After “Weird Al” Yankovic made headlines this month for backing out of an ad for AI software, the musical satirist revealed he also turned down an offer worth at least $1 million to perform at the Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia last year.
“I wish people would offer me things that I didn’t feel bad about accepting,” Yankovic told the Pennsylvania publication TribLive. “I don’t think I’ve mentioned this anywhere, but I was invited to the Riyadh Comedy Festival, which is something that I obviously did not want to do. They offered me, I’m not going to say how much, but it was seven figures to do one show, which is way more than I’ve ever been offered in my life to do a show. But I just couldn’t be part of that.”
The controversial, state-sponsored comedy festival took place last fall and featured big-name American comics including Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Louis C.K., Pete Davidson and Aziz Ansari.
“I’m not dissing anybody that took the money because I’m sure everybody that went there got a lot of money,” Yankovic added. “I’m sure they had their own reasons and justifications for doing it. But I’m doing enough that I don’t need to take any amount of money if it makes me feel icky, and that kind of did.”
The Riyadh Comedy Festival was a hot-button topic that split the industry. Some comics, like Marc Maron, Jimmy Kimmel and David Cross criticized the event due to its connection with the Islamic regime led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. For many, it was too difficult to accept a paycheck from the government that, among other atrocities, sanctioned the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Comic Atsuko Okatsuka revealed on X that she turned down an offer, which included “content restrictions” prohibiting comedians from joking about the Saudi government, legal system or religious customs. “The money is coming straight from the Crown Prince, who actively executes journalists, [people with non-lethal] drug offences, bloggers, etc w/out due process,” Okatsuka wrote on social media.
Shane Gillis similarly said he took a “principled stand” and turned down a “significant bag” to perform. (Sources told Variety at the time that comedian paydays ranged from mid-six-figures up to $1.6 million for one show.)
Love Film & TV?
Get your daily dose of everything happening in music, film and TV in Australia and abroad.
Many comedians who did accept money to perform in Saudi Arabia defended their decision. “There’s people over there that don’t agree with the stuff that the government’s doing, and to ascribe like the worst behaviour of the government onto those people, that’s not fair,” Ansari said, adding that he hoped the festival would push “things to be more open.” Burr called it “one of the top three experiences I’ve had,” saying “the royals loved the show.” C.K. said it was a “good opportunity” and “comedy is a great way to get in and start talking.” Chappelle quipped onstage in Saudi Arabia that “It’s easier to talk here than it is in America.”
It’s unclear whether Riyadh Comedy Festival will return in 2026.
From Variety US