By Anas Alyusuf
Saudi Gazette
RIYADH – All eyes from around the world are on Riyadh as the capital city of Saudi Arabia is witnessing the grand opening of the region’s largest and diverse ever popular festival and cultural fiesta on Wednesday.
The opening ceremony of “Riyadh Season” with the slogan of “Imagine more” will see an impressive parade with participation of over 1,500 performers in fancy dress, and a dazzling and mesmerizing show featuring 2,760 drones.
Samaritan dance performance and concert of the international rapper Pitbull will also add flavor to the grand opening ceremony, which will be accompanied by spectacular fireworks that will illuminate the skies of Riyadh from several corners of the capital city.
Turki Al-Sheikh, chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), said earlier that the opening parade of the Riyadh Season 2 will be an impressive and dazzling event. As many as 7,500 astounding events and fun-filled activities will be held across 14 entertainment zones spreading over a total area of 5.4 million square meters during the festival that will run through until March 2022.
The global anticipation and enthusiasm for the grand event was magnificently manifested the other day when tickets for the grand opening ceremony of Riyadh Season were sold out within one hour of its launch online.
The local and international fans were eagerly waiting to seize the opportunity to grab tickets ever since the announcement about the launch date in international arenas, most notably in Manhattan, New York in the United States of America, London and Newcastle in Britain, a number of Arab cities, including Dubai, Kuwait and Doha, and major Saudi cities, as well as on the Arab and international television screens.
The major activities and performances of the Riyadh Season 2021 include Boulevard Launch, WWE Crown Jewel match, Riyadh Front Rush, MBC The House of Talent, Crystal Maze Show, Combat Field, Masameer Experience, Salam Square Play, Winter Wonderland, Riyadh Safari, The Champions of Magic, Egyptian Orchestra, George Wassouf and Wael Jassar Concert, CDS Messi, Oasis Riyadh, Al-Athriyah, Al-Murabbah, The Groves, Pulse of Riyadh, Khalooha, and Zaman Village.
There will be more than 7,500 activities, 500 electronic games, nine international studios, four theaters, the world’s first and largest mobile skyloop with a capacity of more than 40 percent, an international arena, 3-km walkway, in addition to a golf course and 12 paddle tennis courts.
As many as 100 interactive experiences and 10 international exhibitions will be held as part of the festival.
A major highlight of this year’s season will be 70 Arab concerts and six international concerts that will begin with that of Pitbull along with the WWE Crown Jewel match that is scheduled to take place on Oct. 21 at Mohammed Abdu Arena.
For the culinary program, a total of 200 restaurants and 70 cafés have signed up to join.
Along with 350 theater shows, 18 Arab plays and six international plays are planned to enthrall the art and theater lovers. The visitors can watch the thrilling experiences of fighting in five eras, riding war tanks and shooting with live ammunition at 15 interactive shooting ranges.
Another enthralling experience will be the Saudi Anime Expo, the largest convention of its kind so far staged in the Middle East, the Riyadh Games Festival, the Giant Peace Tree experience, and an area to interact with pets and safari trips.
