Key Takeaways
- Playboi Carti’s appearance at the festival marked his first performance in Saudi Arabia.
- More than 70 local, regional, and international acts performed across different stages in Jeddah’s Al-Balad district.
- MDLBEAST is prepping the upcoming 1001 Music Festival, signaling another large-scale production in the region.
On Thursday (Jan. 29), MDLBEAST brought Balad Beast back to Jeddah’s UNESCO-listed Al-Balad district for its fourth edition, turning the historic alleyways and courtyards into four interconnected stages for two nights of rap, electronic, and global sounds. More than 70 local, regional, and international acts appeared across Bab, Omda, Souq, and Roshan Squares, with Playboi Carti, Destroy Lonely, and Tyga anchoring a weekend that drew scores of festivalgoers into the old city’s tight streets. Speaking to Arab News, MDLBEAST chief creative officer DJ Baloo called it a “cultural takeover,” adding, “Balad is sensitive and condensed, so logistics can be complex.”
Carti’s set doubled as a milestone, marking his first performance in Saudi Arabia. He hit Bab Square with a live guitarist in tow and two hype men dressed in traditional Saudi attire, then moved through a run of fan favorites and more recent drops, including “POP OUT,” “EVIL J0RDAN,” “HBA,” and “Sky.” From there, he leaned into crossover energy with “Type S**t,” The Weeknd’s “Timeless,” Travis Scott’s “FE!N,” and Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s “CARNIVAL,” before circling back to staples like “Shoota,” “Rockstar Made,” and “Location.”
Earlier in the night, Atlanta’s Destroy Lonely delivered a rapid-fire set with mosh-pit momentum. He opened with “LOCK IN” and kept the pace with “SYRUP SIPPIN” and “BLITZ,” then got the crowd even louder when Carti joined him for “Off The Meter,” a Ken Carson cut that hit especially hard in a setting where rap shows of this scale might be a fresh sight for some attendees.
On night two, Tyga (who made an appearance in place of the previously scheduled Don Toliver) provided a party-ready performance that leaned into his hitmaking catalog, keeping the crowd loud and moving until the final moments. Elsewhere on the lineup, Balad Beast paired global names like Solomun, Alesso, Shaggy, Naïka, and Pawsa with Saudi and regional standouts including Dish Dash, Cosmicat, Vinyl Mode, Moayed, Musab, Varoo, and HiFi.
What's Next: MDLBEAST’S 1001 Music Festival
For MDLBEAST, next up is the company's highly anticipated 1001 Music Festival, a desert-set event built around immersive stage design and electronic-led programming inspired by regional storytelling. The 2025 edition outside Riyadh featured headliners like DJ Snake and Eric Prydz, alongside notable acts like Mochakk, Nooriyah, and Majid. 1001 also included themed installations thoughout.