Bill Burr is defending his decision to perform at Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Comedy Festival, a move that sparked backlash. While reflecting on the trip on his podcast, the comedian described warming up with a show in Bahrain before performing on the festival’s opening night. Talking about the crowd’s energy, he called it one of the top experiences of his career.
Bill Burr addresses Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh comedy festival performance
Bill Burr opened up on his podcast about his recent performance at the Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia. He said, “It was great to experience that part of the world and to be a part of the first comedy festival over there in Saudi Arabia.”
Calling it “top three experiences,” the comedian added, “The royals loved the show. Everyone was happy. The people that were doing the festival were thrilled. The comedians that I’ve been talking to are saying, ‘Dude, you can feel [the audience] wanted it. They want to see real stand-up comedy.’ It was a mind-blowing experience.”
Before taking the stage in Riyadh, Burr warmed up with a set in Bahrain to understand his audience and their humor. After a successful show, he said, “I’m like, these guys, they’re just like us… I don’t speak the language, but I get it.”
Despite feeling nervous ahead of the festival’s opening night, Burr found the reception overwhelmingly positive. He said, “I thought this place was going to be really tense.” However, once onstage, Burr gradually expanded his set. He incorporated crowd interaction and performed bits about gay men at the gym before moving into his regular material.
Burr stated, “And it was just this great exchange of energy. They know their reputation. So they were extra friendly.” He also explained that organizers initially enforced heavy restrictions on acceptable material. However, after negotiations, the rules were reduced to avoiding jokes about the royals and religion.
