Nihal Arthanayake Makes Stand-up Comedy Debut at Sri Lankan Culture Collective at Battersea Arts Centre

Sri Lankan Culture Collective, London's first boutique festival showcasing Sri Lankan diaspora food, culture and talent, has announced that acclaimed broadcaster, presenter, journalist and author Nihal Arthanayake will be making his stand-up comedy debut by co-headlining the lineup, at the SLCC Comedy & Music event on Saturday 26th July at Battersea Arts Centre.

Nihal Arthanayake said: "So, instead of buying a motorbike to deal with my mid-life crisis I have decided that I want to be a stand up comedian. And where better to do my debut stand up gig than surrounded by Sri Lankans who will throw piles of kotthu at me if I am rubbish."

The Sri Lankan Culture Collective founders said “We at Sri Lankan Culture Collective are thrilled to welcome the incredible Nihal Arthanayake for his highly anticipated stand-up comedy debut! Nihal is a passionate advocate for Sri Lankan diaspora arts and culture and it's an honour to have him join us to co-headline our comedy lineup. SLCC is about creativity, community and collaboration and the programme is unique in its depth and breadth. This isn't your amma's Sri Lanka! Cutting-edge comedy. Boundary-breaking music. Witness a new cultural wave - we're flipping the script on what you think you know about Sri Lanka. Join us for one, some or all our events, come for the culture, stay for the community, leave changed.”

During South Asian Heritage Month, SRI LANKAN CULTURE COLLECTIVE will make its return for the second year with an ambitious programme of five unmissable dates across the summer during Saturday 26th July to Sunday 7th September. Serving up Comedy, Music, Pop-up Marketplace, Wine pairing, a Supper club and a Hopper masterclass, SLCC tickets are on sale now here.

SRI LANKAN CULTURE COLLECTIVE is a non-profit created by four Sri Lankan artisan founders and creative powerhouses; Rosh Olivelle, the award-winning founder of Hop & Roll a boutique Sri Lankan food business specialising in hoppers, spice blends and cocktails, Thana Sivasambu, the founder of Ruci Foods, a range of authentic Sri Lankan tastes, from pastes, chutneys and sambols that have won Great Taste Awards every year, and Ranji Thangiah aka Tooting Mama, a food and travel writer, podcaster and photographer with a growing community and Krish Puwanarajah, co-founder of Arêvery, a purpose-led concept store, coffee and wine bar in Tooting.  The programme has been lovingly curated by the collective:

SLCC Comedy & Music - Saturday 26th July, 4pm-10.30pm, Battersea Arts Centre

4pm-9pm - Daytime marketplace with free entry, featuring pop-up boutique stalls, showcasing hand-dyed Batiks from Ganisha de Abrew, artisan handmade crafts from Serendip Crafts, teas from the hills of Sri Lanka by Owl and Monkey Tea, hand-ground, hand-blended spices from @hop_roll, award-winning sambols, pickles & chutneys from @rucifoods, Sri Lanka's newest  travel book and a beautiful heritage storytelling workshop from Nisha.

6.15pm-7.30pm - In the Battersea Arts Centre café for scintillating comedy curated by  Hari Kanth (BBC new comedy award finalist, the comedy writer, director and standup), who will be joined by a hot lineup of comic talent from the Sri Lankan and South Asian comedy community. Hosted by Nalin D.

Co-headlined by Nihal Arthanayake – Acclaimed broadcaster, presenter, journalist and author of ‘Let's Talk: How To Have Better Conversations' is known for his unrivalled long-form cultural interviews with today's big hitters and activism on diversity and inclusion. Alongside co-headliner Eshaan Akbar, Stella Graham, Dipak Patel and Dushy Gnanakumar.

7.30pm-10.30pm - Three hours of phenomenal live music performances from a lineup of contemporary avant-garde Sri Lankan artists, showcasing next generation talent from across the diaspora.

The lineup Includes:  Toulip Wonder performing ‘Fortune Baby', Suren Seneviratne (aka My Panda Shall Fly) performing his ‘Missing Music' project, Ushara who is one half of Cell Deletion 11 with Sonnie Carlebach, Nush who performs for the first time as a 4 piece band - Nush and the Descendance, and afrobeats, drill and Tamil sounds from DJ AP.

Two Wine Pairing Workshops - Tuesday 5th August (SOLD OUT) & Wednesday 6th August, 6.30pm-8.30pm, Arêvery

What was one is now two delicious evenings due to popular demand, where bold Sri Lankan flavours meet wines with purpose led by Krish Puwanarajah, co-founder of Arêvery , who will guide you across four hand-picked wines all sourced from small-scale producers, women-led projects, and makers from underrepresented communities. Each wine is chosen for its unique character and craft. These are not your typical pairings. Think lesser-known grapes, from off-the-beaten-path regions, with surprising notes that will pair perfectly with aromatic spices.

Supper Club - Thursday 14th August, 7.30pm-11pm, Tooting Works (SOLD OUT)

Ranji Thangiah aka Tooting Mama, food writer, recipe developer, and podcaster has teamed up with Thana Sivasambu, founder of the award-winning artisan food brand, Ruci Foods to bring you a beautifully crafted three-course meal showcasing the vibrant, authentic flavours of Sri Lanka.

Hopper Masterclass - Sunday 7th Sept, 12pm-3pm, Tooting Works

Master the Art of Sri Lankan Hoppers with Rosh Olivelle, founder of Hop & Roll, who will lead a hands-on hopper-making class in making the beloved Sri Lankan Hopper. Hoppers are crispy-edged, bowl-shaped pancakes with a soft, spongy centre, perfect for soaking up rich curries and spicy sambols. This immersive session will guide you through the secrets of fermenting and cooking hoppers to perfection.

The SRI LANKAN CULTURE COLLECTIVE launched in 2024, a platform showcasing creative Sri Lankan founders and entrepreneurs. SRI LANKAN CULTURE COLLECTIVE is supported by Wandsworth, London Borough of Culture 2025, as part of its celebrations for South Asian Heritage Month