The tone for this year’s Riyadh Season has been set following the huge success of the much-publicised and highly charged London face-off between Tyson Fury, the current WBC Heavyweight champion, and unbeaten MMA champion, Francis Ngannou.

Anticipation builds as the pair now prepare to step into the ring in the most anticipated combat fight event of the year to launch this year’s showpiece festival in Saudi Arabia’s capital on Saturday 28 October.

The world will be watching when Riyadh Season 2023 launches with the ‘Battle of the Baddest’, a momentous boxing match between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou for the inaugural Riyadh Commemorative Belt.  The iconic ‘Battle of the Baddest’ bout will set the tone with the highest standard of quality entertainment that visitors can expect during the next six-months as Riyadh Season 2023 continues throughout winter and into April 2024. 

The countdown is now on, and Riyadh Season 2023 promises to set a new benchmark for entertainment festivals. Visitors from around the world can look forward to thousands of concerts, entertainment events, dining experiences and other unique cultural events across a host of worldclass venues in Riyadh. 

Sports fans can look forward to a range of live events, state of the art facilities and world-famous stars. The season will witness the ‘Riyadh Season Cup’, which will be staged in a points league format with an international football club containing world-renowned players invited to take part alongside Neymar’s Al-Hilal and Al Nassr, home to Cristiano Ronaldo, in addition to other international football matches. Football fanatics are also in for a treat when Legends, the Madrid-based football museum, comes to Riyadh with an exhibit featuring more than 30,000 of football’s rarest items.

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) will bring the excitement and energy of its popular ‘Crown Jewel’ event featuring several top WWE Superstars, including the legendary John Cena. Serving up an exciting tournament, the ‘Riyadh Tennis Season Cup’ will feature the world’s top ranked male and female champions, along with a major international Padel tournament.

For boxing fans, there will be a chance to train like a champion in Riyadh, at the Mike Tyson Boxing Gym, which will discover, develop, and train the next generation of in-ring talent overseen by awardwinning boxing trainer Joe Gallagher.

Families can enjoy some unprecedented attractions including the world premiere of the Disney Castle Experience, where guests can watch live musicals and shows inspired by the most famous Disney animated movies in the surroundings of the iconic Disney Castle.

House of Hype will combine real-world and virtual reality through more than 30 diverse interactive experiences – the largest of its kind. For those who crave challenges, a global treasure hunt integrating virtual reality with real life offers an opportunity to win more than 6 million Saudi Arabian Riyal (£1.3m / $2m).

Adding a sprinkle of stardust, the Joy Awards, the largest entertainment awards ceremony in the Middle East, will be celebrated at the Season. Large concerts and theatre productions featuring Gulf, Arab and international stars are also planned.

Riyadh Season will be brought to life across several different zones throughout the Kingdom’s capital city, covering an area exceeding seven million square meters. 

The opening ceremony and the ‘Battle of the Baddest’ will be staged in the Boulevard Hall Zone, a new multi-purpose venue that can accommodate 40,000 fans that has been constructed within 60 days, covering 200,000 square meters and equipped with the latest technologies. Elsewhere, Boulevard City will be home to several global events, 60% of which are new for this year’s programme.

Another key zone will be Boulevard World, the largest at Riyadh Season, aimed at admirers of international entertainment, covering an area of one million square meters that will include the largest traditional shopping area with nearly 1,200 stores and 120 restaurants and cafes. Much to the delight of thrill-seekers, the Wonder Garden zone will incorporate the largest mobile amusement park over an area of half a million square meters and will feature a Winter Wonderland consisting of four parks and more than 85 games and experiences.

Now in its fourth year, Riyadh Season aims to create more than 200,000 employment opportunities and empower over 2,000 local and international companies to establish the most distinguished entertainment experiences around the world.

His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, who is leading the organisation of Riyadh Season 2023, said: “Riyadh Season has developed a reputation for staging iconic events featuring some of the biggest names and brands around, which is why people travel so far from around the world to be part of this unmatched experience. This year, we want to go even further and give visitors moments that will exceed even their wildest imaginations. With the events and guests we have lined up, we intend for this year’s Riyadh Season to create thrills and surprises for guests like never before.” 

With interactive and exciting live events suitable for all ages and interests, Riyadh Season 2023 looks set to capture the imagination of guests from across the globe with a host of exhibitions including: 

A car exhibition featuring more than 1,000 rare and luxury cars.
The Ana Arabia exhibition, featuring more than 200 designers and artists from the worlds of fashion, accessories, jewellery and more. 
Riyadh Toy Festival (RTF) 
The Influencers and Content Creators Awards Exhibition and Ceremony (Concon) 
International dog exhibition and show
Further events, brands and partnerships will be announced in the coming weeks, follow @riyadhseason on Instagram for the latest news and information.