Key Takeaways

• Playboi Carti and Don Toliver sit among the headliners, with Destroy Lonely also confirmed.
• Balad Beast uses Jeddah’s UNESCO-listed Al Balad district as the venue, which will include four stages.
• The lineup will keep expanding, with more artist announcements expected in the future.

MDLBEAST’s Balad Beast is heading back to Al Balad, Jeddah’s UNESCO World Heritage old town, on Jan. 29 and 30, 2026, for its fourth edition. The festival will again convert the historic district into a two-night showcase of music, art, and culture. The biggest takeaway is the music: Playboi Carti and Don Toliver are listed among the headliners, bringing a rap-forward jolt to a lineup that also stretches across electronic, pop, and global sounds.

Carti is fresh from his “Antagonist 2.0 Tour,” which boasted support from the likes of Ken Carson, Apollo Red, Homixide Gang, and Destroy Lonely — the last of whom was also tapped for the Saudi celebration. The Atlanta star also unveiled his long-awaited third studio LP, MUSIC, which topped both the Billboard 200 and Official Albums Chart in the U.S. and U.K., respectively. Meanwhile, Toliver continues his Saudi takeover following a high-energy set at this year’s Soundstorm Festival outside of Riyadh. While there, he confirmed that his official follow-up to 2024’s HARDSTONE PSYCHO (said to be titled OCTANE) is on the way.

Balad Beast’s layout will stretch across four stages embedded within Al Balad’s winding alleys, open courtyards, and souqs. The Bab stage will host the major headline sets, while Omda will lean into deeper electronic and underground sounds. Souq looks to blend global and regional acts with a market-inspired vibe, and Roshan will deliver a more melodic experience framed by the district’s iconic architecture.

Outside of Carti, Toliver, and Destroy Lonely, the first wave of announced artists includes names such as Solomun, Ben Böhmer, Loco Dice, Pawsa, Franky Rizardo, Brina Knauss, NTO, Tini Gessler, Naïka, Shaggy, and LANY, plus regional representation like Caleesi & Kreis and Varoo. More announcements are still expected, with projections ranging to around 100 acts in total.

Get your tickets and learn more about Balad Beast here.