the Peacock Theater and had people laughing out of their seats with sets ranging from reflection to ICE crackdowns.
But this wasn’t just a comedy show, it was a true cultural event.
Outside of the theater was an exciting experience put together by MAMA’s Nightmarket. With handpicked vendors, each with their own hustle, heart, and heritage, you could taste flavor and tradition with every dish. It was extremely difficult to decide which vendor to stop at with beef skewers, spicy dumplings, and Korean fried chicken lighting up the air.
The fun continued with mahjong tables and karaoke stages giving everyone an opportunity to meet new people and reconnect with their roots.
And there were also live events throughout the day which entertained the crowd with traditional techniques and fusion twists. Chef Tue Nguyen taught a crash course cooking demo and Rivera Seafood Club held a live tuna cutting.
Hari Kondabolu called Belly Laughs our “Lollapalooza” and I couldn’t have agreed more. I left the event full of food, boba, and pride. The Belly Laughs Festival was proof that Asian Americans can headline, host, and hold space confidently, all while having a good time doing it.
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