Balad Beast returns to Jeddah’s historic Old District for its fourth edition, powered by Middle Beast Records. Taking place from January 29th to 30th and held consecutively with XP, Balad Beast naturally carries heightened attention, but curiosity remains: what will be different this time?
Set in Jeddah, a Red Sea coastal city where winter still feels like July, the festival unfolds within a UNESCO-listed site dating back to 250 BC. What began in 2016 has grown steadily into its fourth edition.
Intertwined with the old district’s local markets, Balad Beast turns Al Balad into a living, breathing music map. True to its essence, the festival remains solely about music – no side attractions, no distractions.
For this edition, Balad Beast brings together a line-up assembling global names that rarely share the same stage: Solomun, Shaggy, PAWSA, Playboi Carti, Ben Böhmer, Naïka, Don Toliver, The Do, Loco Dice, and more.
At the same time, the festival gives space to some of the region’s most prominent voices, spotlighting artists like Egyptian indie-pop sensation TUL8TE, while also opening its stages to rising sounds in electronic music, hip-hop, and R&B.
Representing the local and regional scene, Balad Beast features Saudi singer-songwriter DJ Mubarak, whose folk-inflected Khaleeji sound draws from tradition without feeling nostalgic. Rising duo Dishdash bring an electronic signature that reworks classic Arab grooves into something contemporary, while Futureloop lean into tech- and deep-house rhythms built for long, late-night stretches.
Adding to the mix, Hakïm showcases a refined approach to dance music rooted in craft and restraint, alongside Jeddah-based Saud, whose endlessly cycling beats keep the energy in constant motion.
What sets Balad Beast apart is the way the experience unfolds organically. There are no fixed routes or prescribed moments; crowds drift between the district’s narrow alleys, and discovery becomes part of the night. You arrive at sets, often unexpectedly, as music bleeds through the district’s architecture and reshapes familiar spaces.
