Venue
AlUla Governorate, Medina Province, Saudi Arabia
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Winter at Tantora, AlUla guide
Arabic pop stars in AlUla's canyons.
In short
Music fans and travellers drawn to AlUla's landscape can expect Winter at Tantora from about mid-December 2026 to early January 2027, though the Royal Commission for AlUla had not confirmed dates by mid-October. Big names in Arabic pop headline, with heritage nights alongside, in settings that include a mirror-clad concert hall in a canyon. Book once the line-up appears.
Each winter the desert oasis of AlUla, in north-west Saudi Arabia, runs a season of concerts and heritage nights called Winter at Tantora. The name comes from an ancient sundial in AlUla Old Town that farmers used to read the seasons. The next edition is expected from mid-December 2026 to early January 2027.
Dates had not been confirmed by the Royal Commission for AlUla as of mid-October. Last season ran from 18 December 2025 to 10 January 2026.
Big names in Arabic pop dominate the bill, and the setting does a lot of the work: a mirror-clad concert hall in a canyon, and an open-air stage between sandstone walls.
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Key Facts & Stats:
Where: AlUla, Saudi Arabia
Held: Every year
Type of event: Musical Events, Cultural Events, Folk Festival
Currency: Saudi riyal (SAR, ﷼)
Time zone: UTC+3, no daylight saving
Language: Arabic
Map
Getting around
Hotels near the venue fill up around the event dates.
Expected dates for the 2026 to 2027 season
Going by last season, which ran under the theme "Winter Brings Us Together", the festival should open in the third week of December 2026 and close around 9 or 10 January 2027. Concerts are announced one at a time. AlUla's events team has warned that tickets go fast, so keep an eye on releases through the autumn.
Venues in AlUla Old Town, Tantora Square and Maraya
- AlUla Old Town
- Old Town Nights, with a dinner and show at AlUla Fort, a culinary trail and a wall art walk.
- Tantora Square
- the Midday at Tantora tour and community gatherings around the sundial.
- AlJadidah
- Shorfat Tantora, concerts on rooftops and balconies along the Incense Road.
- Thanaya
- the open-air stage between the canyons.
- Maraya
- the mirrored concert hall, which Guinness World Records named the largest mirrored building in 2020.
- AlManshiyah Plaza
- weekend carnival.
Recent concerts and headline performers
Last season Wael Kfoury and Elissa played Maraya, Ahlam sang at Thanaya, and Assala Nasri shared the New Year's Eve bill there with Adam. Western headliners have appeared too. Andrea Bocelli, Yanni and Lionel Richie all played in 2019. Daytimes are slower, given over to guided walks through the mud-brick Old Town, food experiences and craft displays.
The festival's first edition in 2018
The first festival took place in 2018, and Maraya hosted its first concerts on 20 December that year. The timing follows the old Tantora tradition: when the sundial's shadow reached a certain mark, farmers knew the 40-day winter season had begun and it was time to plant. AlUla is also home to Hegra, Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. A concert at night and the Nabataean tombs by day is the usual way to do it.
Flights to AlUla and the drive from Medina
AlUla International Airport (ULH) has domestic flights from Riyadh and Jeddah. By road, Medina is roughly 300 km to the south; our guide to places to visit in Medina helps if you are combining the two. Desert nights in December and January are properly cold, so bring warm layers for the outdoor shows. Dress modestly in public. AlUla has few hotels and they fill early in festival weeks. Our list of places to visit in Saudi Arabia has more for a longer trip.
What happens on the day
- Autumn
Concerts announced one by one
There is no full programme up front, so keep checking.
- Daytime
Walks and tours
Days are quieter than nights.
- Evenings
Concerts and Old Town Nights
The festival comes alive after dark.
- Weekends
Carnival
AlManshiyah Plaza runs a carnival.
Booking concert tickets as soon as they are released
Concerts are the main draw, and organisers in AlUla expect strong demand for tickets, so watch for releases from October and book as soon as a show you want goes on sale. Rooms in AlUla are limited and go early during festival weeks, which makes it sensible to secure your stay before anything else.
Desert evenings in December and January turn cold, so bring warm layers for the open-air stages, and dress modestly in public. Plenty of visitors combine concerts at night with tours of Hegra by day. Our Saudi Arabia travel guide has more ideas for the trip.
The Tantora sundial and the start of winter
The name comes from the Tantora, an old sundial in AlUla Old Town. Once its shadow touched a certain point, farmers knew that the 40-day winter season was beginning and it was time to plant, and the festival keeps that timing. It was first staged in 2018, when Maraya held its opening concerts on 20 December, making it the oldest of AlUla's modern festivals.
The music leans toward major Arabic pop names: Wael Kfoury, Elissa, Ahlam and Assala Nasri all appeared in 2025 to 2026, and the 2019 edition brought Andrea Bocelli, Yanni and Lionel Richie. By day there are Old Town walks, food trails and craft displays.
Getting there
Flying in
AlUla International Airport (ULH) has domestic flights from Riyadh and Jeddah. Check entry rules on our Saudi Arabia visa page.
By road
AlUla is roughly 300 km north of Medina, so some travellers combine the two.
Around the oasis
Venues are spread out and distances add up. Arrange transport between them in advance.
Where to stay during the festival
The hotel below, in AlUla itself, is the nearest one we list to Winter at Tantora, AlUla. The next date is 17 December 2026. Book as soon as your dates are fixed, since rooms close to the festival are the first to go.
AlUla
Banyan Tree AlUla5-star hotel
No reviews yet
from$1,000.00/ night
- Internet – Wifi
- Airport shuttle
- Swimming pool
4 Rooms available
Book Now
Weather and what to pack
Winter in AlUla is dry and sunny, with a wide swing between day and night. Average highs in December and January are around 20 to 24°C, while nights fall to about 6 to 12°C, and rain is rare (1991-2020 normals).
Desert evenings at the open-air venues are cold.
Worth packing
- A warm jacket for desert nights
- Sunglasses, a hat and sunscreen
- Sturdy shoes for rocky sites
- Modest clothing that covers shoulders and knees
Car hire in AlUla
Airport transfer to Winter at Tantora, AlUla
Met at arrivals at AlUla International Airport (ULH) and driven door to door to AlUla.
- AlUla International Airport (ULH) → AlUla
- 34 km · 45 min
Restaurants and food in Saudi Arabia
Places to eat in Saudi Arabia before or after the celebrations.
Maraya Social
Rooftop, Maraya Concert Hall, Ashar Valley, Al Otheeb 43536, AlUla, Saudi Arabia
Cuisine:Modern EuropeanSharing plates
- Dine-in
- Outdoor seating
- Bar
Al Basali Seafood
Suq Bab Makkah, Al Balad, Jeddah 22236, Saudi Arabia
Cuisine:SeafoodHejazi
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
Kuuru
Al Malik Road, Al Khalidiyyah, Jeddah 23422, Saudi Arabia
Cuisine:JapanesePeruvian
- Dine-in
- Counter seating
- Bar
Marble
Turki Square, Makkah Al Mukarramah Branch Road, Umm Al Hamam Al Sharqi, Riyadh 12321, Saudi Arabia
Cuisine:SteakhouseBarbecue
- Dine-in
Najd Village
Al Olaya, King Fahd District, Riyadh 12262, Saudi Arabia
Cuisine:SaudiNajdi
- Dine-in
- Private room
- Outdoor seating
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Need help?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Booking
Tickets are sold through the official Experience AlUla website and app, usually a few weeks before each concert. Popular headliners sell out quickly, so register for alerts once the season is announced.
Age limits vary by event. Some concerts allow children with an adult, while others set a minimum age, so check the conditions on the ticket page before booking for a family.
Prices & payment
Prices for 2026-27 are not out. In past seasons concerts at Maraya started at a few hundred riyals and rose well beyond that for premium seats, while some heritage nights and walks cost much less or were free.
General
Maraya is a concert hall in the Ashar Valley clad in roughly 9,740 square metres of mirrors, completed in 2019. In 2020 Guinness World Records recognised it as the largest mirrored building in the world. It seats around 500 people.
Phone photos of the venues are fine, but professional cameras and full video recordings of performances are usually not allowed. Follow the rules on your ticket, as some artists ban filming altogether.
Aim to arrive 45 minutes to an hour before the start. Venues are reached by shuttle or car from AlUla's towns, and security checks take time on sell-out nights.
Yes, Hegra stays open with timed guided tours that need to be booked in advance. Holiday weeks fill fast, so reserve your slot as soon as your travel dates are fixed.
No. Saudi Arabia does not allow alcohol at public events, and AlUla is no exception. Expect mocktails, Saudi coffee and soft drinks.
Families & accessibility
Yes. Old Town evenings, the weekend carnival and daytime tours suit all ages. Late-night concerts are better for older children who can handle a long evening outdoors in the cold.
Timing & weather
The Old Town and AlJadidah have the main cluster of restaurants and cafés, from Saudi home cooking to upmarket dining at the resorts. Book dinner on concert nights, as tables are limited.
The first season ran in December 2018, when the Royal Commission for AlUla started opening the region to visitors. It has since become AlUla's main winter programme.