The musical extravaganza, MDLBeast Soundstorm, is back. It is, quite simply, the biggest music event in Riyadh, as it is unrivalled when it comes to its sheer scale and impressive line-ups. It’s the Glastonbury of the Middle East, just without the camping and rain. So expect back to back gigs and full-on party vibes at this four-day event, which happens to be slap bang in the middle of the Banban desert.
The biggest names in the music industry will be descending onto Riyadh, from international superstars to local talent. Just some of the names you can groove away to include Armin Van Buuren, David Guetta, Deadmau5, DJ Snake, Eric Prydz, Martin Garrix, Paul Kalkbrenner, Tiësto and Steve Aoki, in addition to home-grown artists including Anmarz, Cosmicat, Spaceboi, and Zone+.
This year MDLBeast is promising to set the bar higher after its outstanding success in 2019, which resulted in more than 400,000 attendees, over 80 artists performing, six fully equipped stages and much more. That’s a whole lot of music.
With artists at its heart, MDLBeast is on a mission to develop the region’s music ecosystem and economy and develop a multi-layered platform for fresh talent and culture. While Soundstorm is more than an event, it’s a place to crank-up the volume, let loose, enjoy your time and experience creativity as well as music on another level. So don’t get FOMO – it’s time to join the party. Here’s everything you need to know about the ultimate live music event in Riyadh, from its first ever conference to the big-name and local artists to have on your radar.
Book yourself a VIB experience
Give you experience an upgrade – don’t just feel like a VIP but a VIB. The festival offers visitors day passes as well as four-day passes with four tiers to choose from: Storm Chaser; Storm Blazer; VIB and VIB-BOX. The higher the tier, the more fabulous the experience. The basic pass includes a shuttle service from select locations in Riyadh at SAR135 per day, while exclusive VIP experience (or VIB for the very important beasts) are available for SAR2,999. There’s also the VIB Table Service, which is available for groups of six, eight, 10 and 12 people, and it includes shisha, beverages and bites. Plus, a viewing location from an elevated platform to watch the action.
David Guetta took part in a “MDLBeast Presents” residency
MDLBeast Presents launched in November and it is on a mission to shine a light on musical talent through concerts and events. David Guetta completed a residency in Riyadh – the French superstar DJ gave us all a preview of what we can expect during the main festival, as he performed three concerts in the capital at locations including Billionaire Riyadh. Talal Albahiti, COO and head of talent booking and events at MDLBeast, explains, “David Guetta is just as popular in Saudi Arabia as he is anywhere else in the world, as he’s such a global sensation.”
You can download a playlist with MDLBeast Records
The fun doesn’t stop when the four-day festival is over. If you want to recapture the good vibes, then listen to some tunes from the company’s record label: MDLBeast Records. As part of MDLBeast’s wider aim to inspire and connect with Arab youth, the label produces and distributes music by local, regional and international talent. The label has already released tracks including Toxic Romance by Cosmicat, one of the biggest female DJs in the region, and tracks by the dance heavy-weights R3hab and Salvatore Ganacci.
Network at XP first music conference
Just when we thought we couldn’t get more excited about MDLBeast, it announced that it will be hosting the first musical conference in the region. XP takes place from December 13-15 and will feature workshops, panel discussions, masterclasses and the chance to network (okay, mingle) with music industry professionals. If you’re a budding musician or just want to get a behind the scenes look into how your favourite musicians work, this is for you. The impressive line-up of speakers includes Wassim Slaiby, the CEO of record label XO and manager of singer The Weeknd, Swedish DJ Salvatore Ganacci, and US record producer Swizz Beatz.
Join conversations about diversity in the music industry
This year’s XP conference will also start conversations about music and mental health, as there’ll be a focus on wellbeing and diversity in the industry. XP aims to develop the musical infrastructure in the country and become a space where creatives can come together and share big ideas.
One of the major topics of discussion will be Empowering Women in Music, as it will look at data, policy and advocacy, and explore the advantages of female representation and having a diverse workforce. XP’s programme director, Nada Alhelabi, explains, “Through these conversations, we want it to inspire future generations to consider a career in the industry and promote music as a vehicle for job creation and innovation, making it a sustainable industry from which they can profit. A big focus for us is promoting diversity, wellbeing, and fair working conditions to empower females and give a voice to minority groups within the industry.”
Listen to MDLBeast Frequencies
Get the party started (or keep it going) pre and post-event, by tuning into MDLBeast Frequencies. It’s the encore you need when you’re missing live music. We’re all about supporting local Saudi talent, and this station supports local as well as regional talent. Join the 10,000 listeners a month, so you can learn about creatives on your doorstep.
MDLBeast highlights SAUDI’s vision
Not long ago, festivals like this were a no-no. Only in 2019, did the first solo stadium concert in the country take place when the Korean super-group BTS performed. The youth have embraced the change – not only have they snapped up tickets to MDLBeast’s concerts, but they caused them to become sold-out events. Plus, when quizzed about the inaugural festival, 86 percent of Saudis said they were prouder of the creativity and culture in the kingdom as a result of MDLBeast Soundstorm.
You’ll need to be double-vaxxed
While masks are no longer needed in outdoors spaces, you’ll still need to keep up to date with requirements when entering events. Currently, being double-vaxxed is mandatory if you want to attend cultural and social events across Saudi Arabia. The Tawakkalna app will highlight your vaccination status – if you are exempt from taking the vaccine, don’t worry, as your status will be shown on the app.
Ramadan Alharatani, CEO, says, “Our vision is to deliver a unique and positive experience for hundreds of thousands of people as they enjoy some of the world’s biggest
stars performing in front of a passionate Saudi audience.
“We are undertaking comprehensive measures around Covid-19 to ensure our guests have the best and safest possible experience, all in partnership with local entertainment and health regulators. Furthermore, we have developed and released a code of conduct which ticket-buyers sign and are expected to abide by in order to ensure a safe space for everyone.”
Support local music talent like K.Led
MDLBeast is all about lifting up local talent, whether it’s by nurturing it during the XP conference or giving a stage to perform on during Soundstorm. Speaking to us exclusively, K.Led says: “I’ll never forget the rush I had being behind the decks at Soundstorm 2019. It was by far, one of the most impactful moments of my life, as I was witnessing the energy and excitement of the beautiful people of Saudi and seeing family and friends, celebrating life and music freely, in my own country.
“I also had the honour of sharing the stage with one of my all-time idols, Kerry Chandler. After last year’s cancellations due to Covid-19, I am really excited to take part in bringing back this year’s Soundstorm. I am extremely grateful and humbled to return to the decks in front of the beautiful people of Saudi, all there for the same cause: music and living life to the fullest.”
Stream concerts online
After 2020, we all became more familiar with the likes of Zoom and Houseparty. If you’re feeling post-festival blues and want to have your very own house party, you can enjoy
a concert – albeit virtually – by hopping onto MDLBeast’s YouTube channel and watching its popular Freqways series. Launched during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, it has welcomed more than 50 local and international artists from locations in Saudi Arabia and across the world.
The stage at MDLBeast Soundstorm was awarded a Guinness World Record
Proving that MDLBeast Soundstorm sets its sights high, the 2019 music festival nabbed itself a Guinness World Record for having the tallest temporary stage. It was appropriately titled The Big Beast stage and hosted artists including David Guetta, Tiesto, Martin Garrix, Steve Aoki, J Balvin and Afrojack. We’re looking forward to see if the festival can outdo itself this year. Perhaps, The Bigger Beast stage?
…And you can help mdlbeast break another record
We can only guess that breaking one world record wasn’t enough, as MDLBeast Soundstorm’s upcoming event plans to break a second world record in Saudi Arabia. It intends to host the biggest number of attendees over a span of four days and already has a line-up that feature more global and local headliners than it did in 2019. Want to help it beat last year’s 400,000 audience figure? Well, book your tickets and you can be a part of the crowd as well as history.
You have the power to increase a DJ’s popularity
According to MDLBeast, the DJs who performed at the 2019 event experienced an increased a 492.4 percent increase in demand, when compared to DJs who did not perform in the kingdom. Even 12 months after the big shows, the artists who performed had a 36.5 percent more demand. So, if artists want to increase their audiences, it pays to come to Saudi Arabia – 70 percent of the population is under 30 and they will thank you for the music.
Tickets start from SAR339. Dec 16-19. mdlbeast.com.
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