Comedians Withdraw from Lisbon Comedy Festival Over Seinfeld’s Headlining Role

Imagine you’re a comedian in Portugal, excited about the upcoming international comedy festival in Lisbon this fall. The vibe? Cautiously optimistic. Then you catch wind of some big news: Jerry Seinfeld, the legendary stand-up comedian, will be headlining. This marks his first performance in Portugal, which is quite a game-changer. Suddenly, the festival is on the map, and the local comedy scene has a golden opportunity to shine on an international scale.

But wait. What do you do next?

Well, it seems that for an increasing number of local comedians, the answer is to bow out.

This reaction has unfolded after the MEO Commedia a La Carte Festival, running from October 29 to November 1, announced Seinfeld as its main attraction. The festival has prominently featured him on its website, highlighting his performance at the approximately 20,000-seat MEO Arena.

What should have been a fantastic highlight for the festival has turned into a surprising pivot. At least six performers have withdrawn, with many referencing or alluding to Seinfeld’s support for Israel, which has become a contentious issue.

Portuguese comedian Inês Aires Pereira shared her reasons for stepping back, stating, “We cannot relativize or normalize a genocide.” While she didn’t mention Seinfeld by name, she referred to another performer at the festival who “insistently defends indefensible ideas and actions,” as noted by the Telegraph.

The comedy duo Cebola Mol also decided to pull out, posting a watermelon image—often seen as a symbol of Palestinian solidarity—and telling their fans, “We will celebrate justice, freedom, and joy at a future opportunity, together with you.”

Additionally, at least three other acts have dropped out without publicizing their reasons.

Interestingly, securing Seinfeld’s participation apparently took two years. Now, festival organizers are reportedly contemplating legal action against those who have chosen to withdraw, as mentioned by Portuguese outlet NiT. The wave of cancellations is thought to have started following discussions about Seinfeld’s alignment with Israel, which sparked some discontent among the performers.

Another Portuguese source, MAGG, reported that there’s even consideration to proceed with just Seinfeld’s performance, perhaps scrapping the festival entirely.

César Mourão, one of the festival’s founders, mentioned that securing Seinfeld’s involvement was a primary goal from the outset.

Seinfeld’s stance on Israel has been clear; following the attacks on October 7, he has publicly shown support for the nation. He even visited Israel in December 2023, where he met with families of individuals taken hostage by Hamas.

His responses to pro-Palestinian hecklers have been noted as quite blunt. During a meet-and-greet in 2025, when prompted by a call to “free Palestine,” he replied, “I don’t care about Palestine.”

In a similar vein, during a 2024 performance in Australia, he made light of a heckler who interrupted with pro-Palestinian comments, quipping, “We have a genius, ladies and gentlemen. He solved the Middle East.”