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Saudi Arabia’s most ambitious cultural festival, Riyadh Season 2025, has officially opened, setting the stage for a record year of entertainment, tourism, and international collaboration. The festival, which runs through early 2026, is a centrepiece of the Kingdom’s drive to transform itself into one of the world’s leading destinations for large-scale events.
Now in its sixth edition, Riyadh Season has evolved from a local celebration into a global tourism magnet, drawing millions of visitors annually and spotlighting Saudi Arabia’s growing prowess in event management, creative industries, and visitor experience. This year’s opening parade — featuring over 3,000 performers, themed floats, and giant balloons — signalled the grand scale that has become the festival’s hallmark.
Riyadh Season is more than an entertainment spectacle — it’s a key pillar of Saudi Arabia’s “Unreal Calendar” of year-round events designed to drive tourism, diversify the economy, and position the Kingdom as a major global leisure hub. The calendar, unveiled by the Saudi Tourism Authority and fronted by football legend Cristiano Ronaldo, exemplifies how mega-events are being used to attract international visitors and sustain momentum across the tourism sector.
This year’s festival spans six major zones blending heritage, technology, and entertainment, including the House of Hype, showcasing global fashion trends, and the MrBeast Zone, marking the YouTube star’s first major activation in Saudi Arabia. Boulevard World will celebrate Saudi and global cultures, with installations from Turkey, Iran, and Africa, while Kingdom Arena, Via Riyadh, and The Groves will host concerts, sporting championships, and cultural showcases for visitors from around the world.
Riyadh Season 2025 will feature some of the biggest global names in sports and entertainment. The Riyadh Comedy Festival, one of the largest stand-up gatherings worldwide, will bring together Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle, Aziz Ansari, and Russell Peters. In sport, The Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition will see Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and Jannik Sinner compete, while the WWE Royal Rumble makes its Middle East debut — a symbolic milestone in Saudi’s growing global sports footprint. Other headline events include the WTA Finals Riyadh and MDLBEAST Soundstorm 25, further strengthening the Kingdom’s positioning as a dynamic, inclusive, and entertainment-driven destination.
The festival’s digital-first approach also reflects Saudi Arabia’s ambition to connect with younger, tech-savvy audiences. Collaborations with digital creators like MrBeast, KSI, and iShowSpeed introduce hybrid online-offline experiences, while new Saudi, Khaleeji, and Syrian productions under the General Entertainment Authority spotlight regional storytelling, theatre, and music. This mix of global appeal and cultural authenticity has become Riyadh Season’s signature — celebrating Saudi creativity while engaging international audiences.
Since its inception in 2019, Riyadh Season has emerged as a cornerstone of Saudi Vision 2030, which seeks to diversify the economy beyond oil by investing heavily in tourism and events. The festival attracted more than 20 million visitors in 2024, and 2025 numbers are expected to exceed that, aided by major infrastructure enhancements, including a cable car network linking key venues and expanded public transport.
Saudi Arabia has earmarked $800 billion for tourism development, with the sector projected to contribute $16.5 billion to GDP by 2030. Mega-events like Riyadh Season are central to this transformation — boosting international arrivals, supporting job creation, and showcasing the Kingdom’s capacity to host world-class cultural and sporting spectacles
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Source: traveldailymedia