Riyadh Comedy Festival Sparks 'Artwashing' Backlash

The Riyadh Comedy Festival, a two-week state-backed event running through Oct. 9 as part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, has drawn A-list acts including Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Aziz Ansari, Bill Burr, Pete Davidson, Louis C.K. and Jimmy Carr. The event has sparked backlash from fellow comedians, fans and human-rights groups who call it "artwashing" of a regime criticized for severe rights abuses, including the 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi and the detention of dissidents. Reports say performers were offered large fees—widely reported between roughly $350,000 and $1.6 million—and some contracts contained clauses barring jokes that could “defame” Saudi Arabia, the royal family, the government, the legal system or religion. Critics such as Marc Maron, Zach Woods, Shane Gillis and Stavros Halkias have publicly condemned colleagues who accepted gigs or said they declined on principle, while Human Rights Watch and other groups urged performers to press Saudi authorities on free-speech abuses. The dispute highlights tensions between lucrative cultural engagement and demands for accountability over censorship and other documented rights violations noted by rights groups and U.S. government reports.