Soundstorm Festival Cancels 2026 Edition in Riyadh and Plans Return in 2027

07. October 2026

Saudi Arabia's Soundstorm festival has cancelled its 2026 edition, with organiser MDLBEAST confirming that the major Riyadh electronic music event will return in 2027.

The festival had been scheduled to take place at the Banban Grounds in Riyadh on December 3 and 4, 2026, with tickets already on sale.

The cancellation was announced by MDLBEAST on October 1.

Soundstorm 2026 will not take place

In a statement shared by the organiser, MDLBEAST said the 2026 edition would not go ahead as planned.

The company did not provide a specific reason for the cancellation.

Instead, the organiser said it would redirect its energy towards the 2027 edition and return with the festival “better and stronger”.

Ticket holders were also informed of the cancellation by email.

The 2026 lineup had not yet been announced

Soundstorm had been preparing for its seventh edition in Riyadh, but the artist lineup for 2026 had not been publicly announced before the cancellation.

Previous editions have featured major international names including Post Malone, Cardi B, Bruno Mars, Swedish House Mafia, Anyma, Calvin Harris and DJ Khaled, alongside major regional and underground electronic acts.

The festival has developed into one of the largest electronic music events in the Middle East, combining large-scale EDM and electronic performances with multiple stages and extensive production.

A major event in Saudi Arabia's music calendar

Soundstorm launched in Riyadh in 2019 and has become a major part of Saudi Arabia's rapidly expanding music and entertainment sector.

The 2025 edition featured a redesigned festival site with 14 stages and more than 250 artists, according to MDLBEAST.

DJ Mag's festival ranking has also recognised Soundstorm among the world's major electronic music events. It was placed at No. 91 in the publication's 2026 Top 100 Festivals poll.

DJ Mag reports that the festival attracts more than 450,000 people each year.

No official reason given

The cancellation has generated speculation about the wider circumstances affecting major entertainment events in the region.

However, MDLBEAST has not publicly stated why the 2026 festival was cancelled.

For that reason, the cancellation should not be attributed to financial pressures, regional conflict, government spending changes or any other specific cause unless the organiser or another authoritative source subsequently confirms it.

Several other major events in the region have also recently been cancelled or postponed, but those developments do not establish the reason for Soundstorm's cancellation.

Soundstorm expected back in 2027

Despite the cancellation, MDLBEAST has made clear that it intends to continue with Soundstorm.

The organiser said it would focus its efforts on the 2027 edition and return “better and stronger”.

No dates or lineup for Soundstorm 2027 have been announced yet.

For fans who had planned to travel to Riyadh for the December festival, the 2026 edition will therefore not take place, while attention now turns towards what MDLBEAST will announce for the festival's planned return in 2027.

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