DIRIYAH: Even when the cars were sleeping in their garages after the excitement of the Formula E races in Diriyah, the party did not stop. A series of concerts, interactive booths, and even a carnival area were all on offer for racegoers to enjoy this weekend as Diriyah Season officially kicked off.
Following the first Formula E race on Friday afternoon, fans made their way to the stage area, where Formula E’s official DJ, EJ, got the crowd going with some well-chosen tunes.
EJ, who made history as the first DJ to perform live in Saudi Arabia at last year’s Formula E event, spoke to Arab News about how honored he felt to be part of the Kingdom’s history. “It was incredible. It’s such an honor to be part of an historic moment. Seeing men and women dance together for the first time on such a large scale, and all the smiling faces. It was amazing.”
After EJ’s set, British electronic band Clean Bandit took to the stage, performing some of their most popular hits such as “Rather Be”, “Tears”, “Rockabye”, and more, telling fans that they “look and sound so beautiful tonight,” as the crowd began to cheer.
Following Clean Bandit was Norwegian DJ Alan Walker, who performed some of his biggest hits, such as “Faded”, “Tired”, and “Ignite.” Repeatedly telling the fans how honored he was to be in Saudi Arabia for the first time, he signed off by taking a selfie with the crowd behind him.
But perhaps the biggest act of the night, and certainly the most hotly anticipated, was American band Imagine Dragons, who made their way onto the stage accompanied by thunderous applause.
Performing songs such as “Believer”, “Radioactive” and “Thunder”, Imagine Dragons received the greatest response of the night, with many fans purchasing tickets purely to see them live.
“I cried when Imagine Dragons played my favorite song, I couldn’t help it. It was so amazing seeing them. I never imagined I would have the chance,” said concertgoer Moneera Darwish.
On Saturday evening, fans were treated to another round of hits by EJ, followed by a set from Dubai-based British DJ Scott Forshaw. Both DJs managed to get the crowd going in preparation for a performance by Lebanese-Canadian singer Massari.
Massari wowed the crowd with some throwback favorites, including his songs “Real Love”, “Be Easy”, and “Shisha.”
Massari was followed by Colombian singer Maluma, who was greeted onstage by screaming from the female fans, who collectively called out his name as he opened up with his first song.
However, the biggest surprise from Maluma came when he announced to the crowd that he loved them in Arabic. The fans went wild as he made the declaration, and he thanked the audience multiple times while expressing how happy he was to be there.
The Formula E concerts are the first of Diriyah Season, with plenty more to come as the season progresses. Already scheduled to appear during Diriyah Season are Jamaican reggae musician Shaggy, American rapper Pitbull, Puerto Rican singer Don Omar and many more.
