What were your personal highlights for the festival?
Honestly, there was a moment right after the event where I realised that we truly did something extraordinary. The smiles, the happy crowds, people singing and dancing along and coming together was very special to see. But also, to see the positive sentiment come out of the international community was a highlight. MDLBEAST has received plenty of earned news stories that spoke about SOUNDSTORM for what it is, talking about Saudi Arabia and its people for who they truly are and how they’ve enjoyed being there with us.
With everything opening up a bit more all over the world, what are your plans/hopes for the next edition?
We’ve already begun planning for SOUNDSTORM 2022. Feedback was so great that we’re already receiving requests from artists’ agents for bookings. We’re constantly evolving, learning and growing, but to feel the excitement from artists is a great drive for us to put on an even better, bigger show year on year.
Are there plans to take MDLBEAST to other Middle Eastern countries or even beyond the region?
We definitely have plans to take MDLBEAST outside Kingdom’s borders—we already have team members across the region and abroad. However, SOUNDSTORM will remain in Riyadh as it’s our flagship event that was born here. We have some ideas which we’re looking to develop, especially in our neighbouring countries such as the UAE and Egypt. We’re looking at venues, clubs and multipurpose facilities that we can rent or build outside Saudi, so stay tuned!
Do you think people are warming up to the idea of Saudi Arabia as a festival destination?
Yes, I think they are, and I think that’s because of the experience we offer but also the genuine impact this event has had and will continue to have. Just the other day, one of the international outlets was highlighting how MDLBEAST has helped the music industry and impacted local artists positively. Last year, local talent that played at the festival had 36.5% more demand for 12 months following the event—a testament to what a great festival it was and shows that MDLBEAST has opened a new frontier for artists by introducing them to new segments and audiences. It’s really positive data. Also, it’s helping us reach our objectives, one of which is to be the window for the international committee into Saudi, through the lens of creativity and music.
Has there been an increase in smaller, grassroots music events since Saudi Arabia started allowing festivals? How are things changing on a local level?
I think we ripped the band-aid off and many people have followed suit on many levels. We’ve seen a local record label opening and a lot of local music spots opening across the country. There’s this drive in the country towards change and we’re empowering local talent to take the step and launch their music careers. One of the biggest examples is DJ Malkin, a creative who attended SOUNDSTORM 2019 and got inspired to become a DJ, when the pandemic started and the lockdown took place. He ordered all the needed equipment and started practicing. We connected him with international artists, such as Afrojack, R3hab and David Guetta, they reviewed his music and said that he had potential. He recently collaborated with Afrojack to release a few tracks. I think this is amazing and I cannot think of any other place in the world that this could happen apart from here in Saudi Arabia.
How did the locals respond to the festival?
The response was great! We monitored social media and saw how much people were reminiscing about the festival. I read comments from people saying things like, “These are the best days”; “I wish we were back at the festival”; “I can’t wait for next year”—and so on. We also had a lot of praise from women on the Respect & Reset initiative, which was intended to educate and unite against unwanted festival behaviour and give increased safety. This has helped us gain trust from the community and the people attending by creating a safe and enjoyable festival.
What do you think all of this means for Saudi Arabia’s future on the world stage?
It means that we are people who also like to dance and party! It means that the youth of this country are similar to all other youth across the world. We enjoy musical festivals in our country, and want more of it. Just like some of our music fans travel to international events, we hope to welcome the world to SOUNDSTORM. This is helping shape the image of the Saudi youth, showing who they really are. I’d love to get to the stage of introducing myself, like: “Hi, I’m Talal from Saudi Arabia”, and they reply: “Oh, you have the coolest festivals in the world!”
