XP Music Futures Gathers Middle East Stakeholders in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia’s music conference takes place from Dec. 5 to 7, 2024 as part of the larger Riyadh Music Week
A performance as part of XP Music Futures 2023 in Riyadh. Photo: MDLBEAST
Riyadh’s Jax District becomes the hub of discussions, networking and performances for Middle East/West Asia stakeholders in the music industry as part of the fourth edition of music conference XP Music Futures, running from Dec. 5 to 7, 2024.
Among the speakers at the three-day event by Saudi Arabia-headquartered MDLBEAST Foundation include Saudi rapper Asayel, U.S.-based rapper Bas from J. Cole’s Dreamville Records, Belgian-Moroccan pop star Dystinct, EDM veteran (and XP Music Futures regular at this point) David Guetta, Arabic pop star Hassan Abouelrouss, metal guitarist Kiko Loureiro (formerly of metallers Megadeth and Angra) and Indian entertainment and music rights expert Priyanka Khimani, among others.
Another Indian name that’s appearing at XP Music Futures includes bassist-composer Mohini Dey, who is conducting a workshop titled Jazz Fusion: Exploring Multi-Instrumental Sounds on Dec. 7. Dey will also perform with her trio, MaMoGi in Riyadh, presented via the Bahrain Jazz Fest.
The Nite program at XP Music Futures will bring in everything from jazz and blues to metal, hip-hop, rock, Afrobeats, house and more. There’s hip-hop groups like Brij Ent., Tunisian artist Emel Mathlouthi, house act Avantgarde X, house/techno artist Gabu, Somalian-British artist Facesoul and showcases by the likes of Dubai platform The Fridge, Warner Music Nigeria and MDLBEAST Records, among others.
Previous editions have hosted renowned global and regional stars who have come and shared their knowledge in what is likely a bid to regularize music across genres in the region. Like with previous editions, there are initiatives launched and executed during the course of the music conference, including XChange workshops, Hunna for amplifying female voices through masterclasses and mentorships and community, the DJ competition known as Storm Shaker, an artist management bootcamp and for the first time, a guitar competition known as Pwr Chord.
A press release adds, “The competition will culminate in live performances at XP Music Futures. Winners will receive prizes, including a guitar signed by Kiko Loureiro, alongside career-boosting opportunities.”
The three-day event is also part of the larger Riyadh Music Week, which started on Dec. 5 and runs on until Dec. 14, 2024. Following XP Music Futures, there’s the Music Makers Summit on Dec. 8, the Music Cities Convention from Dec. 8 to 10 and the Billboard Arabia Music Awards on Dec. 11. It culminates into the massive music festival Soundstorm 2024, headlined by the likes of Eminem, Linkin Park, Camila Cabello, David Guetta and more.
Find more details about XP Music Futures here.
