Riyadh Season 2026/27: Dates, Zones, Tickets and How to Plan Your Trip

Riyadh Season is the Kingdom's biggest recurring visitor draw, and it is run every year by the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), chaired by Turki Alalshikh, as part of the Saudi Seasons programme. Since it began in 2019, every edition has followed roughly the same shape: an October launch, entertainment zones across the city, and a run of several months into the new year. As of 30 August 2026, the full 2026/27 calendar - exact opening date, theme, zone lineup - has not yet been officially published. This guide tells you what is confirmed, what is a safe pattern to plan around, and where to check for the rest.

Quick facts

• Organiser: General Entertainment Authority (GEA), part of Vision 2030's Saudi Seasons.
• Pattern: every edition since 2019 has opened in October and run into the following spring; the 2025/26 edition opened 10 October 2025 (Saudi Press Agency).
• 2026/27 full dates and zone lineup: not officially announced as of 30 August 2026 - check gea.gov.sa or riyadhseason.sa closer to October.
• Confirmed 2026/27 marquee event: the Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition, 21, 22 and 24 October 2026.
• Confirmed 2026/27 marquee event: WWE WrestleMania 43, announced for April 2027 (exact dates and venue not yet released).
• Tickets: the official platform is webook.com - this is the only place to buy with certainty you are not paying a reseller markup.
• Nearest airport: King Khalid International (RUH), Riyadh's main gateway.

What is confirmed for 2026/27

Two events are locked in and dated. Six Kings Slam, the tennis exhibition organised with Turki Alalshikh, runs 21, 22 and 24 October 2026 as part of Riyadh Season. And in a joint announcement with WWE, WrestleMania 43 is coming to Riyadh in April 2027 under the Riyadh Season umbrella - exact dates and venue had not been released as of this check.

Beyond those two, treat anything you read about 2026/27 zone names, an opening ceremony date, or a season theme as unconfirmed until GEA or riyadhseason.sa publish it directly. Zone names from the 2025/26 season - Boulevard City, Boulevard World, Beast Land and others - are not a reliable guide to what will exist this time; seasons have added and dropped zones before.

The pattern worth planning around

Every edition since the first in 2019 has opened in October and run for several months, typically into February or March. The 2025/26 edition opened on 10 October 2025, per the Saudi Press Agency. If that pattern holds, a 2026/27 opening in October 2026 is a reasonable planning assumption - but it is an assumption, not a published date, and Six Kings Slam's own 21-24 October window is the only hard anchor currently available for that month.

If your trip is flexible, booking flights and hotels a few weeks out rather than months ahead reduces the risk of committing to dates before the season's own calendar is public.

Tickets and getting in

Riyadh Season's general zones have historically mixed free entry with paid attractions, shows and marquee events inside them - a walk through a zone is often free, while a specific concert, ride pass or exhibition match is ticketed. The official ticketing platform is webook.com; we are not publishing prices here because they vary by event and have not been announced for 2026/27 - check webook.com directly once tickets go on sale, and be wary of third-party resale sites charging a premium for the same seat.

Getting there and around

King Khalid International Airport (RUH) is Riyadh's gateway - see our getting to Saudi Arabia guide for the terminal layout and airlines. Once you are in the city, the Riyadh Metro and ride-hailing apps (Uber, Careem) reach most of the entertainment districts; check the season's own site closer to the date for venue-specific shuttle or parking guidance, since that detail changes with each zone lineup.

Building the rest of your trip around it

Riyadh Season is a reason to be in the city, not a reason to skip the rest of it. Our Riyadh city guide covers the heritage and modern sides of the capital for the days between events, and if your trip lands in December, the Saudi Arabia in December hub covers the two other big Q4 anchors - MDLBeast Soundstorm and the Red Sea International Film Festival - that sit inside the same season window. For where to stay, see our Riyadh hotels guide; book early once dates are confirmed, since Riyadh Season is the single biggest driver of hotel demand in the capital.

The short version

GEA runs it, October is the historical start month, and 2026/27's full calendar is not out yet. Two dated events you can plan around right now: Six Kings Slam (21-24 October 2026) and WrestleMania 43 (April 2027, dates TBD). Tickets go through webook.com only. Check back on this page and on riyadhseason.sa as the season calendar is published.

Sources and Verification

This guide was checked on 30 August 2026. Several facts below are corroborated across multiple press reports rather than a single GEA press release we could fetch directly - flagged where relevant.

• General Entertainment Authority (GEA) - the official organiser of Riyadh Season and the Saudi Seasons programme.
• webook.com - the official ticketing platform for Riyadh Season events.
• Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reporting of the 2025/26 season's 10 October 2025 opening, and English-language press coverage (Asharq Al-Awsat) of the Six Kings Slam and WrestleMania 43 announcements - these are news reporting on official announcements, not primary GEA documents; we recommend confirming directly on gea.gov.sa or riyadhseason.sa before finalising travel dates.

Reviewed by the Explore Saudi Editorial Team, 30 August 2026. Full 2026/27 season dates were not yet published at the time of writing - this page will be updated once they are.