Riyadh Season sent out the following:
Star studded lineup present for spectacular opening of Riyadh Season 2023
Global superstars Cristiano Ronaldo, Conor McGregor, Mike Tyson, Eminem and Kanye West among names in attendance
Music artists Skrillex, Lil Baby, Becky G and Flowdan all feature in stunning opening ceremony
Heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury secures win in thrilling climax to opening night
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Leading names from the worlds of sport and music were out in force on Saturday for the opening of the fourth edition of Riyadh Season in Saudi Arabia’s capital city, culminating in world heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury’s split decision victory over lineal MMA heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou.
The adrenaline-fuelled evening boasted an audience featuring some of the biggest global names including current football icons Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane, as well as former stars Luis Figo, Rio Ferdinand and Ronaldo.
Award-winning music artists Eminem and Kanye West also travelled to ensure their attendance while the world of boxing and martial arts were represented by greats such as Conor McGregor, Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Israel Adesanya and Oleksandr Usyk, who is due to compete later during Riyadh Season against Fury for the title of undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
The packed crowd at the newly-opened Kingdom Arena, an exceptional multipurpose building, were treated to an opening ceremony featuring a light show and international performers, including dancers and live music acts from Skrillex, Lil Baby, Becky G and Flowdan before the main event of the night, dubbed ‘The Battle of the Baddest’, which saw Fury come out on top in an exhilarating 10-round boxing match and awarded the Riyadh Season belt by His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority.
An entertaining undercard also featured Fabio Wardley retaining his British Heavyweight title and winning the vacant Commonwealth belt after stopping David Adeleye in the seventh round, while New Zealand’s Joseph Parker scored a third round knockout victory over Simon Kane of Canada to win the vacant IBF and WBO Intercontinental titles.
His Excellency Turki Alalshikh said: “I could not imagine a more fitting way to start Riyadh Season 2023 than witnessing an epic battle between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou. Riyadh Season will deliver unprecedented excitement and entertainment for audiences across the world in its fourth edition. We are happy to welcome everyone to Saudi Arabia and share the wide range of entertainment events and experiences that Riyadh Season has on offer for them.”
Riyadh Season 2023 continues this week with visitors able to enjoy attractions including World of Barbie, CR7 Museum, the Legends Museum showcasing football legends, Zero Latency VR Arena and Blippi Wonders, with many more events to come throughout the coming months and a total of 12 zones to explore.
This Saturday will see WWE come to Riyadh Season with the fifth edition of Crown Jewel, as Roman Reigns goes one-on-one with LA Knight for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship in the main event.
About Riyadh Season
Saudi Arabia’s capital embraces one of the world’s biggest entertainment events every year during winter. Since the launch of Riyadh Season 2019, the festival has welcomed visitors from all over the world to experience thousands of concerts, sporting events, dining experiences and other unique cultural events. Additional information on this season’s rich calendar of events and experiences is available at https://riyadhseason.com.
