EXCLUSIVE: Top comics Kevin Hart, Tom Segura, Pete Davidson, Russell Peters and Jim Jefferies are in talks to perform at the inaugural Riyadh Comedy Festival, taking place in the Saudi Arabian capital this fall, sources tell Deadline.
Reps for the stand-ups couldn’t be reached for comment. While no deals have been finalized, reps for WME, which is consulting on the festival, confirmed ongoing discussions with several top-tier acts.
Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia‘s General Entertainment Authority, announced the festival on X in May, writing, “The best 50 stand-up comedians in the world are coming to the Riyadh Comedy Festival from September 26 to October 10.” (View the post below.)
Sources said the festival will feature multi-comic showcases and solo shows, along with special programming. WME became involved through its relationship with TKO — the sports-focused company borne from former WME parent company Endeavor — which has produced events in Saudi via WWE and UFC. The agency is working with Saudi’s General Entertainment Authority, as well as Sela, the largest live-events company in the kingdom, to get the festival off the ground. Sela will produce alongside Bruce Hills, a legendary comedy producer who spent nearly four decades at Just for Laughs, helping to turn it into the largest and most prestigious comedy festival in the world.
A source familiar with comedy touring noted that there’s big money to be made by comics in the Middle East — up to millions, or tens of millions, depending on the profile of the artist. They said many top stand-ups are happy to be “wined and dined” by the Saudi government, which has come to recognize the power of comics as the “cultural icons” of our time.
Of course, there are also significant drawbacks — or at least factors to consider — in performing in the Middle East. For starters, Saudi Arabia is known for limiting freedom of expression when it comes to the arts — typically dictating on the offer sheet, per multiple agents, what cannot be said on topics like religion, sex and the Saudi royal family.
While the kingdom is known for its discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community, sources were particularly curious as to how many female comics will be appearing, given that they’d have to perform under the constraints of Sharia law in a country considered even more conservative than the likes of Abu Dhabi or Dubai. While no names are confirmed, sources said organizers are currently in talks with multiple big female headliners.
Given WME’s extensive roster of talent, expect a strong showing from its comedians; Hart, Davidson and Segura are each with the agency. You’ll also see comics like Peters, who has worked in the Middle East for years, though it’s unclear what the balance will look like between international headliners and local acts.
It is also unclear how many marquee names not repped by WME would make the trek to Saudi Arabia; at least one top comedian that fills arenas has declined to attend, sources said.
There has been a shift in recent years in terms of top talent’s willingness to show face in Saudi as the stigma of doing so has dissipated over time. Both Hart and Peters have performed there recently, with the likes of Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias and the Wayans Brothers also making appearances. WWE has been hosting female wresting events in Saudi Arabia since 2019, and Live Nation is now active there in managing operations for Maraya, the world’s largest mirrored structure and one of the kingdom’s largest venues.
Perhaps the biggest showing of Hollywood star power in Saudi Arabia has come via the Red Sea Film Festival, which since 2021 has attracted female A-listers like Gwyneth Paltrow, Viola Davis, Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Erivo and Michelle Yeoh alongside the likes of Baz Luhrmann, Spike Lee and Will Smith — with at least some reportedly receiving substantial payments for their appearances.
Word of developments around the Riyadh Comedy Festival comes following March’s revelation that TKO, the parent company of UFC and WWE, had set a multi-year partnership with Alalshikh and Sela to establish a new boxing promotion.
WME seems a natural fit as consultant to the comedy festival given its expertise in packaging live events of all kinds including comedy tours, as well as a history of business dealings in the Middle East. Amid Saudi Vision 2030, a strategic plan launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that focused on transforming Saudi’s society and economy, diversifying the latter beyond oil, with a focus on sectors like tourism and entertainment, Saudi’s Public Investment Fund committed $400 million for a minority stake in Endeavor in 2018. The deal was abruptly reversed months later following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, with then-Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel (who is also TKO CEO) returning the money.
Amid Endeavor’s efforts to distance itself from Saudi Arabia, WWE in 2018 entered a entered a lucrative 10-year partnership with Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority for live wrestling events. In 2023, Endeavor acquired WWE and formed TKO, with plenty of activity following for TKO in the kingdom.
Although the Riyadh Comedy Festival marks a new level of investment in comedy for Saudi Arabia, the region is no stranger to high-profile comedy events. Abu Dhabi’s Comedy Season, which this year featured Hart, Dave Chappelle, Trevor Noah and Bill Burr, and Jordan’s Amman Stand-up Comedy Festival are among others attracting top talent. Dubai’s Comedy Festival, meanwhile, will see Segura perform, along with comics like Akaash Singh and Morgan Jay, in October.
As a disclosure, Deadline’s parent company, Penske Media Corporation received $200 million from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in 2018. The deal included a minority equity stake in PMC and a $25 million joint venture focused on the Middle East and North Africa region.
Hart is also repped by 3 Arts and Schreck Rose Dapello; Davidson by Ayala Cohen Management and Granderson Des Rochers; and Segura by Mosaic and Jackoway Austen Tyerman. Jefferies is repped by GetComedy, UTA, and Brillstein Entertainment Partners; Peters by UTA, Seven Summits Pictures & Management, Jacobson, Russell, Saltz, and attorney Mark A. Feigenbaum.
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