Throughout the year, the labyrinthine streets of Al Balad are a beguiling maze, with examples of ancient architecture, traditional souks, and the area’s famous resident cats found around every corner. Packed with history, the UNESCO World Heritage site is the polar opposite to what generally constitutes a suitable location for a music festival. Yet, for one weekend a year at the end of January, the site plays host to two days of mind-blowing music and dazzling projection mapping, with over 70 artists performing across four unique stages.
Brought to life by MDLBEAST – whose flagship festival, Soundstorm, smashed the Guinness World Record for the largest continuous LED screen with its latest edition – Balad Beast is the company’s more boutique offering, harnessing its unique surroundings in Jeddah’s historic district to create a festival experience that is truly unique. “Balad Beast has been my baby from the start, and as much as Soundstorm is an incredible spectacle, for me, the feeling and the atmosphere created by being inside a UNESCO World Heritage site is unbeatable,” commented MDLBEAST’s Events Creative Director, Quentin Greyling. “I live in Jeddah, and I love being here throughout the year, but the vibe during festival weekend is off the charts.”
Collaborating with Greyling from day one, Director of Events George Haddad is similarly enthusiastic about the festival. “Most shows nowadays take place either in stadiums, arenas, or are built on greenfield sites where we have a high level of control and can plan the site exactly as we want it. However, with Balad, the most important thing that took a lot of time and effort was exploring how we could build a festival inside a thriving community,” he stated. “The added complexity of working with the community became our primary focus – and it soon became the thing that we loved the most about the project.”
Photos: MDLBEAST, Luke Shadrick
