...but in America, not Saudi Arabia!

Dave Chappelle has used his platform at the Riyadh Comedy Festival to criticise curbs on free speech. But not in Saudi Arabia.

The controversial comedian told his audience at the controversial  event: ‘It’s easier to talk here than it is in America.’

As the Saudi regime has murdered critics such as journalist Jamal Khashoggi and jailed and executed other dissidents, critics have claimed the Riyadh festival is being used to ‘jokewash’ its reputation.

If so, Chappelle’s words are likely to please the Saudi rulers bankrolling the event.

The New York Times reported that his audience reacted with ‘whoops, cheers and applause’ to his comments about American free speech.

According to the newspaper, he told the Saudi audience: ’Right now in America, they say that if you talk about Charlie Kirk, that you’ll get cancelled. I don’t know if that’s true, but I’m gonna find out.’

Jimmy Kimmel was briefly pulled from the airwaves following right-wing outrage about his monologue about  the assassination of right-wing activist Kirk. 

In contrast, Turki al-Jasser, a prominent Saudi journalist who highlighted corruption, women’s rights and the Palestinian cause in his writing, was executed in Saudi in June. At the time, Jeed Basyouni of British legal charity Reprieve said: ‘This execution once again demonstrates that in Saudi Arabia, the punishment for criticising or questioning Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is death.’

Critics of the Riyadh event include Mark Maron, who said of the comedians taking part: ‘The same guy that’s gonna pay them is the same guy that paid that guy to bone-saw Jamal Khashoggi and put him in a fucking suitcase. But don’t let that stop the yucks, it’s gonna be a good time!’

Comics taking part were given strict rules about what they couldn’t talk about, according to a contract leaked by Atsuko Okatsuka after she declined to take part. They were told not to ridicule the Saudi leadership, public figures, culture, people, royal family, legal system, government or religion.

The festival line-up includes Jimmy Carr, Jack Whitehall, Jimeoin, Omid Djalili, Nabil Abdulrashid, Louis CK, Kevin Hart, Aziz Ansari, Bill Burr, Jim Jefferies, and Pete Davidson – whose fireman father Scott was killed in 9/11.

Published: 3 Oct 2025