Amid rising backlash from fellow comedians and human rights advocates, Bill Burr is defending his appearance at the Riyadh Comedy Festival, calling it “one of the top three experiences I’ve had” and “mind blowing.”
“It was great to experience that part of the world and to be a part of the first comedy festival over there in Saudi Arabia,” Burr said on the Sept. 29 episode of his “Monday Morning Podcast.” “The royals loved the show. Everyone was happy. The people that were doing the festival were thrilled.”
During the episode, Burr talks about arriving in Riyadh with apprehension due to the years of negative portrayals in Western media. “You think everybody’s going to be screaming ‘Death to America’ and they’re going to have like fucking machetes and want to chop my head off,” Burr said. “Because this is what I’ve been fed about that part of the world.”
His biggest surprise, came from the restaurants available and from the audience itself, which he described as young, diverse and eager to engage with stand-up comedy.
“Is that a Starbucks next to a Pizza Hut next to a Burger King next to a McDonald’s? They got a fucking Chili’s over here!”
He continued: “I had to stop a couple times during the show and say, ‘I’ll be honest with you guys, I cannot fucking believe any of you have any idea who I am,’” Burr said. “It was just this great exchange of energy. They know their reputation. So they were extra friendly.”
Fellow comedian Atsuko Okatsuka said she previously declined an invitation to perform, sharing excerpts from a contract that included bans on political, religious and LGBTQ+ content. Burr acknowledged those original restrictions but claims they were loosened after artists pushed back.
“The organizers were told, ‘If you want some good comedians, this isn’t going to work,’” Burr explained. “To their credit, they said, ‘All right, what do we got to do?’ And they negotiated it all the way down to just a couple things: don’t make fun of royals or religion.”
According to Burr, he was able to perform most of his regular act with only minor adjustments.
In one tense moment, he recalls beginning a joke about sex, only to see a couple get up and leave.
“I’m like, ‘Oh fuck. Am I in trouble?’” Burr recalled. “But they came back a few minutes later, and afterward, security told me, ‘You’re fine. All that stuff is allowed here.’”
But not everyone is convinced.
On Monday, comedian David Cross released a scathing public statement blasting performers who agreed to take the stage in Riyadh.
“I am disgusted and deeply disappointed in this whole gross thing,” Cross wrote. “That people I admire…would condone this totalitarian fiefdom for… what, a fourth house? A boat? More sneakers?”
Cross singled out Burr, Dave Chappelle, and Louis C.K., arguing they had forfeited the right to complain about censorship or “cancel culture” in the U.S.
Other comics such as Marc Maron and Shane Gillis have also publicly condemned the festival, along with Human Rights Watch calling the festival part of the Saudi government’s long-running “whitewashing” campaign on an interview with CBS News.
The Riyadh Comedy Festival, which runs through mid-October, is the latest effort by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 initiative to modernize and diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy through entertainment and tourism. In addition to Burr, the lineup includes Kevin Hart, Aziz Ansari, Whitney Cummings, Pete Davidson, Gabriel Iglesias and others. The festival’s ties to Saudi Arabia’s controversial Minister of Entertainment, Turki Al-Sheikh, and the kingdom’s broader human rights record — including the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, alleged ties to the 9/11 attacks, and repression of LGBTQ+ individuals and political dissidents — continue to cast a shadow over the event.
Despite the criticism, Burr remained unapologetic on the episode.
“People are cool. Governments are the problem,” Burr said. “Every time I travel, I learn the same thing. And the people I met there? They just wanted to laugh. And they fucking did.”