Riyadh. Courtesy of MDL Beast
Given the sweeping cultural reforms in Saudi Arabia, including sold-out gigs and concerts, it’s not surprising that Riyadh will play host to a large music festival as part of Riyadh Season. The inaugural MDL Beast is set to be the region’s biggest musical and cultural festival, boasting a lineup of some of the world’s finest Electronic Dance Music (EDM) artists.
The lineup
MDL Beast is gearing up to welcome over eight global star headliners, multiple international dance acts including David Guetta, Martin Garrix, R3hab, Steve Aoki, Tiësto, and Afrojack, who will have the crowd dancing the night away from December 19-21. Joining them is a stellar lineup of homegrown DJs who will have the chance to showcase their talent for the first time ever on a stage shared by world-renowned artists. Alongside Saudi’s first female DJ Cosmicat, the lineup features producer Dalal, DJ DesertFish, DJs and producers K.Led & Majid, DJ and producer Vinyl Mode, DJ Baloo and many more. “I’m so proud of the fact that we’re hosting this festival in Saudi; it’s a great reflection of the Saudi audience being able to experience the music they love, both local and international, right here in Riyadh,” commented DJ Cosmicat. “As one of the first female EDM DJs here, I’m excited to be flying the flag and representing women on the scene. I can’t wait to share the stage with some phenomenal global talent and play for the MDL Beast crowd. This is going to be the set of my lifetime.”
“It’s a milestone for the country, it’s a new era for the Saudi youth. This is such a tremendous moment. MDL Beast is a monumental statement in the middle of the peninsula – it can only show the goodness of what’s about to come,” said local DJs and producers K.Led & Majid.
Take a look at the headliners below:
Thursday, December 19
Alfarabi
Anmarz
Baloo
Black Coffee
Carlo
Cosmicat
Dish Dash
Don Edwardo & Moses
El Fuego
Gehlen
Hatoon
Jamie Jones
K.led & Majid
Marco Carola
Martin Garrix
N7
Nas-G
Nicole Moudaber
Peggy Gou
Prunk
Rio
Solomun
Spceboi
Tiësto
Vinyl mode
DJ Cosmicat. Courtesy of MDL Beast
Friday, December 20
A2B
Baloo
Camelphat
Danny Tenaglia
David Guetta
Desertf!sh
Dish Dash
Fisher
Hats & Klaps
J Balvin
Jimpster
Kerri Chandler
K.led &Majid
Kruder & Dorfmeister
Lady Lou
LTJ Bukem
Matthias Tanzmann
Mizan
Nomad
Nourah & Sean
RDJ
Shisma
Steve Aoki
Tamer Antabi
Tarek Antabi
The Engineers
Varoo
Vinyl Mode
Saturday, December 21
Afrojack
Anmarz
AZM
Baloo
Bedouin
BKR
Cassy
Dan Ghenacia
Dish Dash
FKJ
Galaxy Juice
Hats & Klaps
IBZ
Jeme
Lee Burridge
Loush
Mad
Majed
Mojad
Omar Basaad
R3hab
Salvatore Ganacci
Sebastian Ingrosso
Tamer Antabi
Varoo
Vinyl Mode
Dish Dash. Courtesy of MDL Beast
The multi-stage experience
Aiming to put the Kingdom’s thriving local EDM scene on the map, MDL Beast will enable festivalgoers to experience the best of global and regional music across five stages — each with a vibe of its own — in a single venue. The biggest one is the Big Beast stage, which will be occupied by some of the festival’s top performers including the opening DJ duo Simi Haze, and has a capacity of 45,000 people. Two other stages, Underground Beast 1 and 2, as the name suggests, will play host to local EDM artists as well as a few international acts like Berlin-based South Korean DJ Peggy Gou, while DJs at the Down Beast will offer festivalgoers a low-key and relaxed vibe. One of the many highlights of the festival is a special stage called MDL Town. Ideally located in the center of the venue and connecting itself to the other stages, MDL Town will feature a range of immersive performances alongside a boutique shopping experience.
The arts
The one-of-a-kind festival has spared no detail when it comes to shining a light on Saudi Arabia’s rich heritage. While acknowledging that the performing arts are an integral part of it, MDL Beast will treat festivalgoers to culinary crafts and various visual art shows including performances by world-class acts such as Fuerza Bruta, Cirque Bijou, and Heliosphere.
MDL Beast will take place in a purpose-built venue opposite the Durrat Al Riyadh Resort & Spa, Banban, King Fahd Road from December 19-21. Book your tickets at mdlbeast.com
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