Backlash Erupts Over Saudi Arabia Comedy Festival Featuring Pete Davidson and Bill Burr; Burr Responds
Backlash erupts as Pete Davidson, Bill Burr and other A-listers perform at a Saudi Arabia comedy festival, drawing fire from Shane Gillis and David Cross — and prompting a response from Burr.
Saudi Arabia threw its first-ever Riyadh Comedy Festival, and the fallout has been louder than some of the sets. A handful of comics said no over the country’s human rights record. Plenty of big names still took the gig. And David Cross? He went scorched earth on the ones who did. Bill Burr, for one, is not apologizing.
Who said no, who said yes
- Declined: Shane Gillis, Marc Maron, Mike Birbiglia
- Performed: Dave Chappelle, Louis CK, Bill Burr, Jimmy Carr, Pete Davidson, Jeff Ross, Gabriel Iglesias, Tom Segura, Sebastian Maniscalco
David Cross lights the match
Cross blasted the festival and anyone on its bill in a long Instagram post, making it clear he is not giving a pass to colleagues or even his heroes. He specifically called out Dave Chappelle, Louis CK, Bill Burr, and Jimmy Carr by name. The gist: taking Saudi money props up a regime with a brutal record, and you cannot turn around and credibly complain about cancel culture or free speech after this. He even alluded to a contract the performers allegedly had to sign, implying it muzzled them.
"I am disgusted, and deeply disappointed in this whole gross thing. That people I admire, with unarguable talent, would condone this totalitarian fiefdom for...what, a fourth house? A boat? More sneakers?"
Cross did not mince words beyond that either, accusing participants of looking the other way on torture, executions, and the targeting of journalists and LGBTQ activists. It is blunt, angry, and very much a line in the sand.
Burr says he has zero regrets
Bill Burr addressed the backlash on his podcast after fans flooded his mentions urging him to cancel. Too late - he had already done the show. Burr said the trip was one of the top three experiences of his career, that it was wild to help launch the country’s first comedy festival, and that the crowds clearly wanted real stand-up. He added that the organizers were thrilled, the royals loved the show - yes, he said that out loud - and he thinks the whole thing could lead to positive change. The remarks were excerpted by THR.
The bigger picture
This is not a new debate. Just about every entertainment lane that has partnered with Saudi Arabia has eaten a storm: WWE started doing major events in the kingdom more than a decade ago, including its annual Crown Jewel show in Riyadh. Golf blew up over LIV’s Saudi funding, with stars like Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson taking the payday. Comedy is now having the same moral argument the rest of pop culture and sports have been stuck in for years.
Inside baseball note: this is the inaugural festival, so the optics of who signed on - and who sat out - were always going to be loud. Cross chose to make it louder. Burr says he would do it again. Depending on where you land, that is either principled outrage, pragmatic engagement, or a mess of both. Either way, expect more of this as Saudi money keeps flowing into global entertainment.