RIYADH: Crowds from across the world flocked to attend A Thousand and One, MDLBEAST’s new festival concept, where global musicians like DJ Snake and R3hab have come to Saudi Arabia to perform.
The dance music festival is equipped with four stages — Sahaab, Bustan, Qafilah, and Qasr — each designed with their own sub-theme under the main concept, inspired by the timeless folktale.
“I think (the theme) is really smart. It’s a good way to attract Saudi people as well as the expats,” Irma Saric from Bosnia told Arab News.
She came to the festival alongside her friend, Ifeta Selimovic. The two Bosnians have been living in Saudi Arabia for several years and were excited to see a DJ from their home country, Salvatore Ganacci, on stage.
“What attracted me the most is the diversity in techno music and how there’s a mix of culture, but yet it’s so modern here … The music scene in Saudi is amazing. I love everything about it. I love the diversity the most. I love how they’re also trying to mix Arabic music with modern beats,” Saric told Arab News.
Selimovic is a regular attendee of MDLBEAST’s events, including its flagship Soundstorm festival, and was excited to see DJ Snake and Turkish DJ Mahmut Orhan alongside Ganacci.
“I love the DJs a lot, the atmosphere, how they made this whole concert and everything. And I love, also, ‘her’ zone, because it’s only us girls gathering and having fun … You are in your own world. You are just focusing on the music, and that’s it, and it’s not too crowded,” she told Arab News.
Located in Banban, where Soundstorm’s underground section took place, the four stages have transformed into magical, folkloric sets. The Qasr stage is inspired by a sultan’s palace with Arabian architecture, where electronic and experimental sounds take over; the Qafilah stage echoed the spirit of camel caravans and Saudi Arabia’s rich trading heritage, with tech house and melodic beats; the Bustan stage is a lush, immersive garden experience inspired by the ancient “Kalila Wa Dimna” tales, featuring a diverse mix of genres; while the Sahaab stage was inspired by Aladdin’s flying carpet.
The festival also features the Bizarre Bazaar, a reimagined Middle Eastern souq where music, food, art, and culture collide.
“These kinds of festivals only happen, like, every three months, so I love to come and dance and have fun,” Saudi attendee Fares Alkudsi, who came especially for DJ Snake, said.
“The music scene has been good here ever since, but before 2019 there was not much attention to it, so now they’re giving a lot of attention to the youth, they’re giving a lot of attention to the artists that we love, so it’s a good thing for us.”
William Shakkour, from Syria but born and raised in Saudi Arabia, decided to attend the festival on a whim, and said it reminded him of the first edition of Soundstorm.
“It was basic, simple, and fantastic, so I think in the next versions, it (A Thousand and One) will be better than this one,” he told Arab News.
“Saudi Arabia has become an icon for music festivals, for the Red Sea Festival, for cinemas, for everything. I think in the near future, it will be the icon of the Middle East in different ways, like cinema, music festivals, and all the other things (in) entertainment,” he said.
Vinyl Mode has been a part of the underground music scene for two decades, where many local DJs convened for the love of music, and he has since performed on countless stages during his career. On Thursday, he closed off the Sahaab stage with his house music set.
“I am excited because it’s a very new concept. We are used to the massive production at the end of the year, and I have been always thinking, ‘well, you know, what if we do something mid-year,’ and it’s happening, but with style,” he told Arab News. “What makes it special is that it’s a new moment, a new feeling, a new experience.”
Hyped-up Saudi crowds have become a testament to the strength and growth of the music landscape in the region.
“The people (are) loving the music, the people getting more, learning more, being more educated. So I believe we are very lucky to be a part of this movement,” he said.
