Riyadh Season 2025 to open on Friday with mega parade, global stars, record-breaking attractions

Dubai: Saudi capital Riyadh is set to launch its most ambitious entertainment season yet, promising a spectacle designed to cement it’s place on the global cultural map.

At a press conference on Sunday, Turki Al Alshaikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, unveiled the full programme for Riyadh Season 2025, which will kick off on Friday, October 10, with a massive parade beside Boulevard City showcasing the festival’s new attractions.

Now in its sixth edition, the festival marks a decisive step in Saudi Arabia’s fast-growing entertainment industry and builds on the momentum of previous seasons that have positioned Riyadh as a hub for international leisure and culture.

“Riyadh Season 2025 will be a landmark in the history of entertainment in the region and the world,” Al Alshaikh declared. “The Saudi capital is now the global stage for creativity and culture.”

Supported by the leadership, the festival now boasts a brand value of $3.2 billion, underscoring its rising global profile. This year’s lineup spans 11 main entertainment zones across the capital, featuring 15 world-class championships, 34 exhibitions and festivals, and partnerships with more than 2,100 companies—95 percent of them Saudi.

Among the headline attractions: the first-ever WWE “Royal Rumble” to be staged outside North America; the creation of “Beast Land,” a 200,000-square-meter park developed with U.S. content creator MrBeast, offering over 27 rides, 40 restaurants, and interactive challenges; and the Joy Forum, bringing entertainment heavyweights such as UFC president Dana White, basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal, American football star Tom Brady, and Bollywood actor Aamir Khan.

Other highlights include Boulevard World, with 1,600 shops, 350 dining venues, and themed zones for Kuwait, South Korea, and Indonesia; a flower park with 200 million blooms and Boeing 777 displays; a luxury cruise experience in the Red Sea; and a revamped Riyadh Zoo featuring 1,600 animals.

The season also promises a packed slate of sports and concerts, from boxing and snooker to Arab theatre and major musical performances, capped by the region’s Joy Awards in early 2026.

Al Alshaikh stressed the event’s economic and social impact, noting that Riyadh Season 2025 will generate more than 25,000 direct jobs and over 100,000 indirect jobs, alongside initiatives to support local talent and community projects.