MDLBeast unveils Jeddah Season concert series
Saudi-based promoter MDLBeast has announced the launch of weekly music shows in partnership with Jeddah Season 2024.
The parties, which will be held over three consecutive Fridays at Onyx Arena in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, kick off on 2 August with performances by Don Toliver Lil Easy, Shaolin, and Axwell.
The 9 August event will then star Jack Harlow, Salvatore Ganacci, Jeed, and Saud, with the third and final show, on 16 August 16, featuring Dj Loush, Bebe Rexha and Afrojack. Tickets cost SAR149 (€37) for general admission and SAR699 (€172) for VIP.
Running from June to September, Jeddah Season is an arts, culture and entertainment festival last held in 2022.
The 12,000-cap Onyx Arena is the latest music venue to be launched by MDLBeast.
“The Saudi government has plans to build venues all across the country”
“The Saudi government has plans to build venues all across the country,” Iain Campbell, Oak View Group’s EVP Middle East and Africa, told the Global Arena Guide. “Not just in Riyadh but Jeddah and across the nation. The number of new venues in the pipeline is very exciting. Enthusiasm for sport and entertainment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is phenomenal.”
OVG chief Tim Leiweke also addressed the huge growth of the market after returning from a trip to Riyadh last year.
“I am shocked at the trillions and trillions of dollars they are putting into that country and rebuilding that country as quick as they are,” he told The Bob Leftsetz Podcast. “By 2030, Riyadh is going to be the centre of the universe… The arenas they’re building there, they’re off the charts. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Last week, the New Murabba Development Company, which is owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), revealed designs for a new 45,000-cap stadium in Riyadh, which is anticipated to be complete by the end of 2032. Other new builds include the 45,000-cap Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium located in Qiddiya, while Saudi already has four large stadiums under construction or being upgraded ahead of its hosting of the 2027 Asian Cup.
In addition, ASM Global has planned a 20,000-cap Jeddah Arena Airport City at King Abdulaziz International Airport, and other developments are planned for Dammam.
Earlier this month, it was also announced Eminem will headline the 2024 Soundstorm by MDLBeast festival – the rapper’s debut performance in Saudi Arabia – in Riyadh from 12-14 December alongside Thirty Seconds to Mars and Muse.
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Bebe Rexha to headline Sims 4 music festival
The Sims developer Maxis has announced Sims Sessions, an in-game music festival taking place in The Sims 4 from 29 June to 7 July.
Sims Sessions features two-time Grammy-nominated pop star Bebe Rexha, who will perform in Simlish, the gibberish language of Sims games, Simlish, as well as Glass Animals’ Dave Bayley and singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun.
The event is free to access for existing The Sims 4 owners, while new players who want to experience Sims Sessions can purchase the game at a discounted rate from 24 to 29 June.
In addition to pre-recorded sets by the three artists, who will appear as in-game avatars, players can buy artist-themed merchandise, man their own concession stands and camp out in virtual tents.
“Sims Sessions is the next evolution of music in The Sims”
Elsewhere, a TikTok challenge, #SimlishSessions, tasks players with joining Rexha and “some of TikTok’s most talented musical personalities” on stage for a karaoke session.
“Sims Sessions is the next evolution of music in The Sims,” said Steve Schnur, worldwide executive and president of music for Maxis parent Electronic Arts (EA). “Nowhere else can players hear and experience these exclusive performances by Bebe, Dave and Joy. With the self-expression destination that is Sims Sessions, EA will once again re-set the bar for gaming, music and global culture.”
The Sims 4 is the latest popular online game to host an online festival or concert, joining the likes of Minecraft, Fortnite and Roblox. IQ analysis shows that artists can reach an audience of least 750 million gamers across the top 20 online multiplayer games/platforms alone.
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