MDLBEAST Soundstorm Proves It’s The Middle East’s Largest Music Festival

MDLBEAST’s Soundstorm festival in Riyadh continues to break new ground. Since its launch in 2019, the annual affair is now one of the biggest music events in the Middle East, luring more than 100 artists to perform across multiple stages over three days.

This year’s iteration concluded on Saturday. It featured its fair share of milestones as several artists marked their debut performances in the Kingdom. Soundstorm’s line-up has become more dynamic as it embraces genres rarely heard on concert stages in the region.

Prominent Superstars Entertain Fans For 3 Days

The 2023 event included statement concerts that speak volumes about Saudi Arabia’s evolving music scene. Metallica headlined the festival’s opening day on Thursday. More than 50,000 people saw the band slay the main Big Beast stage.

The two-hour show is seen as the first major heavy metal concert in the country. It dispelled any remaining notion of the genre lacking sufficient following in the Gulf. The event’s first day also featured impressive performances by superstars Travis Scott and Calvin Harris.

Chris Brown, Will Smith, Wiz Khalifa, Martin Garrix, Jazzy Jeff and other stars entertained the audience on the second day. The next day, artists like David Guetta, 50 Cent, Steve Aoki and Swedish House Mafia closed the Riyadh festival on Saturday.

Soundstorm’s Arabic Pop Performances In Focus

Smith performed with his son Jaden and US record producer Jazzy Jeff, telling fans: “I’m loving the energy that you all come with … I’ve been to Riyadh, I’ve been to Jeddah, I’ve been up northwest, and every place I go, it gets better and better and better.”

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Soundstorm’s Arabic pop performances are becoming a beloved staple of the brand. The Arab music sensations who hit the stage included Hakeem, Ramy Sabry, Ruby, Disco Misr, Mahmoud El-Esseily, Hamid El-Shari and many more.