Riyadh Season 2025 will begin on October 10 and continue for four months, according to Turki bin Abdulmohsin Al Al-Sheikh, Advisor at the Royal Court and Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA).
The event, organized in collaboration with the American company Mizu, will open with a large parade in the Boulevard area. The parade is planned with 25 giant balloons, more than 25 floats, 3,000 dancers and about 300 participants. Public entry to the Boulevard area will be free from 4 p.m. on the opening day.
Al Al-Sheikh said that this year’s Riyadh Season will focus on three objectives, including increasing participation from youth and women, promoting local Saudi content that represents national identity and progress and ensuring that local productions are on par with international standards.
A key feature of the 2025 edition will be “Beastland”, developed in partnership with American YouTube creator MrBeast. Located in the Hittin district near the Boulevard, Beastland will have more than 40 shops and restaurants, 15 moving games and 12 different entertainment experiences. MrBeast will attend the opening event.
Boulevard Flowers, another attraction, will include 200 million flowers and 200 floral sculptures, arranged using three Boeing 777 aircraft. Boulevard World will add cultural sections from Indonesia, Kuwait and South Korea, bringing the total to 24 countries represented. The zone will include 40 rides, 1,700 stores and 350 restaurants and cafés. Organizers expect about 40,000 weekday visitors and 70,000 weekend visitors in this area alone.
The Arab Bank Arena will host five main events, including the Six Kings Slam tennis tournament, featuring six leading players competing for one of the highest prize amounts in the sport. By the end of November, the arena will also hold a major boxing and wrestling event.
To mark the 70th anniversary of Saudi-Japanese relations, Riyadh Season will include a Japanese entertainment week and “The Ring Tournament", featuring boxers from Japan. In January 2026, Riyadh will host WWE’s Royal Rumble for the first time outside North America. The program also includes an international jewelry exhibition and a virtual flying experience for 90 participants, covering various regions of Saudi Arabia.
A new area called Aroya Zone will feature 20 entertainment sectors and organize 14 cruise trips. Al Suwaidi Park, which attracted the most visitors last season, will return with expanded activities. This year’s lineup includes 49 concerts featuring performers from 13 countries, 20 new Gulf and Arab music shows with mostly Saudi and Gulf artists and 14 theatrical performances from Syria, the UAE and Qatar.
Al Al-Sheikh said the market value of the Riyadh Season logo has reached 3.2 billion US dollars. Around 2,100 companies, including 95 percent local firms, will take part in the 2025 edition and 4,200 contracts will be signed. The event is expected to create more than 25,000 direct jobs and 100,000 indirect employment opportunities.
Riyadh Season 2024 attracted over 20 million visitors from 135 countries. The GEA aims to exceed that figure this year.