In the music industry, artists have to adapt in order to endure, and festivals face the same reality. Soundstorm is a case in point. Since launching in Riyadh in 2019, the festival has evolved its format and priorities as it has grown into one of the region’s defining music events.
The initial editions were built around shock and awe. Four days of programming, more than 200 artists and crowds nearing a quarter of a million turned the desert site into the most maximalist festival the region had seen.
Those early years lived up to comparisons with Europe’s biggest electronic events, both in scale and intensity. For many, they remain the most overwhelming versions of Soundstorm, where excess was the point, not a by-product.
Over time, that approach began to loosen and the programme was no longer built around back-to-back electronic dance music. Pop and RnB headliners were added, and moving to three days changed the rhythm of the festival.
The experience became more manageable and less exhausting, with curated stages welcoming a multitude of genres rather than competing for volume.
The Soundstorm festival site in Riyadh is reworked with a tighter internal layout and redesigned stages this year. Photo: MDL Beast
This year marks the festival’s most significant refurbishment. The site itself remains the same, but the stages have been given new aesthetics and the internal layout has been rethought. The central walkthrough area has been reintroduced as City of Beats, now filled with activations and smaller performance spaces that play everything from indie rock to jazz, alongside places to pause and gather between sets.
Spending time there makes something else clear. Soundstorm now has the beginnings of a recognisable community. You can see it in how people dress, from relaxed, easy looks to more deliberate outfits built around jackets, sunglasses and statement bling pieces that feel specific to the festival.
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