Comedy Club has been banned in Uzbekistan

Comedy Club banned in Uzbekistan due to "non-compliance with etiquette norms". And some jokes were requested to be cut from comedian Alexey Shcherbakov's performance.

As reported by TUT.AZ, the popular comedy show Comedy Club has been banned in Uzbekistan. The reason was the content's non-compliance with national etiquette norms, according to the Telegram channel SHOT.

According to the source, the Ministry of Culture of Uzbekistan actively monitors performances by foreign artists, sending official prohibitions and recommendations to organizers. The practice began in 2023, when the "Musical Comedy Club" show was supposed to take place in Tashkent. The event was initially postponed, allegedly for technical reasons, but a new date was never set. As it later turned out, the Ministry of Culture sent an official letter to the organizers stating that "family, marital, male and female relationships demonstrated in the show contradict national spirituality".

Event organizers in Uzbekistan note that such cancellations have become a regular practice. Programs of visiting artists are thoroughly checked and adjusted in accordance with the "moral norms of the country". For example, this year authorities demanded the exclusion of several jokes from stand-up comedian Alexey Shcherbakov's performance, while T-Fest's concert was completely canceled. In 2023, alongside the Comedy Club ban, performances by Grigory Leps, Irina Dubtsova, Diana Arbenina, and Zemfira were canceled.

Representatives of Uzbekistan's event industry are raising the alarm: due to such restrictions, they are losing up to 90% of potential revenue.