US EditionAmerican comedians at Saudi festival draw backlash from human rights groups
Bill Burr defended performing at the Riyadh Comedy Festival despite censorship and backlash, calling it one of his top three experiences amid Saudi Arabia's push for cultural modernization.
- On October 2, 2025, Bill Burr defended his decision to perform at the Riyadh Comedy Festival on his Monday Morning Podcast, calling the trip one of his top three experiences.
- Critics cited Saudi human rights concerns, including Jamal Khashoggi's murder and LGBTQ repression, opposing the Riyadh festival linked to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 initiative.
- After negotiations, Burr says, `it was great to experience that part of the world and to be a part of the first comedy festival over there in Saudi Arabia,` signing a less restrictive contract despite bans on material degrading the kingdom, the royal family, or religion.
- On Monday, comedian David Cross publicly denounced performers for undercutting their credibility, while Human Rights Watch urged them not to remain silent and called for detained Saudi activists' release.
- As a broader trend, the festival is one front in a broader Saudi effort to improve its global image through lavish cultural events, and critics warn Saudi investment may bring Hollywood studios and deals, creating reputational risks.
23 Articles
23 Articles
Dave Chappelle Pokes Fun at America's Free Speech Crisis in Saudi Arabia: 'It's Easier to Talk Here'
Dave Chappelle poked fun at the ongoing drama surrounding the supposed censorship of American’s right to freedom of speech during his set at Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia, joking that it’s easier to speak freely there than it is in the Land of the Free. “Right now in America, they say if you talk about Charlie Kirk, you’ll get canceled,” Chappelle said on Saturday, per the New York Times. “I don’t know if that’s true, but I’m going to f…
'From the folks that brought you 9/11'
The American comedy world finds itself embroiled in a not-so-civil war of words over the Riyadh Comedy Festival, sponsored by the Saudi royal family. The Saudis have given enormous paychecks to big names like Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle, Louis C.K., Aziz Ansari, and Bill Burr. On one side, you have the people invited to perform at the festival, who mostly lean toward the anti-woke, sometimes-semi-canceled, will-do-anything-for-a-dollar camp. On …
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