Overview
- The inaugural festival in Saudi Arabia runs Sept. 26–Oct. 9 under Vision 2030, organized by the General Entertainment Authority with a marquee lineup including Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Pete Davidson, Bill Burr and Louis C.K.
- Offer documents circulating online show content restrictions barring material seen as defaming Saudi Arabia, the royal family, the legal system, the government or religion, with reported payouts ranging from roughly $350,000 to more than $1.5 million.
- Several comics rejected or exited the event — Shane Gillis and Atsuko Okatsuka declined lucrative offers, Nimesh Patel said he canceled his set, and Tim Dillon says he was dropped after critical jokes about Saudi Arabia.
- Human Rights Watch urged performers to press for the release of detained dissidents and highlighted the timing around the seventh anniversary of Jamal Khashoggi’s killing, as peers like David Cross and Marc Maron publicly condemned participants.
- Some performers defended going, with Bill Burr calling his Riyadh appearance a top-three career experience and describing enthusiastic audiences.