"Billed as the biggest comedy festival in the world, the inaugural Riyadh Comedy festival, which is running 26 September to 9 October, features some of the biggest names in US comedy. The lineup features Dave Chappelle, Louis CK, Bill Burr, Kevin Hart, Whitney Cummings, Pete Davidson, Aziz Ansari and Jo Koy, among many others who are all taking their fees directly from the Saudi government."
"These comedians have already received criticism from Human Rights Watch, which argued in a news release that the festival is an effort by the Saudi regime to whitewash its notorious abuses. This whitewashing comes amid significant increase in repression, said HRW researcher Joey Shea, including a crackdown on free speech, which many of these comedians defend but people in Saudi Arabia are completely denied. They have also taken flak from their peers."
The inaugural Riyadh Comedy Festival runs 26 September to 9 October and features high-profile US comedians including Dave Chappelle, Louis CK, Bill Burr, Kevin Hart, Whitney Cummings, Pete Davidson, Aziz Ansari and Jo Koy. Many performers are taking fees directly from the Saudi government. Producers include Sela, a live-events company owned by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, and the kingdom's General Entertainment Authority, chaired by Turki Alalshikh. Human Rights Watch described the festival as an effort to whitewash Saudi abuses and cited increased repression and a crackdown on free speech. US industry figures WME and Bruce Hills are involved as consultants and producers. Several comedians and peers have publicly declined or criticized participation.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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