Tourism & Hospitality | Friday 6 March, 2020 12:11 am |

The Winter at Tantora Festival brought a rich mixture of international music at Maraya Concert Hall during the penultimate week. The festival hosted some of the world's most famous musicians and bands. The Royal Commission for AlUla organises the festival and aims to bring different cultures together through music and art.

The events were attended by an audience made up of guests from the Kingdom and around the world. The weekend featured a diverse mix of music beginning with the commemoration of the legendary band ABBA, to international artists such as Kool & The Gang, Sister Sledge, Lionel Richie and Craig David.

The young ABBA Revival Band performed a concert honouring the Swedish pop group ABBA. The group has an incredible legacy of timeless pop rhythms and an undeniable spot in music history. This Swedish band is as top-rated today as it was in the seventies.

Kool & The Gang participated in the festival for the first time and performed iconic songs such as Celebration, Cherish, Jungle Boogie, Summer Madness, and Open Sesame. The band has won two Grammy Awards and seven American Music Awards. They have been on the list of the top 10 bands 25 times in addition to receiving many other accolades.

It was also the first performance in the area for the band Sister Sledge. They became a hit after the release of their songs He's the Greatest Dancer and We Are Family, which ranked top in many music competitions.

The award-winning American singer-songwriter Lionel Richie composed and performed many of his most celebrated songs both as a solo artist and as the lead singer of The Commodores. Richie performed at the concert on Friday alongside British singer-songwriter, rapper, DJ, and music producer Craig David. The combination created an enchanting mix of music for that magical night.

In the arms of the picturesque nature of AlUla, the concerts took place at Maraya Concert Hall, which is the largest theatre constructed with mirrors in the world, it represents a modern architectural masterpiece and can accommodate about five-hundred guests with the addition of a high-quality opera theatre sound systems. The festival also includes many other diverse activities in the local markets, winter garden, farms, and the old town.

Over the course of 12 weeks, the festival will present a variety of activities that merge Eastern and Western culture, embodying AlUla's heritage as a meeting point for different civilisations from around the world throughout history. 

Winter at Tantora Festival offers a wide range of diverse experiences that cater to all tastes from all walks of life. The festival will take place every weekend starting 19th December 2019, and running until the 7th March 2020. Guests this year will have the unique opportunity to visit the historical heritage sites before they are closed to the general public until October 2020. They will also be able to attend musical and artistic performances by some of the most respected artists in the Arab and international world.