RIYADH — To mark Saudi National Day, the General Entertainment Authority presents one of the largest custom-made events by the world-renowned company Cirque du Soleil, hosted by the MBC Group. The record-breaking performance – which will feature Cirque du Soleil’s largest number of circus artists ever assembled for a special event – will get underway in a visually stunning world to celebrate the 88th Saudi National Day and a future "Beyond the Horizon".

The production exclusively designed for this occasion, will take place at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh in front of 27,000 attendees – making it one of the biggest Cirque du Soleil productions ever created for a customized event.

Presented on a tailor-made 85 x 40-meter stage, designed and constructed especially for the occasion, this unprecedented production will blend the latest technological innovations in stagecraft, large-scale video projections, special effects, and fireworks with Cirque du Soleil’s signature style acrobatics.

Intertwining storytelling with spectacular acrobatics, viewers can look forward to a visual masterpiece. Aerial silk, suspended pole, rotating ladder, German wheel, fire manipulation and trampowall specialists will share the stage with a group of unicyclists, a troupe of contemporary and hip-hop dancers, electric motorcycles, and even a free-flying Hoverboard.

"This upcoming Cirque du Soleil event will provide the Saudi audience with an enthralling international entertainment experience, mixed with locally-relevant content,” said Abdulrahman Bin Nasser Al-Khalifa, General Manager of Communications and official spokesperson of the General Entertainment Authority.

“This is part of the Authority’s efforts to attract and welcome the largest and most innovative entertainment and leisure companies to the Kingdom and facilitate business for them.

“These efforts are in addition to supporting a growing local sector, creating healthy competition between national companies to enrich the local entertainment scene.”

On his part, Omar Al Radi, head of Events at MBC Group, commented: “Organizing such a phenomenal event is thanks to the ambitious vision of our country, which has instilled enthusiasm in the hearts of all of us, as we work on this extraordinary international event that is set to break records, and go beyond the international standards to celebrate the Saudi National Day like never before.

“We are proud to be part of Saudi National Day celebration and to be taking it to a global level as the show will be televised live with around 200,000,000 expected viewers from around the world.”

Show sSynopsis

As the sun sets on the horizon, a tribe of nomads gather on the dessert dunes in search of an oasis when a raging sandstorm sweeps across their encampment. The desert dwellers are whisked off to a surreal world and the wheels of the future begin to revolve. The encampment turns into a magical oasis where waterfalls flow upwards, and when the great falcon spreads its wings, a new sun rises over the horizon.

Set Design

The visual theme of the King Fahd International Stadium’s exterior is reminiscent of Bedouin tents. This design will be explored on stage as well, thus creating ‘a theatre within a theatre’ experience. The four elements will come into play with the tent structures and four enchanting mashrabiya-inspired lanterns to immerse the audience in a surreal realm where tradition inspires the future.

The set design is accentuated by bold architectural lighting that will carve out dynamic visuals with graphic angular lines and geometric patterns. Drawing inspiration from the visual culture of Saudi Arabia and harnessing the power of video mapping, large-scale projections will whisk the audience away to a surreal world brimming with historical and geographical references as seen through the prism of Cirque du Soleil.