Over 180,000 Attend First Day of Saudi Arabia's ‘MDLBEAST SOUNDSTORM’

MDLBEAST SOUNDSTORM features a line-up of more than 200 international and Arab performers, Asharq Al-Awsat
MDLBEAST SOUNDSTORM features a line-up of more than 200 international and Arab performers, Asharq Al-Awsat
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Over 180,000 Attend First Day of Saudi Arabia's ‘MDLBEAST SOUNDSTORM’

MDLBEAST SOUNDSTORM features a line-up of more than 200 international and Arab performers, Asharq Al-Awsat
MDLBEAST SOUNDSTORM features a line-up of more than 200 international and Arab performers, Asharq Al-Awsat

Over 180,000 people attended the first day of the largest music festival in the region, MDLBEAST SOUNDSTORM, which kickstarted in Riyadh on Thursday with a line-up of more than 200 international and Arab performers.

The four-day blockbuster music festival embraced the masses that interacted with star performers like Elissa, Majid al-Muhandis, Mohamed Hamaki, Rashed Al-Majed and several global EDM DJs.

Held in Banban in Riyadh, MDLBEAST SOUNDSTORM welcomed festivalgoers and EDM fans to its stages: “BIGBEAST,” “DOWNBEAST,” “DANCEBEAST,” and “UNDERGROUNDBEAST.”

A visit to the festival presents an opportunity to enjoy a unique experience that is not limited to music, but rather a wide and varied list of artistic performances, local art exhibitions, live entertainment shows, food trucks and distinguished restaurants.

The festival offers a multi-sensory, multi-stage experience, showcasing both local and international talent, representing all spheres of the cultural landscape across multiple stages. A feast for the senses, it will enable festivalgoers to enjoy the most innovative, immersive experiences in world-class arts, culture, and food in one single venue.

The festival comes during the successful run of the Riyadh Season as one of the Kingdom’s initiatives to develop the entertainment sector.

Expected to welcome more than 500,000 people over the four days, the event has reflected the new weight of Riyadh on the world art map.



Scientists Track Egret's 38-hour Flight from Australia to PNG

A Little egret looks for food in the water on near Starbase, Texas, formally known as Boca Chica Village, on May 28, 2025. There are (Photo by SERGIO FLORES / AFP)
A Little egret looks for food in the water on near Starbase, Texas, formally known as Boca Chica Village, on May 28, 2025. There are (Photo by SERGIO FLORES / AFP)
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Scientists Track Egret's 38-hour Flight from Australia to PNG

A Little egret looks for food in the water on near Starbase, Texas, formally known as Boca Chica Village, on May 28, 2025. There are (Photo by SERGIO FLORES / AFP)
A Little egret looks for food in the water on near Starbase, Texas, formally known as Boca Chica Village, on May 28, 2025. There are (Photo by SERGIO FLORES / AFP)

A species of heron has been tracked flying for almost two days non-stop between Australia and Papua New Guinea during its northern migration, scientists say.

Australian researchers used GPS to follow eight plumed egrets and 10 great egrets over a period of months, after the birds left the Macquarie Marshes in New South Wales, AFP reported.

Great egrets were found to disperse in all directions, said the scientists from Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization.

But the plumed egrets all migrated north, and one was tracked flying almost 2,400 kilometers (1,490 miles) over several months before settling near the town of Kalo, southeast of Port Moresby.

It took that bird 38 hours to fly more than 700km across the Coral Sea, according to findings published in the journal Pacific Conservation Biology on Monday.

It was the first time scientists had recorded the plumed egrets' migration.

Another Australian bird, the bar-tailed godwit, holds the world record for flying more than 13,500 kilometers non-stop in just 11 days during its migration south from Alaska to Tasmania.