Overview

• Kirson said she “sincerely regret[s]” performing under the Saudi government and pledged her festival fee to a human rights organization.
• She said organizers guaranteed she could be openly out on stage and perform gay material, and she believes she was the first openly gay comic to address it on stage in Saudi Arabia.
• The state-backed Riyadh Comedy Festival, part of Vision 2030, opened on September 26 and runs through October 9 with more than 50 international performers including Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Bill Burr, Louis C.K., Aziz Ansari and Pete Davidson.
• Invite and contract language shared by comedian Atsuko Okatsuka reportedly barred material that could ridicule or defame Saudi Arabia, its royal family, legal system or any religion.
• Human Rights Watch and fellow comics such as David Cross and Marc Maron criticized the event as image laundering, while some acts withdrew or were dropped, including Tim Dillon, who cited a canceled set after public remarks, and Nimesh Patel.