5 of the biggest festivals in Saudi this winter

It’s that time of year again, when winter descends on Saudi, bringing with it a world of outdoor spectacles and grand festivities – from ancient traditions to contemporary celebrations.

If you’re searching for excitement beyond Riyadh Season, here are five unmissable events, each a testament to the rich heritage and boundless spirit of the Kingdom.

Ancient Kingdoms Festival

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November 16 - December 2

Step back through the ages and explore thousands of years of history at the Ancient Kingdoms Festival, set between three oases in the north-west of Saudi. This festival, returning for its second edition this year, is a chance to uncover the beguiling way of life that once populated the region, in AlUla, Khaybar, and Tayma respectively – three interlinked destinations that have seen the passage of travellers, explorers, and creatives since time immemorial. Across the fortnight, each of these wonders will play host to thousands of explorers, keen to learn more about these undiscovered corners of the desert and the societies that built them.

First, in AlUla, where the festivities will be centred, visitors will be able to explore the ancient ruins of Hegra and Ikmah both in the daytime, and after dark when light shows punctuate the inky black sky, casting a new shade on thousand-year-old relics. Beyond the history, guests will also be able to visit the Memory Factory: a "dessert lab" that promises to tap into your senses of childhood wonder and nostalgia, all the while making ice cream with liquid nitrogen! The perfect cooling treat for a day in the desert.

Beyond AlUla, there’s the twin mysteries of Khaybar and Tayma – the former renowned for its geological beauty and the latter for its regal heritage. Day trips out to either are available from AlUla, where you can choose between a visit to Khaybar’s immersive oasis soundscape or Tayma’s re-enactment of life under Nabonidus, the last king of Babylon, who moved the capital of his empire to Tayma in the 6th century. When it comes to food, you’ll be spoiled for choice between Mirzam in Tayma or Takya in Khaybar – both offering a decidedly modern and creative twist on traditional Saudi cuisine, within the breath-taking environs of the desert oasis.

For more about the Ancient Kingdoms Festival, right here.

Where: AlUla, Khaybar, and Tayma
Stay: Habitas AlUla
Dine: Mirzam, Tayma; Takya, Khaybar

King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival

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November 28 - December 14

There are few pastimes more beloved the world over than falconry: UNESCO listed it as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in 18 countries, far more than any other pastime. Although, it should be said, nowhere does it quite like Saudi. And no event in falconry is as glamorous and enthralling as the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival, hosted at the Saudi Falcons Club headquarters in Malham, north of Riyadh, and visited by the world’s greatest and most renowned falconers.

The Saudi Falcons Club was set up in 2017 by a royal decree from the Crown Prince, and leads the world in the protection and cultivation of prized falcons – a testament to how adored and central these birds of prey are to the culture and history of the Kingdom. And this adoration is on full display at the King Abdulaziz Falconry Festival, the largest event of its kind on the planet, where falconers from across the globe bring their birds for a fortnight of competition and celebration.

There are many events of many different classes at the festival, but the two headliners are the Al-Mazayen and Al-Mallawah competitions. The first, Al-Mazayen, is deceptively simple, yet impossible to prepare for: a beauty contest where judges proclaim the six most beautiful falcons in the world from the precious few flown over in attendance. For Al-Mallawah, however, it comes down to training and skill – it’s a 400m flight race, where falcons are summoned back by call from their owners. For this most regal of pursuits, it would only be fitting to stay in the iconic Four Seasons in the Kingdom Centre at the heart of Riyadh. Be sure to visit its Obaya Lounge for dinner. Named for the favoured mare of King Abdulaziz himself, it would be sure to complete an experience fit for royalty.

Where: Saudi Falcons Club Headquarters, Malham
Stay: Four Seasons in Kingdom Centre, Riyadh
Dine: Obaya Lounge, Riyadh

The Red Sea International Film Festival

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November 30 - December 9

Returning to the glittering coast of Jeddah for its fourth edition, this year’s Red Sea International Film Festival is throwing its arms out to film lovers across the region and far beyond. With over 100 movies of all tones, topics, and styles being primed for showings all over the city, Jeddah will be, for 10 days, a cinephile’s paradise. This year’s theme – Your Story, Your Festival – will serve as the anchor for the films on display: works rooted in personal experience, marginalised perspectives, and ultimately, the heart and vision of the talented filmmakers behind the camera.

Should you take yourself to one of the festival’s outdoor cinemas – say, at the sumptuous Al Hamra Corniche or the monumental Red Sea Mall – you may find yourself watching a dark comedy satirising Iranian censorship laws, or a drama following the life of a Kurdish refugee. And you’ll be doing so in star-studded company (if the last few editions are anything to go by). The 2022 Red Sea International Film Festival saw film giants like Guy Ritchie, Spike Lee, and Luca Guadagnino make appearances, and you can expect nothing less this time around.

The festival organisers have already announced this year’s jury president, none other than the great Baz Luhrmann (of Elvis and Moulin Rouge fame), who takes the seat from last year’s chair, the filmmaker and documentarian Oliver Stone. All of the festivities will be centred around The Ritz-Carlton, looking over the Red Sea, so if you want to find yourself at the heart of it all, there’s no better place to stay in Jeddah. And if you want to eat where the film stars eat, Myazu – a modern, modish Japanese spot a little north of Al Hamra – is the buzziest place in town right now.

Where: The Ritz-Carlton and other locations across Jeddah
Stay: The Ritz-Carlton, Jeddah
Dine: Myazu, Jeddah

Winter at Tantora

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December 21 - January 27, 2024

For generations, the change of seasons – marked by the sundial, or Tantora, at the centre of AlUla – has been a cause for celebration. The Winter at Tantora festival, now in its fifth iteration, has elevated this desert festivity into a cultural landmark in the Saudi calendar, bringing a host of activities and events to life on the most awe-inspiring scale. Taking place around the Old Town of AlUla (an area typically inaccessible to the general public, given its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Winter at Tantora is an opportunity to showcase the region’s cultural heritage – and year after year, that showcase only gets more impressive.

Organisers have been tight-lipped about who is likely to make an appearance this time around, but across the month-long affairs of festivals past, AlUla has hosted some of the world’s greatest musical talents: the legendary Italian tenor, Andrea Bocelli, opened the festival a few years back, as did the incomparable Lionel Richie. You can expect to find the scent of lemons rebounding throughout the old walls of AlUla, as the Citrus Festival takes place during Winter at Tantora. In the evenings, you can sit back and watch ambitious retellings of classic Arab parables like Jamil and Bouthayna, a love story for the ages, staged against the rocky landscape behind it, just as it would have been told hundreds of years ago.

As for somewhere to stay during Winter at Tantora, you’ll be spoilt for choice between the countless hotels and camps dotted all over AlUla, catering to every need – from caravans to tents to luxury rooms. In the not-too-distant future, you’ll also be able to stay at the centre of the action, at Dar Tantora, an eco-hotel being built within the Old Town, which promises a stay that will transport you back through the centuries. For something to eat, you can do no better than Maraya Social, the latest output from the multi-Michelin starred British chef, Jason Atherton, who has reinvented his cuisine for the region, making use of the many ingredients native to AlUla.

Where: AlUla Old Town
Stay: Dar Tantora, AlUla
Dine: Maraya Social, AlUla

MDLBeast Soundstorm and XP Music Futures

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December 7 - 9 (XP Music Futures)
December 14 - 16 (MDLBeast Soundstorm)

The scale of Soundstorm needs to be seen to be believed. For three nights across Banban, just north of Riyadh, the team behind MDLBEAST – already emerging as one of the cornerstones of Saudi’s music industry – lay on a festival like no other. Against the backdrop of a luminous green mountainscape that stretches for kilometres, last year’s edition saw 700,000 revellers from all over the globe dance to Post Malone, Bruno Mars, and countless other acts – and the 2023 edition promises to be grander.

Leading the line-up this year is hip-hop icon Pharrell Williams, coming with a sweep of his "Phriends" in tow – there’s no telling just who he could be bringing on stage with him for his headline performance. Opening up the festivities on the first night of MDLBeast Soundstorm 2023 will be no other than Calvin Harris, manning the DJ decks equipped with almost two decades of his famous floor fillers. A tough act to follow, but with names like David Guetta, Steve Aoki, and Armin Van Buuren stepping to the booth in the days to come, you can be certain of something spectacular booming from the sound system.

Aside from Soundstorm, MDLBEAST is running XP Music Futures a few days before – an event that could be, to those in the know, even more exciting than the festival itself. With an array of seminars and talks hosted by industry legends and the brightest young stars of the region, XP Music Futures will be a chance to forge connections and help lead the music business into the next decade and beyond. If you want to do it in style, then book yourself into the InterContinental Durrat Al Riyadh Resort & Spa. Not only will it be a moment of tranquil respite from the noise and magic of the festival, it’ll also take care of your transport to and from Banban, for a totally seamless experience.

Check out the full line up of exciting superstars taking to the stage, right here.

Where: Banban, Riyadh (Soundstorm); Jax, Diriyah (XP Music Futures)
Stay: InterContinental Durrat Al Riyadh Resort & Spa, Riyadh
Dine: Chi Spacca, Riyadh