Many prominent comedians are scheduled to perform at the Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia from September 26 to October 9, 2025. The lineup includes Mo Amer, Aziz Ansari, Wayne Brady, Hannibal Buress, Bill Burr, Jimmy Carr, Dave Chappelle, Louis C.K., Whitney Cummings, Pete Davidson, Chris Distefano, Omid Djalili, Zarna Garg, Ben Hart, Kevin Hart, Gabriel Iglesias, Jim Jefferies, Jimeoin, Maz Jobrani, Jessica Kirson, Jo Koy, Bobby Lee, Sebastian Maniscalco, Sam Morril, Mark Normand, Russell Peters, Jeff Ross, Sugar Sammy, Andrew Santino, Andrew Schulz, Tom Segura, Ali Siddiq, Aries Spears, Chris Tucker, and Jack Whitehall.

However, the festival has faced backlash due to Saudi Arabia's human rights record. Some comedians, including Tim Dillon, were removed or dropped out, and others like Shane Gillis, Mike Birbiglia, Stavros Halkias, and Nimesh Patel declined to perform on ethical grounds.

The festival is part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 initiative to become a cultural hub and diversify its economy.