Overview

• The inaugural festival is scheduled for September 26–October 9 in Riyadh’s Boulevard City with more than 50 acts billed, including Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle, Aziz Ansari, Pete Davidson and Jimmy Carr.
• Human Rights Watch says the Saudi government is using the showcase to deflect from repression of free speech and asked participating comics to publicly call for detainees to be freed, noting it wrote to some representatives without receiving replies.
• Comedian Tim Dillon says he was dropped from the lineup after joking about alleged forced labor in Saudi Arabia and claimed he was set to earn $375,000 for one show, figures that have not been independently confirmed.
• Jimmy Carr and Omid Djalili remain advertised for performances as campaigners criticize their participation, reflecting wider pressure on high‑profile comics appearing at the event.
• Critics, including Marc Maron and Zach Woods, have publicly challenged the festival as it coincides with the seventh anniversary of Jamal Khashoggi’s killing and forms part of the kingdom’s Vision 2030 entertainment push.