Why Comedians Are Turning on Each Other Over the Riyadh Comedy Festival

The festival

The Riyadh Comedy Festival bills itself as “the world’s largest comedy festival.” Running from Sept. 26 until Oct. 9, the fest features heavyweights like Chappelle, Hart, Cummings, Bill Burr, Louis CK, Pete Davidson, Aziz Ansari and Jo Koy.

The festival, one of several events under the country’s “Vision 2030” plan, is part of Saudi Arabia’s larger push to rebrand itself as a global entertainment hub.

The festival is produced by Sela, the events company owned by Saudi Arabia’s wealth fund and the kingdom’s General Entertainment Authority. 

Why it’s so controversial 

The controversy centers around the idea that comedians shouldn’t be performing in a country where being gay is criminalized, women face restricted freedoms, and dissidents risk imprisonment or execution. Critics have said Saudi Arabia is only trying to soften its image through major cultural events, like the comedy festival, but many say they are propaganda vehicles masking systemic abuse.

Human Rights Watch said in a statement that the festival wants “to deflect attention from its brutal repression of free speech and other pervasive human rights violations.”

“The festival dates include the seventh anniversary of the Saudi state-sponsored murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi and takes place just months after Saudi authorities executed a journalist apparently for his public speech,” the statement said. 

The backlash 

The sharpest criticisms so far have come from Cross.

“We can never again take seriously anything these comedians complain about (unless it’s complaining that we don’t support enough torture and mass executions of journalists and LGBQT peace activists here in the states, or that we don’t terrorize enough Americans by flying planes into our buildings),” he said in the note on his website. “I mean that’s it; you have a funny bit about how you don’t like Yankee Candles or airport lounges? Okay great, but you’re cool with murder and/or the public caning of women who were raped, and by having the audacity to be raped, were guilty of “engaging in adultery”? Got any bits on that?”

Comedian Marc Maron joked in a clip posted to his Instagram that the festival was brought to viewers by those that were behind the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.

“How do you even promote that?” he asked. "From the folks that brought you 9/11, two weeks of laughter in the desert—don’t miss it.”

Shane Gillis said he turned down a “significant” amount of money to do the festival because of Saudi Arabia’s alleged role in 9/11. 

“I took a principled stand,” he said. 

Atsuko Okatsuka said on social media that she turned down an offer to perform over the free speech concerns.

The response

Not many comedians have responded to the criticism directly, but those who have addressed it joked about Saudi Arabia’s laws and suppression. Tim Dillon was ultimately cut from the fest after he said he didn’t care that slavery existed in the country.

“They’re paying me enough money to look the other way,” he said on his podcast. 

Pete Davidson tried to skip over the fact that he was going to Saudi Arabia in an podcast with Theo Von, only vaguely implying he could be bought for the right amount. 

“I just know I get the routing, and then I see the number, and I go, ‘I’ll go,’” he said.

Bill Burr, who performed on opening night of the festival, said on his podcast that it was “great” to be in the region and be part of the first comedy festival there. 

“The royals loved the show. Everyone was happy," he said. "The people that were doing the festival were thrilled. The comedians that I’ve been talking to are saying, ‘Dude, you can feel [the audience] wanted it. They want to see real stand-up comedy.’ It was a mind-blowing experience. Definitely top three experiences I’ve had. I think it’s going to lead to a lot of positive things.”