SOUNDSTORM Concludes after 260 Hours of Music

A general view during MDLBeast Soundstorm 2021 on December 19, 2021 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Neville Hopwood/Getty Images
A general view during MDLBeast Soundstorm 2021 on December 19, 2021 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Neville Hopwood/Getty Images
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SOUNDSTORM Concludes after 260 Hours of Music

A general view during MDLBeast Soundstorm 2021 on December 19, 2021 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Neville Hopwood/Getty Images
A general view during MDLBeast Soundstorm 2021 on December 19, 2021 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Neville Hopwood/Getty Images

Music lovers said goodbye to the region’s largest music festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, SOUNDSTORM, after over 260 hours of music played on seven stages over three days.

Tickets to watch the greatest, global artists partaking in this gigantic musical manifestation were sold out as hundreds of thousands of people attended to enjoy all kinds of music on massive stages.

The last day of the festival was packed with the world’s greatest DJs and singers on all stages. The audience at the Big Beast stage were thrilled with DJ Afrojack and his collaboration with Egypt’s Mohamed Ramadan, as well as Marshmello, and David Guetta who played until 3:00 am.

Despite the cold weather encircling the Saudi capital these days, the festival added a special warmth, offering an exquisite, thrilling place that attracts any life lover. The music and the accompanying activities that entertained the visitors while moving from stage to another turned the festival into an endless pleasure.

In the Tent Beast, a giant tent equipped with several giant screens and lasers, visitors found the excitement zone where they can never feel bored. On its last day, the tent hosted long hours of music played by some of the world’s most known DJs including R3HAB, Steve Aoki, and Lost Frequencies who spent the whole night entertaining thousands of fans.

The Down Beast stage was dedicated to those who wanted to stay away from loud music and dancing, and sat to listen to quiet music with their loved ones. Down Beast concluded its days with Palestinian singer Elyanna with her peaceful, tender voice, Jorja Smith, followed by the band Autostrad, and finally with Shkoon.

The four Underground stages entertained their audiences with renowned artists including Amber Broos, Kayan, Rash, Carl Cox, and many others DJs who played techno music and high-pitch rhythms that turned the spectators into storms of singing and dancing.

Most of the visitors agreed that these three days were among the most entertaining days they have ever witnessed; the ambiance they experienced during SOUNDSTORM were full of joy, music, and entertainment accompanied with the best services, foods, and beverages.

The SOUNDSTORM festival brought together over 100 artists from around the world to perform for hundreds of thousands of spectators. This year’s edition hosted the best DJs and singers including DJ Khaled, Post Malone, Bruno Mars, Busta Rhymes, in addition to Arabic singers such as Nancy Ajram, Myriam Fares, Majid al-Muhandis, Amr Diab, and Mohamed Hamaki.



Rio Goes Gaga for US Singer ahead of Free Concert

A fan shows a tattoo of US singer Lady Gaga at Rio's Copacabana Beach, where the pop star will stage a free concert. Daniel RAMALHO / AFP
A fan shows a tattoo of US singer Lady Gaga at Rio's Copacabana Beach, where the pop star will stage a free concert. Daniel RAMALHO / AFP
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Rio Goes Gaga for US Singer ahead of Free Concert

A fan shows a tattoo of US singer Lady Gaga at Rio's Copacabana Beach, where the pop star will stage a free concert. Daniel RAMALHO / AFP
A fan shows a tattoo of US singer Lady Gaga at Rio's Copacabana Beach, where the pop star will stage a free concert. Daniel RAMALHO / AFP

Behind his large studded sunglasses, Victor Faro's eyes were glued on the luxury hotel overlooking Copacabana beach where US superstar Lady Gaga is staying ahead of her free mega-concert in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday.

Brazilians have been waiting more than a decade for the 39-year-old pop icon to perform in the country, and excitement is at fever pitch.

On Thursday, the city was crawling with "little monsters," as Gaga affectionately refers to her fans, decked out in T-shirts, wigs, baseball caps stamped with her image.

Faro sported plastic horns and a thin Salvador Dali-style moustache curled up at the sides -- two accessories that were part of Lady Gaga's look during her "Born This Way" and "Artpop" days -- as he waited outside the Copacabana Palace hotel for a glimpse of his idol.

'Mother' Gaga

Faro travelled from neighboring Espirito Santo state to be at Copacabana at 6:00 am on Thursday, in order to "be as close to the stage as possible."

A few meters away, Cinthia Rodrigues, a 28-year-old content creator in a platinum blonde wig and bandana, said she saw Lady Gaga "as a mother figure."

"I don't just identify with her look, but also her personality," she said, adding she was looking forward to a "historic concert."

Fresh off the release of her latest album "Mayhem," the star -- who played two nights in Mexico City last week -- vowed in February "to make sure this show is one you will never forget."

Gaga's previous plans to play in Brazil, at a rock festival in Rio in 2017, were canceled due to health issues.

Bringing joy

Rio is no stranger to mega-events.

Each year, around 1.6 million people attend its massive Carnival festivities.

In May 2024, Madonna gave one of the biggest shows of her four-decade career at Copacabana, drawing over a million fans and pumping millions of dollars into the local economy.

The shot in the arm from Lady Gaga's gig is expected to be even bigger.

"The fact of adding a concert by an international star each year on Copacabana beach helps stimulate economic activity in a period previously considered the off-season," Osmar Lima, Rio's secretary for economic development, said in a statement.

"It brings in money by attracting tourists and brings joy to the neighborhood," said Analice Analice Regina Moreira, a 73-year-old Copacabana resident.

The meat dress

Traders were doing a brisk trade in Lady Gaga-themed merchandise ahead of the concert; fans waited in line for up to an hour at one store.

The most popular item was a tank top inspired by the iconic "meat dress" she wore to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards.

"We were expecting a lot of people but this is far bigger than we imagined," said Paulo Moreira Monteiro, who had to hire a security guard to keep shoppers in line.

He expects the gig to boost his revenues by 70 percent as compared with a regular week.