Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season will bring 14 international star acts and an array of exclusive shows to the country’s capital, the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) announced on Saturday.

The season will run from October 11 to December 15, 2019 and host renowned artists including Bruno Mars, Pitbull, John Legend, and Alicia Keys. Concerts are scheduled to take place in a range of venues across the Saudi capital, including the King Fahd International Stadium, in its biggest entertainment event to date.

Other big names due to perform include Jennifer Lopez, Pharrell Williams, Usher, Nicki Jam, Gwen Stefani, Nicole Scherzinger, Akon, Gipsy Kings by Andre Reyes, and DJ Martin Solveig.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to watch theatrical performances and dance shows, held in the Kingdom for the first time, with each offering something different.

Cirque Dreams combines the European cirque-style of performance artistry with American circus arts and Broadway theatrics, while China’s Nutcracker Magic presents a new interpretation of the classic ballet by blending together magic, acrobatics, and dance.

Snow White on Ice and The Mobiles Moving Shadow also offer family-friendly entertainment.

Riyadh Season will also feature the much-anticipated debut of K-pop boyband BTS, who announced in July that they will be performing in Riyadh as part of the festival season under their “Love Yourself: Speak Yourself” world tour. The international pop band – known as BTS, which is short for Bangtan Sonyeondan and translates to Bulletproof Boy Scouts – is one of the world’s most popular South Korean bands.

Those who aren’t attending live performances can attend exclusive exhibitions such as the immersive Marvel: Universe of Superheroes exhibit, which will showcase original artwork, first-edition comic book covers and pages, and costumes and displays from the popular Marvel movies.

The Riyadh Season is one of the Kingdom’s 11 festival seasons that occur throughout the year.

The events aim to transform Saudi Arabia into a tourist destination, and provide the country’s residents and visitors with year-round entertainment events, in line with the country’s Vision 2030 economic reform plan.

Each season features a different theme to highlight different aspects of Saudi Arabia’s heritage and culture. The most recent festivals were Jeddah Season, a six-week entertainment which ran from June 8 to July 18, and al-Soudah Season, which included the Flowerman Festival.

*Al Arabiya