On June 9, the “Rapaport” Hall in Haifa will host the Big City Stand-Up - one of the largest Russian-speaking comedy events in the city. For the NGO “Young People for Haifa,” this project is not just a concert, but part of a broader vision of creating a modern urban culture in Haifa.
After the first show sold out completely, the organizers decided to take the project to the next level by bringing together ten comedians from Israel’s Russian-speaking stand-up community on one stage.
The special guest of the evening will be Valeria Yakovleva - a performer from the TV show “Women’s Stand-Up” on TNT, actress, blogger, and one of the most recognizable Russian-speaking female comedians of recent years. Her performances have gained millions of views online, and she is widely known for her signature humor about family, aliyah, and life between Israel and the Russian-speaking world. Interestingly, part of her biography is directly connected to Israel: in her youth, she lived in the country and served in the Israeli army.
One of the show’s headliners will also be Vlad Slobodov (Vlados) - one of the most recognizable figures in Israel’s Russian-speaking stand-up scene, a resident of Comedy Club Israel, winner of the show “Make the Comedian Laugh,” and participant in international stand-up festivals. He is often referred to as one of the pioneers of modern Russian-speaking comedy in Israel.
Also performing on stage will be:
Mikhail Sloush, Anna Rom, Lev Goldort, Alex Grishaev, Ivan Zuev, Roma Zavodskoy, Nikolai Kim, and Mikhail Naumovets - comedians well known to audiences of Israel’s Russian-speaking stand-up scene, regularly performing at concerts, festivals, and comedy clubs across the country.
The organizers promise an evening of uncensored live stand-up featuring jokes about aliyah, relationships, work, family, Israeli reality, and everyday situations familiar to almost everyone living in the country.
However, for the NGO “Young People for Haifa,” the project also carries a deeper meaning.
“Today, many young people leave Haifa because they feel that nothing is happening in the city. We want to change that perception. A modern city is not only about roads and buildings. It is about atmosphere, culture, events, and the feeling of life within the city,” the organizers say.
All proceeds from the event will go toward supporting the projects of the NGO “Young People for Haifa”: public spaces, youth initiatives, cultural events, volunteer projects, and the development of the city’s community.
According to the NGO team, it is especially important that projects like this are being created by what is essentially an independent civic initiative - without major budgets or administrative resources.
“We believe that cities do not change only from the top down. A great deal depends on the residents themselves. If something is missing in Haifa, that is not a reason to give up. It is a reason to start creating it yourself,” say the organizers of the project.
The Big City Stand-Up will take place on June 9 at the “Rapaport” Hall in Haifa. The show will be held in two acts with an intermission. Organizers warn that the program will include adult themes and explicit language.
🎫 Ticket sales are already open via the link
📍 June 9 | “Rapaport” Hall | Haifa
