MDLBEAST SOUNDSTORM 2023: wrapping up the festival season in an electrifying way [Review]

This year, SOUNDSTORM marked its fourth edition, and we went out to witness it all. “Every edition is bigger and better than the last and the support we get from the festival drives all of this,” stated MDLBEAST CEO Ramadan Alharatani.

Rounding out the year in a spectacular way, MDLBEAST’s flagship festival SOUNDSTORM returned bigger than ever. Putting itself at the forefront of the rapidly growing and developing Middle Eastern music and entertainment scene, this year saw the event invite over 200 regional and international talents from every genre imaginable across stages such as the record-breaking BIG BEAST main stage, DOWN BEAST, DANCE TENT and four different UNDERGROUND stages. Combined with hundreds of thousands of partygoers from the MENA region and worldwide, it’s no surprise that this was one of the biggest festivals of the year.

“SOUNDSTORM returning for its fourth edition in such remarkable fashion is such a delight, especially given the increasing interest and anticipation we’ve experienced from music lovers and the festival in the past years. Every edition is bigger and better than the last and the support we get from the festival drives all of this,” says MDLBEAST CEO Ramadan Alharatani.

This year, the production was second to none. Aside from the spectacular nightly fireworks show that was viewable from every corner of the festival grounds, the night sky was lit up with the extravagant views of a drone show, utilising the structure of the mainstage to curate visuals that appeared to peek over the stage, looking over the audience. With other imagery such as headphones and ‘SOUNDSTORM 23’ written into the sky, they even went one step further to dazzle its audiences by blending the two elements together.

With designs you can’t find at any other festival, SOUNDSTORM prides itself on immersive designs with forward-thinking ideas designed to delight each of the senses. From the long, stretching LED panels and lasers of the dance tent to the industrial shipping containers and edgy graffiti style of the 4 different UNDERGROUND areas, each stage felt like stepping into a different dimension.

“Of course, it’s very unique here because they didn’t have festivals even just a decade ago. It’s great to see how the country is transforming, and how dance music is evolving. In that way SOUNDSTORM really stands out, they have some of the most powerful festival lineups on the planet, so it’s massive,” says MORTEN in our exclusive interview with him onsite.

In terms of the lineup, SOUNDSTORM does a perfect job of blending world- recognised talents with the best that the local MENA region has to offer. Offering international stars a platform to reach new audiences, it also does the same for regional talents, giving them an accessible audience that was not readily available before SOUNDSTORM’s inception. Opening up the mainstage on the first day with R3HAB, he joined forces with local talent Amr Diab, Elissa, Majid Almohandis, Omaima Taleb and Rabeh Saqr. For the final day of the event, Steve Aoki did the same, sharing the stage with Ahmed Saad, Dalia Mubark, Nancy Ajram and Tiara. Other MENA talents such as Baloo, Cosmicat, Cairokee, Paloma and many others were also showcasing what the region has to offer to the rest of the world.

In terms of international talent, there are not many festivals where you could see the likes of David Guetta, Travis Scott, Will Smith, 50 Cent, Axwell, Metallica, Calvin Harris and Swedish House Mafia in one weekend. It’s no secret that MDLBEAST SOUNDSTORM has some of the craziest lineups in the world, but 2023 proved this more than ever.

Overall, this year’s edition of MDLBEAST SOUNDSTORM more than ever proved that Saudi Arabia is fast becoming one of the newest musical hubs of the world, and there’s no stopping them.