Latest news with #Koy
Filipino Times
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Filipino Times
Jo Koy receives honorary doctorate from Cal State LA ahead of Etihad Arena show
The Doc will see you now… Comedian Jo Koy adds 'Dr' to his title as he prepares for his highly anticipated performance at Etihad Arena next week. Comedy superstar Jo Koy was awarded an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree by California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA), on May 21st, recognizing his outstanding contributions to the arts and the global comedy landscape. The milestone in his career comes just as he gears up to bring his razor-sharp wit and signature storytelling to the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, 29th May, as part of the Abu Dhabi Comedy Season. A proud Filipino American and a relentless force in stand-up comedy, Jo Koy's journey from open mic nights to sold-out arenas has been nothing short of inspirational. His comedy is deeply personal yet universally relatable, touching on family, identity, and everyday life with warmth, vulnerability, and hilarious insight. During his commencement address at Cal State LA, Koy shared the challenges he faced in pursuing his passion for comedy. Watch it here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cal State LA (@calstatela) 'It's not easy getting to where you want to go. It takes a lot of hard work, it takes a lot of sacrifice. It takes a lot of falling flat on your face, and that's when you find out who you really are. That's when you build the grit, the heart, and the strength to keep pushing.' He also recounted his early days performing in less-than-ideal venues: 'My schools were bad nightclubs that did comedy on Tuesdays, and I would go anywhere that would give me five minutes. That was my school.' The honorary doctorate acknowledges not only his success as a performer but also his impact on cultural representation in mainstream entertainment. Known for breaking barriers and amplifying diverse voices, Jo Koy continues to be a powerful figure in comedy and now holds the rare distinction of being a doctor of the very art he has helped redefine. Fans in the UAE are in for a treat as Jo Koy returns by popular demand to the region with his Just Being Koy tour. With fresh, never-before-seen material, his irresistible charm, and now an honorary doctorate in tow, this promises to be a comedy experience that's both intelligent and side-splittingly funny. Tickets are limited – book your tickets today at
Winnipeg Free Press
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Comedian Jo Koy coming to arena in August
Popular Filipino American comedian Jo Koy is coming back to Winnipeg with his Just Being Koy Tour, which hits Canada Life Centre on Aug. 29. Koy — who played a record-breaking string of sold-out shows at the Club Regent Event Centre in 2017 — has seven specials on Comedy Central and Netflix. In June 2020, the comedian released his first variety special, Jo Koy: In His Elements, on Netflix in which Koy went to Manila, spotlighting local culture in a one-of-a-kind show featuring Filipino-American comedians, DJs and B-boys. Presale tickets (prices TBA) go on sale May 7 at 10 a.m.; password is COMEDY. General tickets sales start May 9 at noon at
Los Angeles Times
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Gabriel ‘Fluffy' Iglesias and Jo Koy announce Super Bowl-size comedy show at SoFi Stadium
Two of L.A.'s biggest comedians are teaming up to grab the mic for what they anticipate will be the largest comedy show in history. Gabriel 'Fluffy' Iglesias and Jo Koy on Tuesday announced that they'll be headlining the first stand-up performance at SoFi Stadium on March 21, 2026 — setting their sights on a sold-out crowd of 70,000 fans. If achieved, this number would eclipse the current Guinness World Record-holding comedy audience of 67,733 pulled off by German comedian Mario Barth at the Olympiastadion in Berlin in 2008. Announcing the show exclusively to The Times, Koy and Iglesias said that this massive undertaking will be a major moment not only for their fans who've supported them for decades, but for the art form of stand-up comedy. 'For one day, the two of us will be Taylor Swift,' Iglesias joked. The two longtime friends, who frequently pop up at each other's sold-out arena shows, said they felt the time was right to finally make a major co-headlining appearance together. They'll be performing their sets back to back on one night only with an array of special guests, surprise moments and plenty of other hilarious interruptions that will make for a roughly four-hour show. 'I think every time that we crash each other's shows, we see the reaction of the fans, and people get excited,' Iglesias said sitting outside SoFi with Koy on a recent afternoon talking about the show set to happen next spring. 'And the more we do that, the more we realize we have a lot of the same fans. We've always wanted to do shows together, yeah, like trying to make it make sense.' Looking across the giant man-made lake in front of SoFi's enormous structure, Koy can hardly contain his joyous disbelief that he'll be performing at one of the largest NFL stadiums in the country where the Rams and Chargers play. 'I play the Forum, and then as I'm pulling in this … it's dwarfing the Forum,' Koy said. 'This is a massive deal. To share the stage with this guy is gonna be incredible.' Between the success and fan bases of both comedians, the potential of a record-setting stand-up show seems statistically within reach. In 2022, Long Beach comedian Iglesias was the first comic to sell out the 56,000-seat Dodger Stadium as part of the debut of the biennial Netflix Is a Joke Festival in L.A. He also set a record for fines incurred by a performer for going over his allotted time slot (a hefty $250,000 for not leaving the venue until 4 a.m.). 'I'm the reason the Dodgers could afford Ohtani this year,' Iglesias joked. 'That being said, I've learned a couple things, and we're gonna apply them to this. And I think that it has to make sense, and it's gonna make sense.' Last year, Koy also made comedy history by performing two back-to-back sold-out shows at the Forum, bringing him to a record-setting total of six sold-out headlining shows for a comedian at the Inglewood venue that seats more than 17,500 fans. The discussion of the pair playing SoFi began when Iglesias came out at Koy's record-breaking sixth Forum show last February to hand him a plaque for his achievement. In front of the crowd, Iglesias asked Koy if they should contemplate performing 'across the street' together, which elicited a roar of excitement from the crowd. 'I always wanted to do a show with [Iglesias] and it was him that was like, 'Hey, let's do SoFi,'' Koy said laughing. 'Like, can we just start small? ... this is [Iglesias'] brain child. I love it that it took someone like Gabe to come up with something this big and to inspire me to do it.' Considering both comedians have made a career of selling out major market arenas in the past, Iglesias said he's confident his big idea will pay off. 'It needed to be said out loud for us to actually make it real, to make it feel like this is something that can happen,' he said. 'Because, I mean, theoretically, mathematically, it should, we should be fine. There should be five of these like Tay-Tay.' When it comes to playing to the 'cheap seats' at the back of the stadium, the comedians said they're committed to making sure everyone in the venue enjoys the experience of their comedy show, which is being presented by Icon Concerts. Pre-sale begins at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 23, local time, and tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, April 25, on Ticketmaster and via the comedians' websites, and 'That's always the first thought — is everyone gonna be able to enjoy the experience,' Iglesias said. 'And I think you bring in the right production, the right sound, the right lighting, spare no expense on that one, and make sure that every single seat is a good seat.' 'We're going to have mics everywhere,' Koy said. 'That was like, my biggest concern. Let's make sure we capture everything and make sure everyone sees us. This thing's massive, it's nuts.' This banner career moment for Koy next door to LAX comes on the heels of a rather scary moment in the skies earlier this month as a passenger with his family on an L.A.-bound flight from the Philippines that made an emergency landing in Tokyo after smoke started billowing into the cabin due to an electrical fire. 'I had my family with me, so I'm trying to be strong but inside I'm like, 'Oh, my God we're gonna crash!' Koy said. 'When we landed, it was like a new life was handed to us.' If anyone can identify with Koy's experience it's Iglesias, who had his own emergency landing in 2023 when a private jet he was on skidded off the runway and landed in a field. 'I think [Koy] wins, he had fire,' he quipped. For Koy and Iglesias, who both survived and thrived in the comedy scene in L.A. for years and became worldwide stars in comedy with a combined 60 years worth of experience between them, performing a show this size is definitely no joke. 'A mega show is in order,' Iglesias said. 'I think that the two of us are right at that perfect spot where this is the right time and the right place.'
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jo Koy Reacts After Electrical Fire Forces Flight's Emergency Landing
Originally appeared on E! Online Jo Koy is not laughing about his recent flight experience. During a flight from the Philippines to Los Angeles, the comedian, his family and fellow passengers were forced to make an unplanned stop in Japan. "We had to do an emergency landing in Tokyo, Japan,' Koy said in a video posted to Instagram April 10. 'But I'm gonna say this, the flight attendants on Philippine Airlines were amazing. You were amazing, above and beyond. You guys were pros. Thank you for remaining calm in a situation that could have went south fast." In the caption, the 53-year-old went on to clarify that the plane was forced to land at Haneda Airport after an electrical fire filled 'the entire cabin' with smoke. And during their nine-hour delay, Koy attempted to make the best of an unfortunate situation by enjoying a bit of Sake with his family before their next flight. 'Hats off to the @flypal flight attendants and pilots they were more than great,' he continued. 'Ps. Tell everyone you love them everyday.' More from E! Online Rebecca Gayheart Shares Update on Eric Dane Relationship After Dismissing Divorce Prince William and Kate Middleton's Son Prince George Makes First Public Appearance of the Year How Demi Moore's Daughter Scout Willis Feels About Ex-Stepdad Ashton Kutcher Koy was among 355 passengers aboard the PR102 flight, and while all passengers landed safely and without injury, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon has instructed the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to 'investigate the cause of the diverted flight,' according to a press release. As for the other passengers aboard the plane? A few of them have since detailed how scary the incident was in the moment. 'It was so bad,' passenger Valerie Del Castillo told ABS-CBN. 'The smoke filled the air. We all covered our mouths and noses as staff seemed to panicked.' 'I didn't panic until a representative came on the intercom announcing we will be looking for a place to emergency land the plane with a quivering voice,' she continued. 'I could hear the fear in his words.' And Jennifer Taylor, who was also on the flight as part of her birthday celebrations, added that the smoke started to clear out before they even reached the airport in Japan. But amid all the chaos, she commended the flight crew for maintaining their composure. "There's so many people crying and panicking at one point,' Taylor told the outlet. 'Some passengers got up. The flight attendants were able to calm everybody down and eventually got everybody back on their seat.' To learn more about recent plane incidents, keep reading. Jan. 29: American Airlines Flight 5342 Collides With Army Black Hawk HelicopterJan. 31: Medical Transport Jet Crashes in PhiladelphiaFeb. 6: Small Plane Crash in Alaska Kills 10Feb. 10: Vince Neil's Learjet Involved in Fatal CollisionFeb. 17: Delta Jet Crash Lands in Toronto and Flips OverFeb. 19: Private Planes Collide at Arizona Airport, Killing 2March 1: FedEx Plane Engine Catches Fire After Colliding With BirdMarch 29: Small Plane Crashes Into Minnesota Home For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
