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Saudi Arabia is set to host some of the biggest names in world sport over the next year as Riyadh Season 2025 launches with a packed schedule of elite tournaments, blockbuster boxing cards and major entertainment shows.
The festival - now in its sixth edition - kicks off on October 10 with a huge opening parade at Boulevard City, and organisers say it will include 15 global sporting championships alongside dozens of cultural and music events.
Perhaps the biggest coup is WWE’s Royal Rumble, which will take place outside North America for the first time in the company’s history. The iconic wrestling event will be followed by Wrestlemania in Riyadh in 2027.
Boxing fans will be treated to a stacked card at Ring IV, with David Benavidez meeting Britain’s Anthony Yarde in a blockbuster world title fight, while Devin Haney takes on Brian Norman Jr. The event follows the Kingdom’s recent run of staging some of the sport’s most lucrative and high-profile bouts.
On the courts, tennis giants are also being lured to the Saudi capital. Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are among the players confirmed for the Six Kings Slam, a showcase featuring six of the world’s very best men’s players.
The sporting calendar stretches into next year, with American football set to make a splash in March 2026. Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski headline the Fanatics Flag Football Classic at Kingdom Arena, a star-studded event that will bring some of the NFL’s biggest names to Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia is set to host some of the biggest names in world sport over the next year as Riyadh Season 2025 launches with a packed schedule
The festival - which is now in its sixth edition, previously featuring the likes of Fury vs Usyk - kicks off on October 10 with a huge opening parade at Boulevard City
Fans can also expect Kings League MENA football, the Riyadh Season P1 Padel Championship, and Power Slap 17, the controversial UFC spin-off fronted by Dana White
Other sports confirmed include the Saudi Masters Darts, the first Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) event ever held in the country, as well as the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship and Snooker 167.
Fans can also expect Kings League MENA football, the Riyadh Season P1 Padel Championship, and Power Slap 17, the controversial UFC spin-off fronted by Dana White.
Away from the arenas, Riyadh Season will see the debut of Beast Land, a vast new 200,000 square metre zone created with YouTube star MrBeast, featuring rides, challenges and interactive experiences.
Meanwhile, Sneaker Con - dubbed the world’s largest sneaker convention - returns after a successful debut last year, while Boulevard World expands with new cultural zones representing Kuwait, South Korea and Indonesia.
A first-of-its-kind floating entertainment hub, Auria Cruise, will also set sail on the Red Sea, with 14 destinations and more than 20 onboard entertainment areas.
Last year’s Riyadh Season attracted more than 20 million visitors from 135 countries, and organisers are promising even bigger numbers this time round. Chairman Turki Alalshikh revealed the brand value of the event has already reached $3.2 billion, cementing its place as one of the Middle East’s biggest international draws.
Alalshikh said this year’s programme would also provide a huge boost to the Saudi economy, creating more than 25,000 direct jobs and over 100,000 indirect roles across events, operations and services.
