There are so many yet to come…

Saudi Arabia is a country where the majority of events happen when it’s cooler, so mostly during the last six months of the year. These include the massive citywide festivals still to look forward to in Saudi Arabia in 2024 like Riyadh Season, Diriyah Season, and Winter at Tantora. Plus musical events like MDLBEAST too. All these and so many more Saudi Arabia festivals 2024 to look forward. Here are the ones to look out for.

Currently happening

Riyadh Season

Riyadh’s event calendar is focused on one massive festival, the coveted Riyadh Season. The citywide festival was kicked off this year on Saturday October 12,  Riyadh Season 2024 will have 14 entertainment areas, three of which are already open, 10 exhibitions and festivals, and so much more. This includes Cristiano Ronaldo Padel Academy, a Christian Dior exhibition, and so much more.

AlUla Wellness Festival

Healthy hedonists, unite. Come and experience wellness on a whole new level at the AlUla Wellness Festival has made its much-anticipated return and will be on until Saturday November 2. Set within the stunning landscapes of AlUla, the festival brings together wellness experts and enthusiasts for a 17-day journey through holistic renewal, self-reflection, healing, and immersion in nature led by industry experts such as Marisa Peer, Dr Khaled Ghattass, Koya Webb, Sul Aolado and more.

AlUla Wellness Festival, Oct 17 to Nov 2, AlUla. @alulamoments

Coming soon

Ancient Kingdoms Festival

Get ready to be transported to the heart of AlUla’s captivating past. If you’ve always wanted to delve deeper into the ancient city’s rich heritage, cultural legacy, and prehistoric civilisations, check out the Ancient Kingdoms Festival, which will return for its third edition. Taking place from Thursday November 7 to Saturday November 30, as part of the AlUla Moments 2024/25 calendar, the festival is bringing history to life like never before with a sensational series of immersive experiences and exciting events for three incredible weeks.

Ancient Kingdoms Festival, Nov 7 to 30, AlUla. Tickets are available here. @alulamoments

MDLBEAST XP Music Futures

The major music conference with a nightlife aspect is making a comeback from Thursday December 5 to Saturday December 7 at the incredible JAX District. The experience is divided into Day and Nite programmes. During the day from 11am to 7pm, you can immerse yourself in panel discussions, demo sessions, innovative talks, transformative workshops, and competitions. From 8pm until late at night is when we’ll be enjoying a rare look into the underground music scene of Saudi Arabia. There will be a range of performances, artist showcases, jam sessions, rap battles and more.

MDLBEAST Soundstorm

MDLBEAST likes to do things BIG. and we already know this. So, when they announced megastar Eminem would be headlining the MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2024 lineup, we thought surely it doesn’t get better than this. And then, it went and announced massive American rappers Tyler the Creator, Akon, G-EAZY, JID, and Latto (yes, you can freak out). Further on in the lineup, you’ll find Black Coffee, Adam Beyer, Adriatique, Agents of Time, Airricia, Alok, Argy, Arielle Free, AZM, and Bedouin.

MDLBeast SoundStorm 2024, Dec 12 to 14, 7pm to 4am, Banban, Riyadh. @mdlbeast.soundstorm

Winter at Tantora

AlUla will see the return of Winter at Tantora, from Thursday December 19 to Thursday January 9, 2025  AlUla’s longest-running festival features the best of fine arts, music, fashion, and food. Last year’s festival saw the region’s first-ever food festival and so much more. Featuring an immersive theatre experience, a discovery tour, orchestra and classical concerts and so much more.

Winter at Tantora, Thu Dec 19 to Thu Jan 9, experiencealula.com

Richard Mille Desert Polo

Set against the magnificently dramatic backdrop of the AlUla canyons and the extraordinary landscapes of the Equestrian Village, near Saudi Arabia’s first Unesco World Heritage Site of Hegra, the tournament – widely regarded as the Sport of Kings – is played out in a purpose-built desert arena. The massive event returns on January 15 to January 18, 2025.

Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo, Jan 15 to Jan 18. experiencealula.com

AlUla Arts Festival

AlUla Arts Festival is set to be a must-visit event on the global arts calendar. The festival will offer everything from curated contemporary art to gigantic outdoor art installations, craft workshops to artists’ residencies. Picture cutting-edge exhibitions and art in AlUla’s beautiful landscapes, creative workshops and live performances make for a lively lineup of amazing activities.

AlUla Arts Festival, AlUla, Thu Jan 16 to Sat Feb 22. experiencealula.com

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