Latest news with #MDLBeast
Campaign ME
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Campaign ME
Cultural programming in Saudi Arabia through experiences
Since 2018, Saudi Arabia has been engaged in a profound and wide-ranging conversation with itself about its identity and place in the world. Culture has been and continues to be at the forefront of that conversation. Across art, music, sports, gaming, literature, heritage, crafts, museums and media there is a visceral energy. Having spent eight years in Saudi Arabia as Head of Events for Ithra, Aramco's Centre for World Culture in Dhahran, I got to witness firsthand the beginnings of the country's remarkable cultural resurgence. In common with many countries in the Gulf, the cultural landscape is defined by a top-down approach with significant subsidy and direction from the government about cultural and creative entities and cultural manifestations – including live events. Where Saudi perhaps differs is that with a large and young population that is majority Saudi there is also plenty of grass roots activity; indeed, there always has been, albeit not so obvious as it is now. Saudi nationals are not just importing ready-made culture but are taking cultural forms from elsewhere and adapting them to the specific Saudi context. Saudi manga is a prime example. It is visual art, music and film – historically, the most important forms in terms of reference material for marketers and advertisers – where Saudi is carving out its own identity and getting noticed across the world. 'Saudi Arabia is informing the global cultural ecosystem from its unique perspective.' Vision 2030 has enabled huge investment in cultural forms and intellectual property (IP) and it is paying off. Perceptions of the country are changing, driven in part by a culturally charged series of campaigns by Visit Saudi and promotion of major events such as Noor Riyadh, Al Ula Arts Festival and MDL Beast that have all grown to be internationally recognised and globally influential. Riyadh Expo 2030 and the FIFA World Cup in 2034 will only serve to stimulate further interest and engagement with a burgeoning cultural and creative sector. The Islamic Biennale in Jeddah is a prime example of how Saudi is informing the global cultural ecosystem from its unique perspective. The intersection of fine art and faith is as compelling and moving as any exhibition I have seen in recent years – not least because the work from an extraordinary range of global artists is imbued with meaning that transcends aesthetics or form. It is further evidence of a true cultural Renaissance. This renaissance – in the sense of a re-engagement and realignment of cultural values and forms combined with an extraordinary affinity with digital technology and a voracious appetite for content – has created a rich environment for those of us who work in the creative, cultural and communication sectors. It would be wrong to characterise the sense of new beginnings in Saudi Arabia as signifying a lack of cultural maturity or to see the Saudi market as simply some gold rush boom town. Filmmakers, for example, have been around for a very long time there and have honed their craft in sometimes difficult circumstances. Saudis are great communicators and very good storytellers with a nice line in ironic humour – take a look at the work of Telfaz 11 on Netflix. There is even a specific initiative QSAS, dedicated to immersive storytelling. As a result, Saudi nationals respond to good storytelling, especially work that has the ring of authenticity, and an attention to detail and sophistication; international agencies take note, coffee pots and camels will not win you work. Heritage plays its part, but it is a heritage that is complex and multifaceted with very distinctive regional differences – and like the Arabic language difficult and time consuming to fully comprehend and highly nuanced. Saudis are not only building a distinctive contemporary Saudi cultural identity but also taking time to communicate that to themselves and the wider world. The proliferation of conferences, summits and symposia on cultural subjects ranging from youth empowerment to digital wellness has been a new and developing capability for us at Jack Morton and has given us access to the cross currents of culture. In our other work – brand activations, launches and live events – there has not been one project, be it the inauguration of a new Saudi airline, the FIFA World Cup Host Nation announcement or adidas' retail activation in a major gaming tournament, that has not had a clear and specific cultural brief from the client. One cultural and societal shift has been the increasing role of women in the wider workforce and especially in the cultural and communication sectors across government entities and commercial operations. Bright, well educated, multilingual and culturally savvy women are running companies, museums, galleries, cultural initiatives marketing departments, festival and event teams and controlling significant spend across all aspects of experiential. They are expecting you to turn up with your A-game and an informed point of view, and expect to see Saudis and other women in key positions on the other side of the table. A recent PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) article aligning cultural heritage with business growth highlighted the enormous economic benefits that come from investment and promotion of culture and cited Morocco and Japan as countries that have followed similar strategies to Saudi Arabia with great effect. Saudi Arabia has 150 cultural facilities in the pipeline, representing $80bn by 2030, all focused on its objective to be a cultural hub, to diversify its economy and provide meaningful employment for its young, energetic workforce. For us, in the business of creating culturally relevant experiences, this is great news both as opportunity for growth but also for creative inspiration and some of the most interesting work you can find in the communications sector today. My own professional 'rebrand' from Executive Creative Director (ECD) to Executive Culture and Programming Director shows how seriously we at Jack Morton are taking this. By Stephen Powell, Executive Culture and Programming Director, Jack Morton UAE and KSA
The National
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Travis Scott to bring Circus Maximus tour to Qatar in May
US rapper Travis Scott is set to bring his blockbuster Circus Maximus tour to Qatar, with a performance at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Doha on May 16. The announcement marks the third Gulf country he has performed in, following shows in Abu Dhabi in 2016 and 2023, and three separate concerts in Riyadh in 2023. Launched in 2023 in support of his album Utopia, the stadium tour is on track to become one of the highest-grossing solo rap tours of all time. It has reportedly grossed more than $200 million and sold about 1.6 million tickets to date. Visually, the tour resembles a haunted theme park, complete with dystopian flying heads and explosive pyrotechnics. The setlist features standout tracks from Utopia, including Hyaena, Sirens and Fe!n, alongside fan favourites such as Sicko Mode and Butterfly Effect. Reviewing Scott's 2023 performance at the Soundstorm music festival in Riyadh, The National praised the 'brooding and gothic quality' of the show, noting: 'Scott's punk-like energy and the sheer drama of his tracks still make him one of the most dramatic and controversial artists on stage.' Travis Scott's debut performance in Qatar follows a series of first-time shows planned in several countries, including India, South Korea and South Africa in October, as well as China and Japan in November. Scott's return to the Gulf coincides with the launch of the inaugural 1001 Festival, set to take place in Riyadh on April 24 and 25. Organised by MDL Beast – the team behind Soundstorm – the dance music festival will be held in the city's Binban district and features about 70 artists performing across five stages inspired by stories from One Thousand and One Nights. Headliners include DJ Snake, Salvatore Ganacci, Seth Troxler and Eric Prydz. Tickets for both events are available separately online.
FACT
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- FACT
MDLBeast is bringing a 1001 Arabian Nights music festival to Riyadh
MDLBeast has been turning up the volume in Saudi Arabia. The group has organised music festivals across the country. Now, it is bringing a 1001 Arabian Nights Music Festival music festival to Riyadh, and it will run from 24 to 25 April. 1001 Arabian Nights Music Festival pitches itself as a one-of-a-kind music festival in the heart of the desert. Drawing inspiration from the Middle Eastern folktale One Thousand and One Nights, the event aims to bring together music and stories. The tagline states: 'Lose yourself in the fantasy, find yourself in the music'. The line-up for the 1001 Arabian Nights Music Festival in Riyadh has not yet been announced. However, if previous MDLBeast events are anything to by, revellers are in for a treat. MDLBeast is behind the epic event, MDLBeast Soundstorm, which is the biggest music festival in the region featuring over 200 artists. The annual event has brought together local as well as international performers. Previous lineups have included A$AP Rocky, Camila Cabello, David Guetta, Eminem, Linkin Park, Martin Garrix, Muse, The Roots and Thirty Seconds To Mars. MDLBeast Soundstorm 2025 has been announced. The event runs from 11 to 13 December, and the festival's official Instagram account shared a post with the caption: 'Thought that was game over? SOUNDSTORM 2025 unlocked.' Plus, XP Music Futures, which brings together talks and workshops from industry influencers, will also return. 1,001 Arabian Nights Music Festival in Riyadh is open from 4pm to 4am, and the last entry is at 2am. Tickets are available now and selling out fast. General admission tickets start from SAR 249. VIB tickets start from SAR 799. Check in with FACT for the best things to do in Riyadh. GO: Visit for more information.
The National
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Review: Jeddah's Balad Beast turns historic streets into giant stage
Jeddah's Balad Beast music festival turned the city's historic Al Balad district into a giant stage on Thursday, the first night of the two-day event. Created by MDL Beast, the organisers behind Riyadh's mammoth Soundstorm festival, it is a vibrant showcase of Jeddah's evolving youth and music culture, turning the Unesco World Heritage Site into a neo-modern hub of electronic music, where rappers and DJs shared spaces with traditional baqalas and coffee spots. Local artists performed across the festival's five stages, some of them tucked into the nooks and crannies of Al Balad's labyrinthine alleyways and thoroughfares. Meanwhile, the main stage transformed the facades of flanking traditional residential buildings into a dynamic canvas, projecting visuals of the performances in real-time. Performing ahead of international headliners British soul singer Michael Kiwanuka and American hip-hop star Gunna on Thursday was Lil Eazy, a Somali rapper raised in Jeddah. His 40-minute set was packed with crowd favourites, including Taka and Dose Dose, percolating tracks that fused hip-hop trap beats with swaggering Saudi slang deeply rooted in Jeddah's identity. 'There is definitely a real energy happening in Saudi Arabia, but especially here in Jeddah,' Lil Eazy, whose real name Abubakar Al Jilany, told The National after his set. 'Sometimes people who follow the scene here don't pick up on the nuances between different regions. "Artists from Jeddah have their own musical flavour compared to other parts of the country because the city has always been multicultural. If you listen to my lyrics, you'll hear slang influenced by Egyptian and Sudanese cultures. We just add our own spin on it. That's why hip-hop and dance music feel so natural here.' Hassan Ghazzawi, one half of pioneering Jeddah EDM act Dish Dash who also performed on Thursday, echoed that sentiment. 'Artists from Jeddah, in my opinion, have always had this urge to try new things and connect with people through their work," he said. "They're open to diverse influences but still find a way to bring it back to their own culture and create something unique.' Dish Dash's set demonstrated how these influences have been seamlessly incorporated. Jabal Dukkan, named after a prominent mountain in Bahrain, laces throbbing techno beats with cascading Middle Eastern melodies, while Yanbu, an ode to the Saudi Arabian port city, takes a more subtle melodic approach in tribute to its coastal atmosphere. More Jeddah artists will take the stage to conclude Balad Beast on Friday, including the promising rapper Asayel, whose new single Asliyah is bursting with evocative Hejazi slang derived from her native Saudi region, which also includes Makkah. Local DJ stalwarts Baloo and Vinyl Mode will also headline the secondary Souq Stage. Expect Lil Eazy and Ghazzawi to be supporting their colleagues from the crowd. 'The scene here is tight-knit, and there is this genuine feeling of shared wins,' said Lil Eazy. 'I think it's down to the fact that we are all seeing these things, from having these venues to festivals, happening in front of us. I don't think we take it for granted. Whenever I see my friends shine on stage, it inspires me to work harder on what I do.' Ghazzawi added: 'Listen, I still remember less than 10 years ago performing in underground parties in compounds and villas. In a way, it was the perfect place to get better, and now that it is all available, all of us from that generation are just ready to go and show what we have.'
