Riyadh Comedy festival Faces Scrutiny Amid Saudi Arabia’s Human Rights Record

The Riyadh Comedy Festival began on Friday and includes many of the world’s most famous comedians on its bill.

But the comedy festival in Saudi Arabia’s capital has become something of a cultural flashpoint, with the comedians taking part facing increasing scrutiny over their performances.

Newsweek has contacted a media representative for the Saudi Arabian government via email for comment.

Why It Matters

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has made major investments in sports and entertainment. The Riyadh Comedy Festival was announced in July by Turki Al-Sheikh, who is the chairman of the General Entertainment Authority.

The festival comes as part of the country’s ‘Vision 2030’ strategy,which is aiming too position the country as a destination for culture and diversify the country’s economy. The plan was outlined almost a decade ago by Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman. Saudi Arabia is an ally of the United States.

The event has prompted backlash in response to Saudi Arabia’s human rights record. Multiple organizations have urged performers to speak out against the country’s record of human rights abuses, and Human Rights Watch released a statement this week, which read: “The Saudi government is using the Riyadh Comedy Festival 2025 from September 26 to October 9 to deflect attention from its brutal repression of free speech and othre pervasive human rights violations.”

Who is Performing at the saudi Arabia Comedy Festival?

Performers who are scheduled to appear at the festival include:

Mo Amer
Aziz Ansari
Wayne Brady
Hannibal Buress
Bill Burr
Jimmy Carr
Dave Chappelle
Louis C.K.
Whitney Cummings
Pete Davidson