A human rights organization accused the Saudi government of using the Riyadh Comedy Festival to deflect attention from the country’s record of “brutal repression of free speech and other pervasive human rights violations.”
Some 50 comedians, including high-profile names like Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Kevin Hart, Louis C.K., and Pete Davidson, were among the participants in the event in Saudi Arabia, held Sept. 26–Oct. 9 at Boulevard City in Riyadh.
Human Rights Watch urged the comedians to use their performance at the event to call attention to human rights violations and call for the release of “unjustly detained Saudi dissidents, journalists, and human rights activists.” It is unclear how many addressed human rights issues on stage.
“Comedians performing in Riyadh should speak out against Saudi Arabia’s serious rights abuses or they risk bolstering the Saudi government’s well-funded efforts to launder its image,” said Joey Shea, Saudi Arabia researcher at Human Rights Watch. She added that the “whitewashing” comes amid a surge in repression and a broader crackdown on free speech.
Notably, the comedians were reportedly required to sign gag contracts forbidding derogatory jokes about religion, the Saudi government, or the royal family. They reportedly received payments of between $350,000 and $1.6 million for their participation.
The comedy festival, along with other high-dollar events organized by the Saudi government, including the LIV golf tour and a series of Formula 1 races, is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030, a plan to boost the economy and attract tourism and foreign investments while enhancing the image of the Kingdom internationally.
On June 14, Saudi Arabia executed journalist Turki al-Jasser for criticizing the government on social media. Accused of “treason” for his writings, he had already spent years in prison, where he was reportedly tortured. His execution was the first journalist killing under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) since the brutal 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi. The festival’s scheduled dates coincided with the seventh anniversary of the killing of Khashoggi.
Saudi Arabia executed 17 people in just three days, marking the fastest pace of capital punishment since 2022 and raising the total number of executions this year to 239, according to France 24. Rights groups said the surge casts a shadow over the kingdom’s reform narrative under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Chappelle, who previously left Comedy Central for what he described as uncomfortable race-based pressures, told a Riyadh crowd that it’s “easier to talk here than it is in America,” per The Hollywood Reporter.
Burr, who loves to mock America’s millionaires like Elon Musk, has been called a hypocrite for taking part in the comedy festival at the behest of the ultra-wealthy Saudi royal family.
In a 2011 taping of his “Monday Morning Podcast,” Burr criticized celebrities who accepted large sums of money to perform during a private New Year’s Eve party for the family of Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi, who has been accused of involvement in the 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, that killed 270 people, including 190 Americans. However, Burr appeared to have no qualms about performing in Saudi Arabia.
On the very same podcast, during a taping published on September 29 this year, Burr said, “The Royals loved the show. Everyone was happy. The people that were doing the festival were thrilled. And, yeah, it was just this great, positive thing. … So it was a mind-blowing experience, definitely top three experiences I’ve ever had.”
Jessica Kirson, an outspoken Jewish lesbian comedian, performed at the event, even though homosexuality is a criminal offense punishable by the death penalty in Saudi Arabia under Sharia law (not codified law).
Days later, Kirson issued a statement expressing regret over her decision to participate in the comedy festival under the auspices of the Saudi government and pledged to donate the entirety of her wages for the performance to a human rights organization.
Pete Davidson also performed at the Riyadh Comedy Festival, even though his father’s death in 2001 was related to acts of violence by Saudi Arabian terrorists. His father, FDNY Firefighter Scott Davidson, died at or near the World Trade Center on 9/11. According to the FBI, 15 out of the 19 hijackers who carried out the attacks on September 11, 2001, that killed nearly 3,000 people were from Saudi Arabia.
Fellow comedian Shane Gillis revealed on “Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast” that he turned down the opportunity to perform at the festival, despite receiving a very lucrative financial offer.
“I took a principled stand,” Gillis said, per USA Today, adding, “You don’t 9/11 your friends.”
Comedian David Cross wrote an open letter expressing his thoughts on his colleagues’ involvement in the Riyadh Comedy Festival: “I am disgusted, and deeply disappointed in this whole gross thing. That people I admire, with unarguable talent, would condone this totalitarian fiefdom for …what, a fourth house? A boat? More sneakers? … This is truly the definition of blood money.”