Julien Duval
The momentous 2022 return of Saudi Arabia’s biggest music festival featured over 200 artists, including Swedish House Mafia and Hardwell.
You can do a lot with over 5 million square meters of festival space. Just ask MDLBEAST, the Saudi Arabian entertainment company behind the massive Soundstorm festival.
According to a press release shared with EDM.com, they welcomed over 600,000 people to the capital of Riyadh for the giant festival, which they've dubbed "the loudest week in the Middle East." The three-day Soundstorm fest was the culmination of a weeklong celebration of music via MDLBEAST's XP Music Futures conference.
Perhaps the festival's most notable feat was BIG BEAST, the largest of its seven stages at a towering height of 135.5 feet. It's here where a slew of electronic music superstars threw down electrifying DJ sets, including Tiësto, DJ Snake, Swedish House Mafia, R3HAB and David Guetta.
Guetta, who headlined Saturday night, said his performance was "so special" because it "feels like being part of something that’s bigger than me."
Soundstorm's Underground stage was also a surefire highlight thanks to its many house music heavyweights, like Cirez D, Chris Lake, Hot Since 82 and Loco Dice, among many others. This stage also featured performances from a number of legendary techno artists, including Carl Cox, Sven Väth and Ricardo Villalobos.
This beat f*cks—literally.
The album includes a new original track, “OH GOSH” and a special "REBELS NEVER DIE" remix of his timeless dance hit, "Spaceman."
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DJ Snake performs at MDLBEAST's 2022 Soundstorm festival.
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"This year’s third edition of SOUNDSTORM has emulated the success of its predecessors, exceeding our own expectations as well as our guests, delivering a world-class festival experience, and ushering in a brand-new chapter for the regional music scene," said Ramadan Alharatani, MDLBEAST's CEO, in a statement. "Whilst setting new benchmarks for future music events staged in Saudi Arabia and the wider region, we’re equally proud of the legacy these last three days leave behind."
Music fans in the largest country in the Middle East can now look forward to BALAD BEAST, an event from December 9-10 in Jeddah with Busta Rhymes, Rick Ross and techno legend Carl Cox, among others.
"The response we’ve witnessed at SOUNDSTORM, and the feedback of huge anticipation we’ve received ahead of BALAD BEAST, highlights the love, appreciation and demand for music amongst our communities," Alharatani added. "It is a beautiful mix that will advance the creative economy, inspire new talent and propel the Middle East’s position as an emerging global hub for music, art, and culture."
Website: mdlbeast.com
Facebook: facebook.com/MDLBeast
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