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Here’s How Saudi Arabia’s Biggest Music Festival Came to an End

Instagram @steveaoki

International stars 50 Cent, Chris Brown, Tyga, Future, Liam Payne, and Janet Jackson took the Jeddah World Fest stage to mark the end of Jeddah Season: Sea & Culture. The six-week entertainment festival came to a close on July 18.

Even though rapper Nicki Minaj canceled her show soon after it was announced, Saudi Arabia’s biggest music festival was sold out within four hours from when the tickets went on sale. While British pop singer Liam Payne and DJ Steve Aoki were the only two acts confirmed, performances by American singer Janet Jackson, and rappers Future, 50 Cent, Chris Brown and Tyga were announced on the day of the event.

Despite the heat, the superstars were welcomed by a huge crowd at the King Abdullah Sports City. World-renowned rapper 50 Cent was incredibly moved by the spirit of Jeddah. “I’ve been around the world a few times, but there’s no place like Jeddah,” he wrote on his official Instagram.  If that wasn’t enough, 50 Cent was also playfully referring to himself as 50 Halala, which is equal to a cent in Saudi Arabia.

The massive crowd first danced to the beats of Janet Jackson, who performed her hit songs All For You and her latest track Made For Now. Her gripping solo was followed by former One Direction member Liam Payne, who wowed the audience with his Billboard hit Drag Me Down.

The second part of the festival was energized by American rapper and Dubai-regular Tyga, who witnessed loud cheers as he rapped his song Hookah, and modern hip-hop singer Future performed Jumpman as well as Low Life.

After four powerful acts, 50 Cent had the crowd singing along to old-school tracks including Candy Shop. Lastly, the seven-hour grand finale came to an end with Chris Brown performing his hit song Loyal, while DJ Steve Aoki closed the show with his contagious energy, house mixes, and a surprise performance alongside Saudi singer Dalia Mubarak.

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