JEDDAH: Greek musician Yanni is returning to Saudi Arabia for a concert at the Winter at Tantora festival, where he will perform to a sold-out crowd on Friday in the dramatic surroundings of Al-Ula.
He has a devoted following in the Kingdom, featuring in the country’s first-ever live gigs with shows in Riyadh and Jeddah in Dec. 2017.
The musician has been tweeting images from Al-Ula, which is 300 km north of Madinah city, including videos of the concert venue and his camp.
He tweeted fans on Sunday, telling them he would keep them updated about his trip and share details with them.
He thanked Saudi fans for welcoming him back to their country and raved about the natural scenery.
بكامل حلته، مازال #شتاء_طنطورة مستمرًا برفقتكم للأسبوع الثامن على التوالي، حافلاً بالجمال على أرض #العلا pic.twitter.com/rKX6PYMiMR
— Winter At Tantora شتاء طنطورة (@WinterAtTantora) February 7, 2019
“The desert, the stars, the landscape and the lit monuments is something amazing! It is the first time in my life that I have experienced this type of immense beauty!” he tweeted.
Winter at Tantora runs until Feb. 23.
It has so far included Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli and a virtual performance from the late Egyptian entertainer Umm Kulthum.
Iraqi musicians Ilham Al-Madfai and Kazem Al-Saher perform on Feb. 15.
There are shows from Bahrain’s Rashed Al-Majid and Iraqi artist Majed Al-Mohandes on Feb. 23, when there will also be a ceremony to honor Kuwait’s Abdul Karim Abdul Qader.
The cultural festival is the first event of its kind to be held at the UNESCO World Heritage Site.