Riyadh Season attracts 2 million visitors in opening weeks

Image credit: Saudi Press Agency

With the long weekend coming up for residents of the UAE, neighbouring Saudi Arabia has ample to offer when it comes to activities with the ongoing Riyadh Season 2023.

The season opened on Saturday, October 28, and is bigger and better this year, as its theme is aptly titled ‘Big Time’.

The number of visitors to the Riyadh Season 2023 has already reached two million within two weeks since its launch, as per Saudi Press Agency.

“We expect 10 million to 12 million visitors this year, and we target more than a million tourists from outside the kingdom,” said Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority, in a press briefing in Riyadh in September. He added, “The Riyadh Season, in its fourth edition, has achieved 40 per cent of its targeted revenue through sponsorship and some large deals even before it started.”

Spread across various arenas and venues, the annual festival in the kingdom’s capital represents one of the most prominent entertainment options locally and globally. Among the big names that have already been seen at Riyadh Season 2023, are Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou, whose headline grabbing fight lived up to the hype. The events calendar has performances by globally renowned artists such as

Riyadh Season

For those of you new to the region, here’s a quick backgrounder on the Riyadh Season.

It is an annual festival in Saudi Arabia which usually begins in October and continues across the winter months. The closing date for this year’s season is yet to be announced with reports citing a possibility of it going on until April 2024.

The first Riyadh Season was launched in 2019, and this year is the event’s fourth edition. The inaugural edition had seen seven million visitors.

The season is divided into zones, each with its own theme and activities, as well as exciting live performances by international and local artists.

Riyadh Season zones

The Riyadh Season 2023 zones are:

Boulevard City
Food Trucks Park
Ramla Terraza
Riyadh Zoo
ROSHN Front
Souq Al Awaleen
Suwaidi Park
The Groves
Via Riyadh
Wonder Garden

Openings dates and timings as well as tickets vary for each zone.

حضور كبير والزوار مستانسين بالفعاليات الترفيهية والألعاب المتنوعة في #وندر_جاردن ???

Visitors enjoying their time at #WonderGarden within the beauty and various activities around ??❤️

Book your ticket and enjoy ?️
احجز زيارتك واستمتع بالفعاليات الآن ?️… pic.twitter.com/hm2RyGuJAw

— موسم الرياض | Riyadh Season (@RiyadhSeason) November 18, 2023

Vision 2030

The Riyadh Season is an initiative of Saudi Tourism Authority which has announced a slew of projects and initiatives to increase tourism to the country under the Vision 2030 agenda.