MDLBEAST

MDLBEAST Soundstorm Announces Full Line Up

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DJ Khaled, David Guetta, Future, Sven Väth, Busta Rhymes, Ricardo Villalobos, Jamie Jones, Carl Cox, Seth Troxler, Bruno Mars, Gordo, Eric Prydz, Tiësto and many more all play 
 
MDLBEAST Soundstorm is the biggest and most influential music festival in the Middle East and it is back bigger than ever from December 1st – 3rd 2022. This multi-day celebration of music, art and culture from all over the world welcomes over 200 international and local acts and has seven supersized stages with next level production. MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 tickets are available now on mdlbeast.com.
 
The awe-inspiring festival site on the outskirts of Riyadh is a technological wonder that appeals to all your senses. It is like a real world virtual reality with giant LED screens and immersive visuals, bright neons making it feel like a futuristic party metropolis and towering stage designs that are like nothing you have ever witnessed before. The sound systems and lighting rigs are out of this world with huge sculptures, supersized arenas, and 3D mapping all ready to make for an escapist experience like no other. 
 
The stages at MDLBEAST set an all new benchmark and include The Big Beast – officially the world’s tallest temporary festival stage – with big vibes from artists like DJ Snake, Tiësto, Hardwell, Dish Dash, Baloo and Zedd on the opening night. Friday brings globally renowned hip-hop stars Busta Rhymes and Fat Joe will join Grammy Award-winning American rapper, songwriter and record producer Future, alongside Rick Ross. The legends will perform together with DJ Khaled as part of his ‘DJ Khaled & Friends’ set while minimal king Luciano also plays. Saturday is all about Bruno Mars, a solo set from David Guetta, Ricardo Villalobos and Marshmello.
 
 
The Dance Tent is where the best in electronic music is showcased and on the opening night Future Rave stars Morten and David Guetta headline with the likes of Gordo, Eric Prydz who make this debut and Meduza as well as Dish Dash. Friday welcomes Nervo, Claptone, Cedric Gervais, Timmy Trumpet, AfroJack and R3HAB and Saturday finds Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Steve Aoki, Lost Frequencies, Morten, Acraze and more. 
 
The Underground stage is divided into four different sub stages with the most clued up house and techno from Cirez D, Artbat, Carl Cox b2b Nic Fanciulli, Carl Cox solo, Sven Väth, Jamie Jones b2b Seth Troxler, Butch, Polo & Pan, Thomas Melchior and more on Thursday. On Friday, Adam Beyer, Maceo Plex, Anna, Loco Dice, Cassy, Hot Since 82, Damian Lazarus, Fred P, Janet and more will line up and on Saturday Luciano, Solomun, La Fleur, Ricardo Villalobos, Solardo, James Hype, Art Department, Chris Lake and more bring the quality.  
 
Finally, Down Beast is for indie, hip‑hop, R&B and LoFi from the likes of Jorja Smith, Rae Sremmurd, Naika and Saudi singer Mishaal Tamer across the three days. 
 
On top of these big names, the festival will feature some top local talents and a strong Saudi female lineup with Biirdperson, Cosmicat, Dorar, Kayan, and Solskin hitting the decks along with Dish Dash, Vinylmode and DJ Aseel, plus some extra special guests Mohamed Hamaki and Nancy Ajram will be taking to the stage with other acts for special collaborations.
 
The scene is now set for a cultural celebration on a whole new level, Get your tickets now at mdlbeast.com.

 

MDLBEAST showcases cultural progress in Saudi and the region at Ibizas International Music Summit

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Celebrated electronic event hosts MDLBEAST spokespeople for keynote in Ibiza

 
Positive impact of XP and SOUNDSTORM on the local and regional scene a major focus 

Female leaders from MDLBEAST, the Saudi-based music entertainment company, have taken to the stage at the International Music Summit (IMS) in Ibiza to showcase the progress in the regional scene, and the positive impact that events are having in Saudi especially, but also the wider Middle East.

The IMS is one of the world’s biggest electronic music industry events and welcomes star talent of the global scene speaking alongside leaders in the field. MDLBEAST’s participation is a signal of the world’s recognition of the Middle East as a growing market for music generally and also an opportunity to showcase the work of MDLBEAST in providing a platform for faster, stronger growth in the region. This has been most prominently demonstrated over the last few years through MDLBEAST’s XP Music Conference and the major music festival, SOUNDSTORM, both expected for their respective second and third editions later in 2022.

Nada Alhelabi, Strategy Director at MDLBEAST, led the conversation which highlighted to the IMS delegates the growth taking place in Saudi especially in regards to increasing opportunities for women and the burgeoning cultural economy.

Speaking after the event, Nada Alhelabi said she was encouraged by the reception of the audience, “I was really pleased with the reaction from the crowd who are all deeply knowledgeable about the music industry. What we’re trying to get across is the positive impact that the industry can have on Saudi Arabia and in the wider Middle East. Sometimes the stories they hear focus on a past which no longer exists and we don’t recognize. We wanted to stand up in front of them as Saudi women in the music industry to highlight the opportunities and future outlook, finally to start bridging the gap and connecting communities together based on common grounds, which is the love for music.”

The MDLBEAST keynote at IMS comes ahead of anticipated news on the 2022 edition of the LOUDEST WEEK in Riyadh which embodies MDLBEAST’s commitment to growing talent, building the regional scene, and advancing the creative economy for Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East. The LOUDEST WEEK comprises the 3-day XP Music Conference and the music festival, SOUNDSTORM.

The most recent edition of SOUNDSTORM, held in December 2021, saw performances from international DJs and global stars including David Guetta, Steve Aoki, Afrojack, Jason Derulo, and Future. 730 thousand people attended the event enjoying music and entertainment from 184 different artists across 8 stages.

MDLBEAST’s XP Music Conference was held for the first time in 2021 with 150 local/regional/international industry experts discussing Talent, Scene, Policy, and Impact with regional audiences, supporting the growth of the music community. Global artists such as Afrojack and Steve Aoki led the discussion around the path to success, guiding principles for young talent, and what it means to support aspiring DJs, producers, and creators. XP welcomed almost five thousand attendees on three days and hosted up to 52 sessions in its inaugural year.

About MDLBEAST:

MDLBEAST LLC is a music entertainment company committed to growing talent, building the regional scene, and advancing the creative economy. MDLBEAST was established following the success of its flagship festival, SOUNDSTORM, in 2019.

Through its focus on artists and talent, MDLBEAST is building a talent infrastructure and providing them with opportunities which put them on global stages. Similarly, through owned events and experiences, content, conversation, fashion, and more, MDLBEAST is helping to build a thriving, and economically sustainable music community in and for the region. MDLBEAST operates under its three corporate arms: XP Music Conference, MDLBEAST PRESENTS and MDLBEAST Record Label.

MDLBEAST announce XP conference and SOUNDSTORM festival dates for 2022

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XP Music Conference kickstarts Riyadh’s LOUDEST WEEK from 28-30 November to drive cultural and economic change in the Middle Eastern music industry

Flagship music festival SOUNDSTORM will welcome local talent and global superstars from 1-3 December

The Saudi music and culture scene will take another quantum leap forward in 2022 with the confirmation that MDLBEAST’s XP Music Conference (28-30 Nov) and stellar festival, SOUNDSTORM (1-3 Dec), will return in December to once again deliver the LOUDEST WEEK in Riyadh.

Everyone from music industry professionals, creatives seeking inspiration and professionalization, to music-tech start-ups and government entities will come together for workshops, panel discussions, networking opportunities, and nightlife activations to build on the successes of the inaugural year of XP in 2021. Once again, the conference will be the warmup for the biggest music festival ever seen in the Middle East, SOUNDSTORM, delivering three days for festival goers to immerse themselves in the beats of global, regional, and local superstars.

The LOUDEST WEEK in Riyadh embodies MDLBEAST’s commitment to growing talent, building the regional scene, and advancing the creative economy for Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East.

Nada Alhelabi, Strategy Director at MDLBEAST, explained how their music conference is at the core of their ambitions, “XP is one of the main pillars of MDLBEAST as it aims at empowering the local scene, develop talents in music, art, & culture and technology. Through XP we are able to promote the region and accelerate positive change in diversity and gender equality through advocacy groups, research and knowledge-led insights. We can take things to the next level through the second edition of the XP Music Conference.”

 Turning up the volume on the LOUDEST WEEK and following XP, SOUNDSTORM has redefined regional entertainment with record-breaking 2019 and 2021 editions which have not only entertained local fans with global stars but also provided a platform for local talent to feel the rush of performing on the biggest stages.

Ramadan Alharatani,, CEO, MDLBEAST, commented: “We are all about empowering talent, giving them opportunities, building the scene, and putting on legendary events – to be confirming a third year of bringing this to life with the third year of SOUNDSTORM is very special. Every year we look to make the festival bigger and better so we’re already planning, talking to artists, looking at new and exciting activations and we can’t wait to welcome Saudi and the world to the big stage later this year.”

The most recent edition of SOUNDSTORM saw performances from international DJs and global stars including David Guetta, Steve Aoki, Afrojack, Jason Derulo, and Future. 730K attendees that enjoyed music from 184 different artistsperformed on 8 stages.

MDLBEAST’s XP Music Conference was held for the first time in 2021 with 150 local/regional/international industry experts discussing Talent, Scene, Policy, and Impact with regional audiences, supporting the growth of the music community. Global artists such as Afrojack and Steve Aoki led the discussion around the path to success, guiding principles for young talent, and what it means to support aspiring DJs, producers, and creators. XP welcomed almost five thousand attendees on three days and hosted up to 52 sessions in its inaugural year.

About MDLBEAST:

MDLBEAST LLC is a music entertainment company committed to growing talent, building the regional scene, and advancing the creative economy. MDLBEAST was established following the success of its flagship festival, SOUNDSTORM, in 2019.

Through its focus on artists and talent, MDLBEAST is building a talent infrastructure and providing them with opportunities which put them on global stages. Similarly, through owned events and experiences, content, conversation, fashion, and more, MDLBEAST is helping to build a thriving, and economically sustainable music community in and for the region. MDLBEAST operates under its three corporate arms: XP Music Conference, MDLBEAST PRESENTS and MDLBEAST Record Label.

For further news and imagery, please visit our media hub: MDLBEAST hub

MDLBEAST’s announces full XP conference program & speakers

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The three-day music conference aims to bring together the right minds to drive cultural and economic change in the Middle Eastern music industry.
The event will address talent and content, professionalisation of the industry, music technology, and more.
Limited tickets available now from https://xptickets.mdlbeast.com/

MDLBEAST has unveiled programming details and initial line up of speakers for their XP Music conference, the first of its kind in the Middle East. The three-day and night event will take place in Riyadh from 13th – 15th December and will host a large number of leading industry figures, regional and international, who will address topics that are essential for the amplification and evolution of the region’s music industry.


Ramadan Alharatani, CEO of MDLBEAST, said: “The XP conference will help accelerate the growth of the music industry across the Middle East. We’re bringing together the most forward-thinking people from the world of music who will offer their insights and expertise to provoke conversation and incite positive action to grow our music industry.”


Attending audiences will represent diverse backgrounds including labels, publishers, talent, NGOs, GOVs, events’ companies, entrepreneurs, and industry media. All activations will be categorised under four main pillars which are considered the building blocks of the development of the regional music industry: Talent, Scene, Policy, and Impact.


The Talent pillar at XP will be addressed through 12 activations that cover topics such as original content, professionalisation as well as technology. The conference will kick off with a live performance and a discussion panel that lays down the fundamental ingredients for success in music such as education, tech innovation and investments. The activations will also deal with cultural challenges facing professionalisation in the region, where music is yet to be perceived as a viable career path. When it comes to the role of technology in nurturing talent, the conference will feature a wide range of topics such as the latest production platforms, tools and innovations that can aid the progress of up-and-coming talent.

Among the speakers covering original content at XP will be Chaz Jenkins of Chartmetric, while the Kuwaiti duo, Sons of Yusuf, will be covering professionalisation. As for music and technology, Dr Peter Evans of Let The Music Pay, Janet Sawari of Sinofy Group and Eric Reithler-Barros of Let The Music Pay (dba RCRDSHP) will share their knowledge and experience.


 The XP conference will feature day programs rich with informative content through a wide variety of activations including live performances, panels, workshops, Q&As, keynotes, fishbowl discussions and screenings, and the night program will include regional event brands with unique artist line ups performing across a range of stages, turning XP Music Conference into a platform to bring local and regional events’ brands to the surface. 


The Scene pillar at XP will be addressed through 19 activations that cover topics such as nightlife; creative tourism, media and the copyrights collection society. Within this category a fishbowl conversation will take place to discuss the role music can play in putting a city on the global map, exploring the power of placemaking and connecting the audience with a certain location through music. The panels will also delve into the role of social media in promoting musical talent, the means of growing the music industry in KSA and the middle east music economy.  Within this pillar, XP will host the screening of the docu-series Amplify, with four episodes covering the journey of MDLBEAST’s CCO and prominent Saudi DJ Baloo, as he explores the secret sauce of the nightlife scene in four cities: Amsterdam, New York, Berlin and Sarajevo. At XP, Baloo will bring back his experience to Riyadh to advocate for the nightlife scene as it grows to cater to the Saudi youth needs, enhances tourism, creates employment opportunities, and in turn, boosts the Saudi economy.
Among the confirmed speakers at XP covering creative tourism will be, Sustainable Tourism Specialist Nico Mulder at Mulder, while the media will be covered by Omar Basaad of Coexist Records along with consultant Alex Andarakis. As for the copyrights collection society, the speakers will be Moe Hamzeh, Managing Director at Warner Music Middle East , Irene Bauzá VP of Operations at Unison Rights and Mohammed Abood of Boxout.fm representing sessions such as; Copyrights: Important to All, Governing Future Music Rights with New Technologies and Understanding How an Artist Gets Paid.


The Policy pillar at XP will be addressed through 11 activations that cover topics such as advocacy and representation, music policies, as well as data collection and analytics. This category will cover several issues that are of huge importance for the industry in the region, such as empowering women in music and awareness of sexism within the industry, as well as ensuring that the voice of the music industry is heard by the decision makers. This category will also witness discussions between representatives of cities around the world that have successfully transformed their cities into music icons, in addition to a deep dive into the potential economic impact of the music industry on Saudi Arabia. The final session of this category will present a cultural report providing insights into the emerging music scene in the Middle East.Among the confirmed speakers covering advocacy and representation at XP will be Andreea Magdalina of shesaid.so, while music policies will be covered by David Boyle of Audience Strategies LTD. Data collection and analytics will feature the experience of Christine Osazuwa of Pollen.
The Impact pillar at XP will be addressed through 9 activations that cover topics such as wellbeing, equality and social equity, as well as sustainability. The activations within this category will cover the means of hosting safe events in collaboration with public health institutions, in addition to a number of empowering stories of female musicians in emerging markets, as well as the building of an environmentally sustainable touring model within the Middle East music industry.
Among the confirmed speakers covering sustainability will be Mashael Alshalan of Aeon Strategy, while covering equality and social equity will be Tamtam, singer and musician, Megatronic of Femmefest. As for Labels and Publishers, the confirmed speaker is Karima Damir Director of A&R at Sony Music Entertainment.


Music professionals and fans from across the region can purchase their tickets for MDLBEAST’s music conference, XP through: https://xptickets.mdlbeast.com. The three-day event with a conference & nightlife aspect where local and regional artists will showcase the region’s budding nightlife; and will take place in Riyadh from 13th – 15th December.


More speakers and further details will be announced soon, please visit: https://mdlbeast.com/xp/