Saudi Arabia hosted MDLBeast Soundstorm, a giant four-day rave in the desert
- Electronic music festival took place in the socially conservative kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Martin Garrix, David Guetta, and Tiesto were among the internationally famous DJs to perform
The four-day party in the Saudi desert looked like any other rave until the music stopped for the Islamic call to prayer, leaving attendees in ripped skinny jeans and combat boots to stand in silence.
Fifteen minutes later – religious duties completed – thousands of partygoers got back to business. Men and women danced with abandon in a country where that would have been unthinkable five years ago.
The electronic music festival in Saudi Arabia this weekend highlighted the changes catapulting through the conservative kingdom under its controversial crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. In just a few years, the prince has lifted a ban on women driving, loosened gender segregation and defanged the religious police, who used to roam the streets punishing restaurants that played music.
In contrast, the festival called MDLBeast Soundstorm was endorsed by the government and included performances by global DJs like Tiesto, Martin Garrix and David Guetta, who played on Sunday. Organisers say more than 180,000 people attended the opening night on Thursday, pushing boundaries as the kingdom transforms.
“Allow us progress, allow us to represent ourselves in the way that we feel fit,” said Prince Fahad Al Saud, a royal family member and entrepreneur who attended in a psychedelic-patterned jacket and sparkling eyeliner. “We are very eager to be part of the international community, but we can’t be stifled every time we try to make progress because it doesn’t look like what you want to see.”
Indeed, the festival was part of a dizzying month in which Saudi Arabia hosted a Formula One race, two separate art biennials and a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron. All of it underlined the fact that any ostracism on the world stage has largely passed for Prince Mohammed, who faced global outcry after the 2018 murder of government critic Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in Istanbul.
Guetta defended his participation at the region’s biggest music event. Celebrities and influencers previously came under scrutiny for promoting a country widely accused of human rights abuses.