Comic and podcaster to play the O2

Joe Rogan has announced a rare UK stand-up date next month.

The comic and podcaster will be playing The O2 in London on October 22 – his first ever British arena gig. It will be the only European date in his ongoing Sacred Clown tour.

Rogan has been a tand-up for more than 20 years, and in 2020 signed a multi-year podcast deal with Spotify worth an estimated $100 million.

However ,the show has been plagued by controversy. He has given platforms for far-right voices such as  Alex Jones and in February, Spotify removed 113 episodes, partly due to racist and insensitive language

Rogan’s views on Covid vaccines has also prompted a backlash from the scientific community, with  270 doctors, scientists and healthcare writing an open letter to Spotify about ‘misinformation’ and  ‘false and societally harmful assertions’ on the show. Last week the comedian told all his listeners who were angered by the effects of the pandemic to vote Republican.

The comic –  who also commentates on UFC fights –  last released a stand-up special in 2018, Strange Times on Netflix, which has an 89 per cent approval rating on review website Rotten Tomatoes.

For his UK date, promoters Live Nation quote from a 2008 Guardian review describing Rogan as ‘one of the most complex and exciting stand-ups working in America today. Like an idealistic hippy stuck inside the body of a testosterone-pumped US marine… His angry, insightful act is an absorbing battle between his raw libertarian instincts and his refined liberal sensibilities.’

Tickets for the Sacred Clown O2 date go on sale at 10am on Friday.

Published: 6 Sep 2022