Comedy met controversy over the weekend as Dave Chappelle took the stage at the Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia, a country often criticized for its human rights record.
Before an audience of 6,000 on Saturday, the legendary comedian didn’t shy away from poking fun at free speech, particularly in the United States.
Chappelle opened his set by joking about Charlie Kirk, the right-wing activist whose assassination sparked intense online debates. “People in the US who talk about Charlie Kirk will get canceled,” he quipped, “I don’t know if that’s true, but I’m gonna find out.”
He quickly turned the spotlight on his current surroundings. “It is easier to talk here than it is in America,” Dave Chappelle said. He drew laughter from the crowd. His comments come after years of scrutiny over his own controversial material, including jokes about the trans community, which have sparked debates about comedy, accountability, and cancel culture.
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Chappelle isn’t the only big name performing in Riyadh. The festival has also lined up Pete Davidson, Kevin Hart, Aziz Ansari, Louis CK, and Gabriel Iglesias, among others. However, the timing has raised eyebrows. The festival coincides with the seventh anniversary of the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Human Rights Watch slammed the festival, calling it an effort to “whitewash” Saudi Arabia’s record on serious rights abuses. Comedians have faced difficult choices about performing there.
Atsuko Okatsuka, who declined the invitation, revealed that the festival came with strict “content restrictions”. This prohibited jokes that could criticize the Saudi government, the royal family, or any religious practices.