{"id":12802,"date":"2025-10-25T00:44:52","date_gmt":"2025-10-25T04:44:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/"},"modified":"2025-10-25T00:45:34","modified_gmt":"2025-10-25T04:45:34","slug":"40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/","title":{"rendered":"Riyadh Comedy Festival wraps record inaugural event with 50+ global comedy icons"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style='font-size: 1.1em;font-weight: 500;line-height: 1.6'><b>Saudi Arabia&#8217;s<\/b> inaugural <b>Riyadh Comedy Festival<\/b> just wrapped a historic two-week run. The event ended on <b>October 9, 2025<\/b> after hosting <b>50+ global comedy icons<\/b>. Major headliners included <b>Dave Chappelle<\/b>, <b>Kevin Hart<\/b>, <b>Bill Burr<\/b>, and <b>Louis C.K.<\/b> This marked the first comedy festival of its kind in the kingdom.<\/p>\n<div style='background-color: #f8f9fa;border-left: 4px solid #e74c3c;padding: 15px;margin: 20px 0'>\n<p style='margin: 0;font-weight: 600'>\ud83d\udd25 Quick Facts:<\/p>\n<ul style='margin: 10px 0 0 0;padding-left: 20px'>\n<li>Festival ran <b>Sept. 26 &#8211; Oct. 9, 2025<\/b> at <b>Boulevard City<\/b><\/li>\n<li>Over <b>50 international comedians<\/b> performed across multiple venues<\/li>\n<li>Some performers earned up to <b>$1.6 million<\/b> for single sets<\/li>\n<li>Event faced massive backlash over Saudi Arabia&#8217;s human rights record<\/li>\n<li>Part of Saudi Arabia&#8217;s <b>Vision 2030<\/b> diversification strategy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2 style='font-size: 1.3em;margin-top: 30px'>Historic Festival Brings Comedy to Saudi Soil<\/h2>\n<p>The <b>Riyadh Comedy Festival<\/b> delivered unprecedented access to Western stand-up. <b>Boulevard City<\/b> hosted performances across multiple theaters. The <b>Mohammed Al-Ali Theatre<\/b>, <b>ANB Arena<\/b>, and <b>SEF Arena<\/b> hosted nightly shows. Audiences packed venues for <b>two consecutive weeks<\/b> starting late September.<\/p>\n<p><b>Dave Chappelle<\/b> drew particular attention during his sets. He said it was &#8220;easier to talk here than it is in America.&#8221; <b>Bill Burr<\/b> called his experience a &#8220;mind-blowing&#8221; top-three memory. <b>Kevin Hart<\/b>, <b>Gabriel Iglesias<\/b>, and <b>Russell Peters<\/b> also thrilled audiences nightly.<\/p>\n<blockquote style='border-left: 4px solid #3498db;padding-left: 20px;margin: 20px 0;font-style: italic;color: #555'>\n<p>&#8220;The two-week event brought together roughly 50 global stand-up comedians. It marked a major milestone in the kingdom&#8217;s cultural diversification.&#8221;<\/p>\n<footer style='margin-top: 10px;font-style: normal;font-size: 0.9em'><b>The Hollywood Reporter<\/b>, Entertainment News<\/footer>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2 style='font-size: 1.3em;margin-top: 30px'>Why the Controversy Won&#8217;t Disappear Soon<\/h2>\n<p>This inaugural festival sparked fierce debate across the comedy world. Human rights organizations immediately criticized participating performers. <b>Human Rights Watch<\/b> urged comedians to speak out. They asked performers to demand prisoner releases. Multiple comedians who were invited declined and spoke publicly against it.<\/p>\n<p><b>Marc Maron<\/b> mocked the event sarcasm during his own sets. He said, &#8220;From the folks that brought you 9\/11!&#8221; <b>Shane Gillis<\/b> and <b>Zach Woods<\/b> posted criticism on social media. <b>David Cross<\/b> released an open letter condemning his fellow comedians. The backlash became so intense it dominated entertainment headlines for weeks.<\/p>\n<p>Critics pointed to Saudi Arabia&#8217;s <b>poor human rights record<\/b>. They cited restrictions on free speech and brutal enforcement. <b>Tim Dillon<\/b> was actually removed from the festival. His past jokes about slavery in Saudi Arabia violated censorship rules. <b>Jim Jefferies<\/b> was also dropped following controversial podcast comments.<\/p>\n<h2 style='font-size: 1.3em;margin-top: 30px'>Money Talks: The Financial Reality<\/h2>\n<p>Financial incentives played a major role for performers. Here&#8217;s what the payment breakdown looked like:\n<\/p>\n<table style='width: 100%;border-collapse: collapse;margin: 20px 0;border: 1px solid #ddd'>\n<tr style='background-color: #f5f5f5'>\n<th style='border: 1px solid #ddd;padding: 10px;text-align: left'>Compensation Detail<\/th>\n<th style='border: 1px solid #ddd;padding: 10px;text-align: left'>Amount\/Status<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style='border: 1px solid #ddd;padding: 10px'>Top-tier performer pay<\/td>\n<td style='border: 1px solid #ddd;padding: 10px'><b>Up to $1.6 million<\/b> per set<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style='border: 1px solid #ddd;padding: 10px'>Mid-tier comedian pay<\/td>\n<td style='border: 1px solid #ddd;padding: 10px'><b>$375,000+<\/b> confirmed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style='border: 1px solid #ddd;padding: 10px'>Typical US stand-up fee<\/td>\n<td style='border: 1px solid #ddd;padding: 10px'>Far less per performance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style='border: 1px solid #ddd;padding: 10px'>Censorship restrictions<\/td>\n<td style='border: 1px solid #ddd;padding: 10px'>No royal family, Islam jokes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style='border: 1px solid #ddd;padding: 10px'>Venue attendance per show<\/td>\n<td style='border: 1px solid #ddd;padding: 10px'>6,000+ audience members<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<p><b>Pete Davidson<\/b> was frank about his decision. He said seeing the pay &#8220;made him go&#8221; to Saudi Arabia. <b>Louis C.K.<\/b>, who once rejected Saudi gigs, defended his choice. He said there were only &#8220;two restrictions&#8221; in his contract. He claimed neither affected his material.<\/p>\n<p><b>Jessica Kirson<\/b>, who is gay, apologized for attending. Saudi Arabia enforces death penalties for same-sex relationships. She promised to donate her entire fee to human rights causes. <b>Aziz Ansari<\/b> also pledged donations to <b>Reporters Without Borders<\/b> and <b>Human Rights Watch<\/b>. However, HRW refused to accept these donations.<\/p>\n<h2 style='font-size: 1.3em;margin-top: 30px'>What Critics Are Saying About &#8220;Soft Power PR&#8221;<\/h2>\n<p>Industry analysts view this as Saudi Arabia&#8217;s cultural power play. The <b>General Entertainment Authority<\/b> orchestrated the entire event. It&#8217;s part of the kingdom&#8217;s <b>Vision 2030<\/b> strategic initiative. Saudi Arabia wants to position itself as a global cultural destination.<\/p>\n<p>The kingdom has already invested heavily in entertainment events. <b>LIV Golf<\/b> operates with backing from Saudi Arabia&#8217;s Public Investment Fund. A new professional basketball league called <b>Project B<\/b> is launching to compete with the NBA. Experts say the comedy festival fits this broader pattern.<\/p>\n<p>Reputation management consultant <b>Eric Schiffer<\/b> told major outlets that comedians have little to worry about. He predicted minimal lasting damage to their careers. He believes the controversy will fade within months. New projects will dominate the headlines instead. However, critics remain unconvinced about this assessment.<\/p>\n<h2 style='font-size: 1.3em;margin-top: 30px'>Will This Become an Annual Event?<\/h2>\n<p>Saudi Arabia&#8217;s leadership views this as just the beginning. The festival succeeded in attracting A-list talent despite the outcry. Ticket sales were strong. International media coverage was massive. Both factors suggest future editions are planned. Expect to see comedy festivals continue as part of Riyadh&#8217;s annual event calendar alongside other galas and sporting events. This inaugural run proved the concept works even with controversy.<\/p>\n<h3>Sources<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><b>The Hollywood Reporter<\/b> &#8211; Comprehensive coverage of performer statements and controversy<\/li>\n<li><b>Wikipedia (Riyadh Comedy Festival)<\/b> &#8211; Detailed event information and participating comedians list<\/li>\n<li><b>Visit Saudi Official Tourism Site<\/b> &#8211; Festival dates, venues, and lineup details<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":12801,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"schema_org_data":"{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Dave Chappelle\",\"image\":\"https:\/\/image.tmdb.org\/t\/p\/w500\/hDVe67wjmjtbOTzDrFaJfcobcE.jpg\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.themoviedb.org\/person\/4169\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Kevin Hart\",\"image\":\"https:\/\/image.tmdb.org\/t\/p\/w500\/byiNydUlM6oP8diA7WMvYbNM7a1.jpg\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.themoviedb.org\/person\/55638\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Bill Burr\",\"image\":\"https:\/\/image.tmdb.org\/t\/p\/w500\/fP2UJs7RiSafEHxDFYVjVFSesda.jpg\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.themoviedb.org\/person\/109708\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Louis C.K.\",\"image\":\"https:\/\/image.tmdb.org\/t\/p\/w500\/faKr66V0EzJVMXwr0kIlSr9vfp7.jpg\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.themoviedb.org\/person\/52849\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Gabriel Iglesias\",\"image\":\"https:\/\/image.tmdb.org\/t\/p\/w500\/8Bjy3RZ5TfNs3oUOUpxTv84G01f.jpg\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.themoviedb.org\/person\/86498\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Russell Peters\",\"image\":\"https:\/\/image.tmdb.org\/t\/p\/w500\/x0o1NclxcwvvliVR95NKjgMDwD7.jpg\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.themoviedb.org\/person\/82417\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Marc Maron\",\"image\":\"https:\/\/image.tmdb.org\/t\/p\/w500\/wlMurVOngmGhwpHQsRkMv6plvBq.jpg\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.themoviedb.org\/person\/1231717\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Shane Gillis\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.themoviedb.org\/person\/4506681\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Zach Woods\",\"image\":\"https:\/\/image.tmdb.org\/t\/p\/w500\/jolb1uMzDZGTKOKyhgeG3RIsL2W.jpg\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.themoviedb.org\/person\/464993\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"David Cross\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.themoviedb.org\/person\/1583790\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Tim Dillon\",\"image\":\"https:\/\/image.tmdb.org\/t\/p\/w500\/qEAS7a0ZjJhiUysuinZ0aBQABvX.jpg\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.themoviedb.org\/person\/2419859\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Jim Jefferies\",\"image\":\"https:\/\/image.tmdb.org\/t\/p\/w500\/nUt41YMX6tHcyrHHlH6UMs2tZ9n.jpg\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.themoviedb.org\/person\/142516\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Pete Davidson\",\"image\":\"https:\/\/image.tmdb.org\/t\/p\/w500\/f3kubnZu3KgMniExcq9nJy8RwjW.jpg\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.themoviedb.org\/person\/1427948\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Jessica Kirson\",\"image\":\"https:\/\/image.tmdb.org\/t\/p\/w500\/Aqg5oGF1nPNZbfo9sLAxvXTXg9y.jpg\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.themoviedb.org\/person\/1226535\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Aziz Ansari\",\"image\":\"https:\/\/image.tmdb.org\/t\/p\/w500\/yUeQHM4ycUXrUgRWgKVYKNmKxfJ.jpg\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.themoviedb.org\/person\/86626\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Eric Schiffer\"},{\"@type\":\"Place\",\"name\":\"Riyadh Comedy Festival\",\"description\":\"festival\"},{\"@type\":\"Place\",\"name\":\"Saudi Arabia\",\"description\":\"country\"},{\"@type\":\"Place\",\"name\":\"Boulevard City\",\"description\":\"venue\"},{\"@type\":\"Place\",\"name\":\"Mohammed Al-Ali Theatre\",\"description\":\"venue\"},{\"@type\":\"Place\",\"name\":\"ANB Arena\",\"description\":\"venue\"},{\"@type\":\"Place\",\"name\":\"SEF Arena\",\"description\":\"venue\"},{\"@type\":\"Place\",\"name\":\"Riyadh\",\"description\":\"city\"}]}","_extracted_celebrities":null,"_extracted_movies":"","_extracted_places":null,"_extracted_videos":"","_last_enrichment_date":"2025-10-25 00:46:05","footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12802","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Riyadh Comedy Festival wraps record inaugural event with 50+ global comedy icons<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Riyadh Comedy Festival wraps record inaugural event with 50+ global comedy icons\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"&hellip;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Red94\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-25T04:44:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-25T04:45:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Daniel Harris\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Daniel Harris\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Daniel Harris\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/585a7b7a03a1d784aced0777f5838c7b\"},\"headline\":\"Riyadh Comedy Festival wraps record inaugural event with 50+ global comedy icons\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-25T04:44:52+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-25T04:45:34+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/\"},\"wordCount\":758,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/31028-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons.jpg.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/\",\"name\":\"Riyadh Comedy Festival wraps record inaugural event with 50+ global comedy icons\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/31028-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons.jpg.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-25T04:44:52+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-25T04:45:34+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/31028-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons.jpg.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/31028-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons.jpg.png\",\"width\":1360,\"height\":768,\"caption\":\"Riyadh Comedy Festival wraps record inaugural event with 50+ global comedy icons\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Entertainment\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/entertainment\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Riyadh Comedy Festival wraps record inaugural event with 50+ global comedy icons\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/\",\"name\":\"Red94\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Red94\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Logo-Red94.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Logo-Red94.png\",\"width\":289,\"height\":90,\"caption\":\"Red94\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/585a7b7a03a1d784aced0777f5838c7b\",\"name\":\"Daniel Harris\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/plugins\/generateperf\/images\/icons\/avatar.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/plugins\/generateperf\/images\/icons\/avatar.svg\",\"caption\":\"Daniel Harris\"},\"description\":\"Daniel Harris is a specialist journalist focused on the crossroads of breaking news, extraordinary history, and enduring legends. With a background in historical research and storytelling, he blends timely reporting with timeless narratives, making complex events and ancient myths resonate with today\u2019s readers. Daniel\u2019s work often uncovers surprising links between present-day headlines and legendary tales, offering unique perspectives that captivate diverse audiences. Beyond reporting, he is passionate about preserving oral traditions and exploring how extraordinary stories continue to shape culture and identity.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/author\/daniel-harris\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Riyadh Comedy Festival wraps record inaugural event with 50+ global comedy icons","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Riyadh Comedy Festival wraps record inaugural event with 50+ global comedy icons","og_description":"&hellip;","og_url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/","og_site_name":"Red94","article_published_time":"2025-10-25T04:44:52+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-10-25T04:45:34+00:00","author":"Daniel Harris","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Daniel Harris","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/"},"author":{"name":"Daniel Harris","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/585a7b7a03a1d784aced0777f5838c7b"},"headline":"Riyadh Comedy Festival wraps record inaugural event with 50+ global comedy icons","datePublished":"2025-10-25T04:44:52+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-25T04:45:34+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/"},"wordCount":758,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/31028-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons.jpg.png","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/","url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/","name":"Riyadh Comedy Festival wraps record inaugural event with 50+ global comedy icons","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/31028-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons.jpg.png","datePublished":"2025-10-25T04:44:52+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-25T04:45:34+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/31028-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons.jpg.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/31028-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons.jpg.png","width":1360,"height":768,"caption":"Riyadh Comedy Festival wraps record inaugural event with 50+ global comedy icons"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/40471-riyadh-comedy-festival-wraps-record-inaugural-event-with-50-global-comedy-icons\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Entertainment","item":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/entertainment\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Riyadh Comedy Festival wraps record inaugural event with 50+ global comedy icons"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/","name":"Red94","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#organization","name":"Red94","url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Logo-Red94.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Logo-Red94.png","width":289,"height":90,"caption":"Red94"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/585a7b7a03a1d784aced0777f5838c7b","name":"Daniel Harris","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/plugins\/generateperf\/images\/icons\/avatar.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-content\/plugins\/generateperf\/images\/icons\/avatar.svg","caption":"Daniel Harris"},"description":"Daniel Harris is a specialist journalist focused on the crossroads of breaking news, extraordinary history, and enduring legends. With a background in historical research and storytelling, he blends timely reporting with timeless narratives, making complex events and ancient myths resonate with today\u2019s readers. Daniel\u2019s work often uncovers surprising links between present-day headlines and legendary tales, offering unique perspectives that captivate diverse audiences. Beyond reporting, he is passionate about preserving oral traditions and exploring how extraordinary stories continue to shape culture and identity.","url":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/author\/daniel-harris\/"}]}},"views":61,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12802","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12802"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12802\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12802"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12802"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.red94.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12802"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}