If you ever find yourself wondering what a young city like Riyadh gets up to, here’s your answer: from December 4 to 13, the city is hosting this year’s edition of Riyadh Music Week, a weeklong celebration of Saudi Arabia’s growing music industry, built to bridge local talent with a global platform.
The Saudi capital is gearing up for a mash-up schedule of performances, panels, tech showcases, and intimate Fringe sessions, so there really is something for every kind of music lover. Launched by Saudi Arabia’s Music Commission, RMW25 is shaping up to be one of the Middle East’s most ambitious cultural moments.
It combines all the who, what and where’s of the music world, from summits and all-night performances to pop-ups, policy forums, and education labs, all woven into a week that aims to position Riyadh as a creative hub that is getting down on business. With headline partners like SRMG and MDLBEAST, the festival is pulling together artists, producers, educators, tech innovators, and music-lovers from around the world.
But the energy isn’t just happening on the big stages. One of the week’s most exciting elements is the Fringe programme, running from December 7 to 10, which takes over the city’s favourite cultural spots. These are intimate sessions that accompany the main festival events, smaller, close-up moments designed to put emerging talent in the spotlight.
If you’re into discovering artists before they blow up, this is where you need to start paying attention. On Wednesday, 10 December, URX (Underrated X) is bringing house and electronic vibes to SALT at Riyadh Park with a community-driven night called Riyadh Rhythm. The session runs from 7 pm to 12 am, has a capacity of 300 guests, and welcomes families and all music fans.
MDLBEAST Records, meanwhile, is hosting an IMMF-aligned showcase focused on Arabic electronica and the label’s signature progressive sound.
From the 7th to the 9th of December, JAX District becomes home to a series by The Fridge, straight out of a coming-of-age music documentary. There’s an open mic night, including a “Little Legends” hour for performers aged seven to fourteen, plus showcases from rising Saudi artists like Shargeeya, Zain Faiez, and Turki Al Abdullah. The Fridge is also launching its long-running Concert Series in KSA with a headline set from Tamtam, joined by Khaleeji Blonde.
For vinyl lovers and underground sound seekers, Bohemia Records’ Wax Head takeover in Al Diriyah brings crate-digging, listening stations, live bands, and even a “Beans & Beats” coffee-fuelled mini-rave. Meanwhile, The Warehouse is turning its space into a cosy, nostalgia-packed hub with Lammah and Jalsat – two nights celebrating classic Arabic melodies, crowd-led singalongs, and Khaleeji favourites.
And if you’ve ever wanted to peek inside the world’s largest music studio complex, this is your chance: Merwas is hosting private studio tours followed by a hybrid Arabic-English live band session, complete with interactive singalong moments.
Across all of this, RMW25 stays rooted in its core pillars: talent, scene, impact, and innovation. It’s not your average concert experience; the festival is laying the foundation for generations of artists and music policy that will help move the region’s creative economy forward.
Riyadh is in the middle of a music revolution. And you’re invited.
Read more on how Saudi Arabia just became the festival destination you never saw coming