‘Surprises in store’ as Riyadh Season prepares for Oct. 21 launch

The third edition of Riyadh Season will kick off in less than 10 days with an international show by Cirque du Soleil, the Saudi General Entertainment Authority has announced.

GEA last month announced a new logo for this year’s expanded Riyadh Season, along with a new slogan, “Beyond Imagination.”

The announcement was made by GEA Chairman Turki Al-Sheikh, who said the 2022 event will feature new zones and events, including some surprises.

The slogan for the inaugural Riyadh Season in 2019 was “Imagine,” while last year’s second edition was staged under the banner “Imagine More.”

Speaking from the top of a building in the Saudi capital, Al-Sheikh announced the starting day for the beginning of Riyadh Season in a promotional video outlining the new season’s programs and activities.

He said that the new season will include 15 zones, each characterized by a special entertainment character, the most prominent of which is the “Boulevard World” zone, which will highlight different countries’ cultures.

“Imagine that you are America, France, Greece, India, China, Spain, Japan, Morocco, Mexico and Italy at the same time. We will bring in everything in these countries, their markets, restaurants and arts,” Al-Sheikh said.

Addressing the public, he added: “You will also board boats and submarines for the first time in Riyadh’s biggest artificial lake in the world. All these activities will be held at the newly introduced entertainment city, we called ‘BLVD World’.”

The GEA chairman added that 25 Arab and international theatrical shows have been added to this season’s activities.

Sporting events will include WWE, and the Riyadh Season Cup, which brings together Paris Saint-Germain football players and the national stars of the two Saudi teams, Al-Hilal and Al-Nasr.

The season will include Cirque du Soleil international shows and fireworks displays spread over 65 days.

Last year, the season entertained visitors with 7,500 diverse events, including 70 Arab concerts, six global concerts, 10 global exhibitions, 350 theatrical shows, 18 Arab plays and six global plays.

Riyadh Season became the go-to entertainment destination for families, friends and international tourists in the Saudi capital.