Hip-hop artists Busta Rhymes, Fat Joe, Future, Rick Ross and TI have been added to the line-up for Riyadh’s Soundstorm music festival. They will perform alongside DJ Khaled as part of his DJ Khaled & Friends set on Friday.
Bruno Mars and Post Malone will headline the three-day event, which is taking place from Thursday to Saturday in Banban, on the outskirts of Riyadh.
“We always aspire to cater for our audiences’ needs, and we are pleased to bring the biggest-ever programme of internationally acclaimed artists to Soundstorm for a roller-coaster of thrilling memories and memorable moments,” says Talal AlBahiti, chief operating officer and head of talent bookings and events of MDLBEAST, the organiser of Soundstorm.
“The feedback from the international talent has been incredible, and we’re seeing more and more artists from abroad looking to come out to our festival to perform, which aligns with our mission to provide fans with the best possible experience.”
Now in its third year, previous Soundstorm events have featured a plethora of Arab pop stars, including Nancy Ajram and Amr Diab, but this year’s line-up has Soundstorm leaning further into western pop and mainstream sounds.
The inclusion of Mars is a particular coup for the event, with the US singer's only appearance in the Gulf being a 2019 New Year’s Eve gig in Abu Dhabi.
Post Malone will also come to Saudi Arabia with new material, having released his fourth album, Twelve Carat Toothache, in July. He will follow up his Soundstorm performance with a concert in Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Park on December 3.
Also joining the bill this year are Nigerian Afro-pop star Wizkid and leading DJs such as David Guetta, Marshmello, DJ Snake, Carl Cox and Solomun.
According to organisers, more than 730,000 people attended last year’s event, making Soundstorm one of the largest music festivals in the Mena region.
Tickets for the festival are currently on sale and offered in three tiers: general admission, premium, and VIB (very important beasts). Festival goers have the choice to buy their ticket as a one-day pass or a three-day package. Tickets start from 109 Saudi riyals ($29).
