Big laughs are on their way to Saudi Arabia. As part of the sixth edition of the legendary Riyadh Season festivities, the capital city will welcome the first-ever Riyadh Comedy Festival is set to take place from September 26 to October 9 at Boulevard City.
Over the course of two weeks, the festival which was announced by Chairman of the GEA, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, has promised to bring 50 of the world’s top comedians to Riyadh this autumn. Read on for the confirmed line-up so far.
Confirmed line-up
Among the latest stars confirmed: Emmy-winning Aziz Ansari, known for Master of None; Saturday Night Live alum Pete Davidson, whose chaotic charm continues in Bupkis; Netflix favourite Tom Segura; and the razor-sharp podcast duo Andrew Santino and Bobby Lee from Bad Friends.
The full list of confirmed performers includes (so far): Aziz Ansari, Bill Burr, Dave Chappelle Pete Davidson, Kevin Hart, Tom Segura, Sebastian Maniscalco, Sam Morril, Jo Koy, Jim Jefferies, Gabriel Iglesias, Andrew Schulz, Jimmy Carr, Maz Jobrani, Omid Djalili, Whitney Cummings, Jessica Kirson, Andrew Santino, Bobby Lee, Nimesh Patel, Russell Peters, Chris Tucker, Louis C.K., Mark Normand, Jimeoin, Hannibal Buress, Chris DiStefano, and Zarna Garg.
Expect sold-out shows, sharp one-liners, and a few “did-they-just-say-that?” moments, as Saudi Arabia hosts what’s being billed as the biggest comedy festival in the world.
Comedy meets Saudi Vision 2030
The newly announced comedy festival is a key highlight within the Kingdom’s broader entertainment boom, aligning closely with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy. This national plan aims to diversify the Saudi Arabian economy, aiming to attract both domestic and international tourism, and establish the Kingdom as a vibrant cultural destination on the global stage. With recent successes in music, film, sport, fashion (and now comedy) the country is making a global entertainment play that’s hard to ignore. One notable example is the Red Sea Film Festival, which has attracted A-list celebrities from Will Smith to Viola Davis, Gwyneth Paltrow and Baz Luhrmann since its launch in 2021.
Comedians have increasingly been performing in the region, with Hart, Peters, and Gabriel Iglesias drawing huge crowds in previous years. But Riyadh Comedy Festival would mark the Kingdom’s most ambitious comedy investment yet.
Stay tuned for more details; this fall, Riyadh might just become the funniest place on Earth.
Riyadh Comedy Festival,
From September 26 to October 10
Boulevard City, Riyadh
Ticket details to be released soon
