The Riyadh Comedy Festival, billed as the largest event of its kind globally, has ignited a fierce debate in the comedy world and beyond, as prominent U.S. comedians and human rights advocates criticize the festival for its ties to Saudi Arabia’s controversial human rights record. The festival, which began on Friday, September 26, 2025, and runs through October 9 in the Saudi capital, features a glittering lineup of A-list stand-up stars, including Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Aziz Ansari, Kevin Hart, and Jimmy Carr. Yet, instead of just laughter, the event has also sparked outrage and soul-searching within the entertainment community.
According to NPR, the participation of such big names has not gone unnoticed among fellow comedians and rights groups. Human Rights Watch, in a statement released earlier this week, accused the Saudi government of using the festival to "deflect attention from its brutal repression of free speech and other pervasive human rights violations." The organization urged performing comedians to leverage their platforms: "Participating comedians, to avoid contributing to laundering the Saudi government's reputation, should use the comedy festival to publicly urge Saudi authorities to free unjustly detained Saudi dissidents, journalists, and human rights activists."
This call to action comes at a time when Saudi Arabia’s reputation on the world stage remains deeply contentious. A 2024 report from the U.S. State Department, as cited by NPR, highlighted abuses such as "arbitrary or unlawful killings, disappearances, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, and serious restrictions on freedom of expression and media freedom." These stark realities have fueled the current backlash against the festival, especially given the Saudi government’s efforts to position Riyadh as a premier destination for major cultural and artistic events under its Vision 2030 initiative.
Comedians themselves have not held back in voicing their discomfort. Marc Maron, host of the popular WTF podcast, was particularly scathing in his critique. In a video posted to his Instagram channel, Maron took aim at colleagues who accepted the festival’s invitation, referencing both Saudi Arabia’s alleged involvement in the September 11 attacks and the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. With biting sarcasm, Maron quipped, "From the folks that brought you 9/11. Two weeks of laughter in the desert, don't miss it! The same guy that's gonna pay them is the same guy that paid that guy to bone-saw Jamal Khashoggi and put him in a f***ing suitcase. But don't let that stop the yucks, it's gonna be a good time!"
Maron’s remarks were echoed by other comedians who declined to participate. Shane Gillis, speaking on his podcast, revealed that he had turned down what he described as a "significant bag"—slang for a large sum of money—to perform at the festival. "I took a principled stand," Gillis explained, later adding, "You don’t 9/11 your friends." Stavros Halkias, another comedian who was invited, simply stated, "Can't do it." Their refusals stand in contrast to some peers who accepted the invitation, sometimes reluctantly. Chris DiStefano, for example, admitted he only agreed to perform after his wife encouraged him to take the money.
The question of financial incentives looms large over the controversy. Tim Dillon, a comedian known for his candid humor, was initially scheduled to perform at the festival after being offered what he called "a large sum of money"—$375,000 for a single performance. Dillon even claimed that other comedians had been offered as much as $1.6 million. On his podcast, Dillon told critics to "get over it," adding, "So what if they have slaves, they're paying me enough to look the other way." However, this brash approach backfired: after making jokes about Saudi Arabia's record on slavery, Dillon was removed from the festival lineup. "I addressed it in a funny way and they fired me," he said, adding, "I certainly wasn't gonna show up in your country and insult the people that are paying me the money."
Human Rights Watch has continued to press the issue, with Joey Shea, the organization’s Saudi Arabia researcher, stating, "The seventh anniversary of Jamal Khashoggi’s brutal murder is no laughing matter, and comedians receiving hefty sums from Saudi authorities shouldn’t be silent on prohibited topics in Saudi like human rights or free speech. Everyone performing in Riyadh should use this high-profile opportunity to call for the release of detained Saudi activists."
The Saudi General Entertainment Authority, which announced the festival in July 2025, has remained steadfast in its promotional messaging. According to the Authority, the event "reflects the efforts to amplify Riyadh's position as a leading destination for major cultural and artistic events." The festival is also seen as a pillar of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 program, an ambitious plan launched in 2016 to diversify the nation’s oil-dependent economy and increase its cultural visibility on the global stage. "Vision 2030 is a blueprint that is diversifying the economy, empowering citizens, creating a vibrant environment for both local and international investors, and establishing Saudi Arabia as a global leader," the program’s website states.
Despite the official optimism, the festival is the latest in a series of high-profile cultural events in Saudi Arabia that have drawn similar criticism. In recent years, international pop stars like Mariah Carey, The Black Eyed Peas, and Justin Bieber have all faced backlash for performing in the kingdom. Activism group Code Pink, for example, once asked, "Doesn't she know Saudi Arabia is one of the most repressive and murderous regimes on the planet?" following Carey’s decision to perform there in 2019. American visual artists exhibiting work at Desert X AlUla, a spinoff of a U.S. art festival, have also been called out, with Los Angeles Times art critic Christopher Knight labeling the show "morally corrupt" and describing Saudi Arabia as "an absolute monarchy built on theocratic law. Free expression is forbidden. Illegal. A criminal act."
The current uproar over the Riyadh Comedy Festival underscores the increasingly complex relationship between global entertainment and international politics. For some comedians, the decision to perform is simply about the art—or perhaps the paycheck. For others, it’s a matter of conscience and solidarity with those facing repression. As the festival continues, the debate shows no sign of quieting down, and the world is watching to see whether any of the performers will heed the call to speak out from the stage.
As the laughter echoes through Riyadh’s venues, the festival has become a flashpoint for broader questions about artistic freedom, moral responsibility, and the power of comedy to challenge—or reinforce—the status quo.