Saudi Arabia’s MDLBEAST EDM music festival is not holding an in-person event, but organizers have planned a massive 12-hour digital version of the fest this weekend.
The first edition of the festival, dubbed Soundstorm, launched last year in Riyadh, bringing in 400,000 people. Now, during the digital edition, fans are invited to board virtual “flights” to destinations around the world. They’ll have the chance to see view pre-recorded sets in some of the world’s most iconic musical cities like Riyadh, Ibiza, and Las Vegas.
EDM powerhouses Steve Aoki will provide a headlining performance, as well as Maceo Plex, Afrojack, Claptone, Danny Tenaglia, Deep Dish, Sasha, Butch, Art Department, Laidback Luke, Delano Smith, Gui Boratto, Phil Weeks, Benny Benassi, and Dirty South. Other local acts will perform throughout the night like K.Led & Majid, Vinyl Mode, and SPCBOI, along with Baloo, Cosmicat, and Jad X Tala.
MDLBEAST Chief Creative Officer Ahmad Alammary said that the music industry in the region “is raw and the merging of neo-culture and technology creates a new buzz, inspiring young musicians to create fresh, unexpected music.”
“MLDBEAST is here to celebrate that,” Alammary said. “Music and art are universal. A language that can bring people together, inspiring new thriving, creative communities.”
This is one of the many festivals across the globe that have opted to host digital versions of their event. Lollapalooza, which would have taken place this August, will hold a virtual edition of the fest during the same scheduled weekend, while BTS held a groundbreaking “Bang Bang Con” virtual events for fans over the weekend.