MDLBeast Festival

MDLBeast Festival is a music festival hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as part of the Riyadh Season activities. It lasts for three to four days, with the participation of singers from different countries, as well as international DJ artists, and international stars of electronic music.

The festival is held in six theatres. Its activities include a diverse list of international art shows, local art exhibitions, and entertainment shows, with the participation of visitors from inside and outside the Kingdom.

It is a global creative platform that showcases local, regional, and international talent through exciting interactive events and experiences, whether live or online.

The platform specializes in entertainment experiences, such as music and arts that have a role in people’s daily lives. It began in the Kingdom and reached other parts of the world. It aims to support artists and create influential experiences that motivate them to interact.

In 2019, the events of the first edition began in the Kingdom with the attendance of around four hundred thousand people. It marked an important shift in the history of entertainment in the Kingdom, as the longest temporary theater in the world was built in 2019, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

MDLBeast Festival empowers Saudi talent and displays their skills to the public. Moreover, it builds its own theaters, organizes performances by street artists, and launches outdoor art museums. Through a vast network of restaurants, the festival offers a quality international dishes.

MDLBeast Festival includes six main theatres, each of which offers a distinctive experience that suits the nature of its shows.

- The "Big Beast" theater: The largest stage in the festival. It includes the main shows and accommodates more than forty-five thousand people. It was designed in a way that combines the authenticity of ancient Saudi culture and the modernity of leading international theatres.

- "Underground Beast 1 and 2": Two theaters that host the most famous international and local art giants.

- "Down Beast" Theater: It provides a relaxing space away from the hustle and bustle of music and loud beats, in addition to hosting DJs, prominent musicians, and a number of local talents.

- "Saudi Beast" Theater: Dedicated to emerging Saudi talents to empower them and showcase their skills to the public.

- "Middle Town" Theater: The theater is distinguished by its central location in the festival, and acts as a bridge that connects all the theaters together. It also includes restaurants, shops, street artist performances, and an outdoor art museum.

It is an annual festival that focuses on electronic music. It hosts international stars alongside local and international artists. The festival is held in Banban, Riyadh City, and visitors are required to be at least sixteen years old to attend its events.

The XP Music Futures, which is part of the MDLBeast Festival presents a three-day program in the JAX District in Diriyah. This event promulgates regulations and policies in the field, addresses topics about the music industry and its development, showcases talent, and raises awareness about music.

The MDLBeast Festival began its first edition in 2019. Over a period of three days, it presented its works across six theaters, with the participation of about one hundred local, Arab, and international DJ artists. About four hundred thousand people attended the festival from inside and outside the Kingdom.

In 2020, the Frequencies project was launched, which presented a virtual journey with DJ artists from around the world, in line with the precautionary measures for COVID-19. Consequently, "MDLBeast Records" was launched as a brand specializing in modern music production, publishing, and distribution. The talents of Saudi artists were also highlighted, as the spotlight was shed on their works displayed in tourist sites around the Kingdom.

At the second edition of the MDLBeast Festival 2021, the XP Music Futures brand was launched to accelerate the growth of the music industry. It spanned three days and included workshops and seminars. It also provided communication spaces between artists and music makers, in addition to musical events showcasing the work of local artists.

The Soundstorm Festival, which was held in December 2021, also returned with larger spaces and achieved a record number at the time. Within four days, its number of artists reached more than two hundred, and about 750,000 visitors attended the festival. It was also registered in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest temporary theater in the world for 2021.

This edition was held across seven artistic theatres. Celebrations for the XP Music Futures were held between 28 and 30 November 2022, followed by the Soundstorm Festival, which was extended for three days.

In 2023, the MDLBeast Festival was held across eight theatres. Soundstorm performances began on December 14, 2023, and extended for three days, during which about two hundred artists performed various musical performances.