Riyadh Comedy Festival Sparks Free-Speech Backlash

The Riyadh Comedy Festival, funded by the Saudi government as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 cultural push, has drawn sharp criticism for censorship and for headline American comedians taking government-backed gigs. Dave Chappelle provoked immediate backlash after joking that “it’s easier to talk here than it is in America” and saying he’d “find out” whether he’d be canceled for discussing Charlie Kirk. Human Rights Watch, fellow comedians including David Cross, and other critics accused performers of “artwashing” Saudi repression; reports say some acts declined or were dropped amid controversy and that contracts barred jokes about the monarchy, religion and other sensitive topics. Many performers instead lampooned U.S. politics to enthusiastic Saudi audiences, reigniting debate in the U.S. over the ethics of entertainers taking lucrative work in authoritarian contexts.