MDLBeast: What to expect from Saudi Arabia’s blockbuster Soundstorm music festival

This weekend will see around half a million people descend on Banban, north of Riyadh, according to organizers’ estimates, for four days of festivities and music from some of the world’s biggest acts.

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Unimaginable just a few years ago in a Kingdom, the second edition of MDLBeast’s Soundstorm is a testament to the rapid reforms ushered in by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Last year’s Soundstorm saw more than 130,000 people attend just the first day of the festival, according to organizers.

Internationally renowned names such as David Guetta, Afrojack, Tiësto, and Steve Aoki, are slated to perform alongside a host of local talent.

Saudi DJs including Cosmicat, Zone+, Anmarz, and Spaceboi will also take the stage.

Alongside electronic dance music producers, the festival will see a number of Arabic musicians perform including Nancy Ajram, Amr Diab, Rashid al-Majid, and Myriam Fares.

The performances will be spread across a sprawling site consisting of eight different stages with a spectacular arrangement of pyrotechnics and lighting shows.

One of the stages, dubbed the ‘Big Beast,’ is billed as the tallest in the world.

The MDLTOWN section of the festival site will offer partygoers a respite from the electronic beats, with a laid-back selection of art galleries and clothes shops to browse before heading back to the dancefloor.

Tickets range from $36 (135 riyals) to $799 (2,999 riyals).

A standard Storm Chaser ticket allows admission to the festival and shuttle buses from the Holiday Inn Hotel in Riyadh’s financial district running every hour from 3 p.m.

Storm Blazer tickets, which cost $146 (549 riyals), allow fast track entry and access to the ‘golden circle’ in front of the main stage.

VIB (very important beast) tickets, costing $799 (2,999 riyals), allow fast-track entry and parking, and access to the VIP lounge that offers upscale food and drink.

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