A comedy festival in Saudi Arabia featuring top American comedians is facing sharp criticism from human rights groups, who argue the high-profile event whitewashes the kingdom’s human rights record.

The Riyadh Comedy Festival, launched on September 26 and running through October 9, bills itself as the “world’s largest comedy festival.” It features performances from over 50 comedians, including Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, and Pete Davidson. Organized by the Saudi Tourism Authority, the event is part of the kingdom’s campaign to attract international visitors.

Critics note the festival coincides with the seventh anniversary of Jamal Khashoggi’s assassination, which US intelligence linked to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Activists say the timing underscores how Saudi Arabia is using entertainment to deflect from repression of dissent, arrests of activists, and tight restrictions on free speech.

Several comedians, including Marc Maron and David Cross, condemned peers for accepting offers. Cross wrote: “You’re performing for literally the most oppressive regime on earth.” Other comedians, like Shane Gillis and Atsuko Okatsuka, revealed they rejected lucrative offers, with Okatsuka sharing contract terms banning jokes about Saudi Arabia, religion, or the royal family.

Some performers defended their participation. Chappelle suggested it was “easier to talk in Saudi Arabia than in America,” while Pete Davidson admitted financial incentives played a major role. Bill Burr described his experience as “mind-blowing,” saying Saudis “just wanted to laugh.”

But human rights groups disagreed. Sarah Leah Whitson, head of Democracy for the Arab World Now, warned: “Saudi Arabia remains an authoritarian dictatorship where dissenters face decades in prison.” Human Rights Watch also accused Riyadh of using comedy to distract from abuses, pointing to the recent execution of Saudi journalist Turki al-Jasser.

The festival reflects Saudi Arabia’s broader soft power strategy, backed by its sovereign wealth fund, which has invested billions in global media, tech, and sports. Yet critics argue the kingdom’s repressive reality undermines such efforts.

Whitson added that while Khashoggi would have supported Saudi citizens enjoying laughter, he would have “hated that comedians are silencing themselves for money and legitimizing the crown prince — the very reasons he fled to the US and was ultimately murdered.”