U.S. comic David Cross has joined the chorus of comedians calling out their peers who are set to perform at the Riyadh Comedy Festival.
The festival, held in the capital of Saudi Arabia from September 26 to October 9, features more than 50 prominent comedians, including Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Louis C.K., and Bill Burr.
Many of the headliners, which also include British comedians Jimmy Carr, Omid Djalili and Jack Whitehall, have been dubbed “sellouts” for taking part in the Saudi state-sponsored event in the wake of journalist Turki al-Jasser’s death, and a reported rise in executions for non-lethal and drug-related crimes, along with long prison sentences imposed for social media posts.
In June, the Saudi regime executed journalist al-Jasser for “high treason.” He was imprisoned in 2018 and sentenced to death on charges of terrorism and high treason. The accusations stemmed from writings he authored on a blog and a newspaper.
“I am disgusted, and deeply disappointed in this whole gross thing,” Cross, who said he was not asked to perform at the festival, wrote in a statement shared on Instagram. “That people I admire, with unarguable talent, would condone this totalitarian fiefdom for…what, a fourth house? A boat? More sneakers?”
He continued: “We can never again take seriously anything these comedians complain about (unless it’s complaining that we don’t support enough torture and mass executions of journalists and LGBQT peace activists here in the states, or that we don’t terrorize enough Americans by flying planes into our buildings).”
Cross went on to call out specific names from the lineup, including comedy giants Chappelle, C.K. and Burr.
“Clearly you guys don’t give a s*** about what the rest of us think, but how can any of us take any of you seriously ever again?” Cross said.
“All of your b****ing about ‘cancel culture’ and ‘freedom of speech’ and all that s***? Done. You don’t get to talk about it ever again. By now we’ve all seen the contract you had to sign.”
Cross concluded his statement by urging his fans to “spend their money on something worthwhile,” like donating to the Human Rights Foundation.
The Mr. Show star joins fellow comedians Marc Maron and Shane Gillis who have condemned those in the Riyadh festival lineup.
“How do you even promote that?” Maron joked during a stand-up set last week. “‘From the folks that brought you 9/11, two weeks of laughter in the desert don’t miss it.’”
Gillis said he was offered a spot in the festival but turned it down, citing the Saudis alleged involvement in funding the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He claimed that after he said no, the festival “doubled” their original offer.
“It was a significant bag,” Gillis told fellow comedian Matt McCusker on their podcast Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast. “But I had already said no, I took a principled stand.”
“You don’t 9/11 your friends, bro,” McCusker joked.
Tim Dillon, a comedian who was scheduled to perform but was later pulled from the line-up for joking about slavery in Saudi Arabia, said he was offered $315,000 for a single show. He claimed his more famous colleagues were paid upwards of $1.6 million.
The festival is a key component of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s “Saudi Vision 2030,” an ambitious plan to reshape the kingdom’s global image while diversifying its economy. As part of the initiative, Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in entertainment and tourism, hosting high-profile events such as the LIV Golf tour.
However, Human Rights Watch warned that the comedy festival is the country’s latest attempt to “deflect attention from its brutal repression of free speech and other pervasive human rights violations.”
Amnesty International’s 2024 report on Saudi Arabia said that while the kingdom had made progress on labor rights, workers continue to face “forms of labor abuse and exploitation.”
As the nation forges ahead with hundreds of billions in infrastructure and development projects — including the 2034 FIFA World Cup — rights groups warn of thousands more avoidable deaths in the years to come.
Between WWE, horse racing, football, golf, boxing and Formula 1, Saudi Arabia has become an epicentre of international sport in recent years, following huge investments. It has staged over 100 major sporting events across 40 disciplines since 2019.
There is currently a new racing complex being constructed in Saudi Arabia, 30 miles from Riyadh. It is due for completion in 2027 at a cost of $480m (£360m).
