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5d ago

Chappelle Says Saudi Stage Is 'Easier' Than U.S., Intensifying Scrutiny of Riyadh Comedy Festival

Rights groups and comics argue the state-backed event uses strict content limits and lucrative offers to burnish Saudi Arabia’s image, laying bare a deep split in the industry.

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MARTHA'S VINEYARD, MASSACHUSETTS - AUGUST 08: Dave Chappelle speaks at the premiere of "Dave Chappelle: Live In Real Life" benefitting the Duke Ellington School of the Arts during the 2025 Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival at Martha's Vineyard Performing Arts Center on August 08, 2025 in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, D.C. - JUNE 20: Comedian Dave Chappelle speaks at the dedication of the theater at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C. on June 20, 2022. The auditorium was set to be renamed for alum Dave Chappelle but, in a surprise move, he asked the theater to be named Theater for Artistic Freedom and Expression.
Dave Chappelle speaks onstage during the Jazz at Lincoln Center Gala on April 30, 2025 in New York City. (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Jazz At Lincoln Center)

Overview

  • Onstage in Riyadh, Dave Chappelle told roughly 6,000 attendees it was "easier to talk" there than in America and joked about being "canceled" for mentioning Charlie Kirk, according to the New York Times.
  • Human Rights Watch says the festival is designed to deflect attention from Saudi Arabia’s repression of free speech and other human rights violations.
  • Comedian Atsuko Okatsuka shared alleged contract terms barring criticism of religion and the royal family; Bill Burr said he negotiated a scaled-back list and then performed.
  • Reports of large appearance fees persist, with Tim Dillon saying he was offered $375,000 before being dropped over an old joke, as star performers continue to take the stage.
  • Reaction inside comedy has been sharply divided, with David Cross publicly condemning participants and Burr calling his Riyadh set a "top three" experience as the festival runs through early October.