All the festivals happening and still to come in Saudi Arabia in 2025
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 2025, like Riyadh Season, Diriyah Season, and Winter at Tantora. Plus musical events like MDLBEAST, too. All these and so many more festivals in Saudi Arabia 2025 to look forward to. 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 Friday October 10, Riyadh Season 2025 will have 11 entertainment areas, all of which are already open, 34 exhibitions and festivals, and so much more. This includes the iconic Beast Land and Aroya Cruises, which happen to be new zones this year. Read our full guide here.
Diriyah Season
While Riyadh Season takes pride in celebrating the future, Diriyah Season 2025 takes a different route to honour the longstanding history and legacy of the Kingdom. Diriyah Season 2025 will be celebrated under the theme of Where You Experience Legacy and will launch on Saturday November 1, and go on until Monday March 23, 2026. This year’s edition includes over 10 incredible events happening across all the historical zones in Diriyah. Here’s everything to know.
Khobar Season
Running until Saturday January 31 2026, for Khobar Season, we’re looking forward to major concerts, wonderful old and new zones, championship events and more.
Ithra Winter
The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, better known as Ithra (“enrichment” in Arabic, is inviting you experience Ithra Winter 2025, held alongside the first-ever Khobar Season. Happening from Wednesday October 29 to Saturday January 31, 2026, the season is set to welcome over 130 exciting programs and activities focusing on arts and cultural heritage, films, architecture, and design.
Noor Riyadh
Meet Noor Riyadh: an annual citywide festival celebrating light and art. Now, meet me, an art novice who’s obsessed with all the many art things that Riyadh has to offer. Happening from Thursday November 20, to Saturday December 6, Noor Riyadh 2025 returns bigger and brighter than ever this year, living up to its title of the largest light art festival in the world.
Locations: Qasr Al-Hokm district, King Abdulaziz Historical Centre, stc Metro Station, King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) Station, Public Investment Fund Tower, and JAX District.
Dates: Thu Nov 20 to Sat Dec 6
Visit: riyadhart.sa
Saudi Feast Food Festival
Prepare your taste buds for a culinary adventure at the Saudi Feast Food Festival 2025. From Thursday November 27 to Saturday December 6, festivalgoers will have the chance to indulge in over 300 dishes. Unfolding at Riyadh’s King Saud University, the Saudi Feast Food Festival 2025 is organised by the Saudi Culinary Arts Commission and is the fifth edition of the festival.
Location: King Saud University
Dates: Thu Nov 27 to Sat Dec 6
Cost: Starting at SAR15, book here
AlUla’s Ancient Kingdoms
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 returns for its fourth edition. Running until Saturday December 6, this year’s event is held under the theme of ‘Journeys Through Time’ and invites visitors to rediscover the ancient civilisations that once thrived in AlUla.
Coming soon
XP Music Futures
Riyadh’s winter calendar just found its beat. XP Music Futures returns Thursday, December 4 to Saturday, December 6, 2025, marking its fifth year with a citywide celebration of music culture by day and by night. Five years in, XP is framing the programme around its core pillars of talent, scene, impact, and innovation, with a bigger push on community building. Expect signature initiatives to return and level up.
Location: JAX District
Dates: Thu Dec 4 to Sat Dec 6
Riyadh Music Week
Over the course of the next few weeks, we’re looking forward to welcoming Riyadh’s loudest time of year, and while we thought it only included XP Music Futures and Soundstorm, we stand corrected. On the sidelines of the two major events, the Riyadh Music Week 2025 will be taking over to keep us busy and entertained, musically, of course.
Kicking off on Thursday December 4, and running until Saturday December 13, the Riyadh Music Week 2025 will start and end with MDLBEAST’s coveted events and host a ton of musical events in between.
Location: Various, including Banban, JAX District, King Fahad Cultural Centre, and more
Visit: riyadhmusicweek.com
Winter at Tantora
Winter at Tantora is back from Thursday December 18 to Saturday January 10, 2026, inviting visitors to experience the magic of AlUla during its most enchanting time of year. This year’s theme, Winter Brings Us Together, captures the festival’s spirit of connection, creativity, and celebration. Over three weeks, Winter at Tantora will transform the ancient oasis into a living tapestry of heritage, music, art, gastronomy, and shared stories, bringing together communities and visitors from around the world.
Location: AlUla
Dates: Thu Dec 18 to Sat Jan 10
Soundstorm
Soundstorm is the region’s boldest three-day music festival, held every December in Riyadh. Set in Banban, this year’s event will be held from Thursday December 11 to Saturday December 13, with hundreds of thousands of fans dancing to the beats of global, regional and local artists. Now in its sixth edition, the festival is raising the bar with reimagined ticket categories – Storm, Storm+, and VIB tiers – plus, unforgettable new activations, luxury experiences, and more top-tier artists still to be announced.
Tickets are on sale now and you can buy yours here.
Location: Soundstorm 2025, Banban, Riyadh
