Metallica will perform its first concert in Saudi Arabia: “The World is Shrinking” – Al Día

There is no doubt about that Metallica He will play anywhere he chooses.Even in Antarctica! However, his next destination will be hotter and perhaps a little more controversial. Those coming from San Francisco are preparing to play in Saudi Arabia for the first time in their history next month. (via Chatter.net)

It should be noted that although Saudi Arabia is a country working to open up to the world and liberalize some aspects of its society, it still lacks many basic social rights. Such as freedom of women, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, etc. Thus, although more and more international shows are visiting the country, this is still a result of criticism and controversy.

Let it be what it is, Metallica will perform in Riyadh as the headliner of the Soundstorm Festival on December 14. On the label we also find a very diverse range of artists, with names such as Pharrell Williams, Chris Brown, HER, The Black Eyed Peas, J Balvin and Anne-Marie, plus DJ Tiesto and David Guetta.

The event is not exactly small, since It is estimated that last year’s edition was attended by 600,000 people.. Soundstorm has been organized by production company MDLBEAST since 2019.

The festival site, of course, has a corresponding area of ​​five and a half million square metres. Inside, you can find park areas, food courts, and even street musicians entertaining attendees. In this way the festival is sold as “The strongest week in Riyadh”.

For its part, Metallica announces the following about the offer: “We’re not done with 2023 yet, as we have an amazing opportunity to play a festival we’re new to and in a part of the world we rarely visit. We’re thrilled to announce that on Thursday 14th December we’ll be the first rock band to play at Soundstorm Festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.“.

The history of Metallica in the Middle East

Metallica performed for the first time in the Middle East in 2011, more specifically at Etihad Park in Abu Dhabi. Two years later, the band returned to play there.

Before playing again in Abu Dhabi in 2013, Lars Ulrich He told The National the following: “When we were here a year and a half ago, it was really magical. And that’s not something I say everywhere… There were so many different nationalities, so much energy, and it was all a shared experience.”

“When we started playing, there were many parts of the world where the kind of music we were making wasn’t accepted. In many places they didn’t know what we were doing or didn’t have enough infrastructure to support a group like us. But it’s also openness. It is changing and the world is shrinking. “It’s great to be on the front lines.”