Riyadh Season 2025 will launch in Saudi Arabia on October 10, promising its most ambitious edition yet with a brand value of $3.2bn (SR12bn), a global line-up of stars, and world-first attractions — including MrBeast’s Beast Land, a WWE Royal Rumble, and appearances by Shaquille O’Neal, Dana White, and Aamir Khan.
The details were unveiled by Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA).
The event marks a new milestone in the Kingdom’s entertainment strategy under Saudi Vision 2030, positioning Riyadh as a global capital for major events and creative industries.
Riyadh Season 2025
Alalshikh said Riyadh Season continues to set new records in international reach and visitor engagement.
The 2024 edition attracted more than 20m visitors from over 135 countries, hosted 3,300 media visits, and achieved over 110bn media impressions worldwide.
He credited the ongoing transformation to the leadership of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, whose support has made entertainment a key pillar of economic growth and quality of life in the Kingdom.
Unprecedented scale for 2025
The new edition will feature 11 major entertainment zones, 15 global championships, and 34 exhibitions and festivals, with participation from over 2,100 companies, 95 per cent of which are local.
More than 4,200 private sector contracts have been signed, strengthening Saudi Arabia’s creative economy and SME ecosystem.
Alalshikh said these partnerships highlight the empowerment of national talent and the growing role of private enterprise in driving sector growth.
Global headliners
One of the headline events, the Joy Forum, will return to Boulevard City from October 16–17, bringing together international entertainment icons including MrBeast, UFC President Dana White, basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal, TV host and investor Daymond John, and Indian actor-director Aamir Khan.
The lineup reflects Riyadh’s growing influence as a global hub for creativity, investment, and entertainment partnerships.
Among the season’s most anticipated additions is “Beast Land”, a collaboration with MrBeast spanning 200,000sq m.
The zone will include 27 rides, 40 restaurants and shops, and a series of interactive games and prizes, representing a world-first in experiential entertainment design.
For sports fans, Riyadh will also host the WWE Royal Rumble for the first time outside North America — a major coup for Saudi Arabia’s fast-growing sports and entertainment ecosystem.
Expanding Boulevard
Boulevard World will return with 1,600 shops, 350 restaurants and cafés, 40 rides, and 24 subzones, including new themed areas representing Kuwait, South Korea, and Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Boulevard City will stage eight sports tournaments, including Power Slap 17, The Ring V, Riyadh Season P1 Padel Championship, and Saudi Masters Darts, alongside 19 entertainment experiences and 20 Arabic concerts.
Luxury venues such as The Groves and Via Riyadh will continue to anchor the high-end offering, with The Groves featuring seven fine-dining restaurants and 16 premium retail brands, and Ana Arabia returning with its pan-Arab fashion and design exhibition.
Family, culture, and global innovation
This year’s Riyadh Season will also introduce Auria Cruise, the first-ever floating entertainment zone in the event’s history, featuring:
- 14 destinations
- 29 restaurants
- 10 spa and fitness venues
- 20 entertainment areas on the Red Sea
The newly redeveloped Riyadh Zoo will house 1,600 animals from 170 species across six zones, while Al-Suwaidi Park will showcase 13 cultures from across Asia and Africa through more than 230 performances.
The event will create over 25,000 direct and 100,000 indirect jobs, underscoring its role as a national economic driver and a platform for Saudi talent and SMEs.
A global emblem of Saudi creativity
Alalshikh said Riyadh Season 2025 will serve as “a defining milestone in the history of global entertainment”, reaffirming the Kingdom’s leadership in creativity, innovation, and cultural excellence.
He emphasised that Riyadh has become “the emblem of a new era of creativity, culture, and international entertainment excellence.”
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