Asian comedians split over joining controversial Riyadh Comedy Festival

Asian comedians are split over Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Comedy Festival, which began on Friday and is scheduled to continue through Oct. 9 as part of the kingdom’s Vision 2030 initiative.

Japanese American comic Atsuko Okatsuka, along with Leslie Liao and Nimesh Patel, rejected offers citing censorship rules and human rights issues. Others including Aziz Ansari, Jo Koy, Russell Peters, Bobby Lee and Zarna Garg remain on the high-profile lineup despite criticism over the kingdom’s restrictions on free expression.

Okatsuka shared screenshots of the proposed contract on social media, showing clauses that barred performers from material that could “degrade, defame, or bring into public disrepute, contempt, scandal, embarrassment, or ridicule” Saudi Arabia, its government, royal family, legal system or religion. She wrote that the money came directly from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, calling out comedians who complain about censorship at home yet agreed to perform under those terms.

Liao confirmed she had declined her own invitation, replying on Threads: “I said no too. You inspired me (I got the offer after we talked about it). You were right.” Nimesh Patel also announced he had dropped out, saying on Instagram, “I was offered a lot of money … I’m not in a position to say no to life-changing money. But it wasn’t life-changing.” In a since-deleted TikTok post, he added he could make up the loss by performing “40 shows … here in the perfectly clean, moral, above-everyone-else United States of America.”

In a statement, Human Rights Watch warned comedians performing in Riyadh “should speak out against Saudi Arabia’s serious rights abuses or they risk bolstering the Saudi government’s well-funded efforts to launder its image.” It also pointed to laws that criminalize peaceful criticism of the government and restrict freedom of expression.

The event coincides with the anniversary of journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s 2018 killing, which continues to draw scrutiny from international observers. Critics argue that appearances by major entertainers risk legitimizing a government accused of suppressing dissent while limiting the kind of satire and open commentary central to comedy.

The festival, promoted as one of the largest comedy gatherings in the Middle East, features shows across venues in Riyadh with performers from around the world. Alongside Ansari, Jo Koy, Peters, Lee and Garg, the lineup includes Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Pete Davidson and Whitney Cummings. Organizers have presented the event as part of efforts to broaden entertainment options and appeal to international audiences. Performers have reportedly been paid between $350,000 and $1.6 million for their appearances.

Some comedians addressed the criticism directly. “So what, they have slaves?” asked Tim Dillon in his podcast, saying the organizers were “paying me enough money to look the other way.” This led to his firing from the festival. In a separate conversation with Theo Von, Pete Davidson acknowledged the scrutiny more openly, noting, “I’ve been getting a little bit of flack just ’cause like my dad died [on] 9/11. So they’re like, ‘How could you possibly go there?’” He didn’t directly respond to the criticism but made his stance clear: “I just, you know, I get the routing, and then I see the number, and I go, ‘I’ll go.’”