
- The Land of Legends
In Riyadh’s Mayadeen Venue, Dragone reimagined the soul of the souk — and in doing so, revolutionised the live entertainment industry forever. Nothing like this had ever been attempted before. Commissioned by Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA) and realized with Dragone’s partner Hwadi, Souk Wonders transformed heritage into a labyrinth of wonder, where food, art, architecture, and performance merged into one.
A Souk Reimagined
Inspired by the historic souks of Diriyah, the 6,400-square-metre venue glowed with arches, lanterns, spices, and music. But here, the market became a stage: walls shifted, ceilings opened to acrobats, and entire corridors dissolved into performance.
Chefs from across Saudi Arabia and the Arab world (Egypt, Syria, Palestine) stood side by side with international masters of Italian, Japanese, Turkish, and Belgian cuisines. Fifteen food stalls became as much theatre as gastronomy, offering scents and tastes that carried visitors across continents.
And around every corner, a new surprise: performers tumbling down walls, fire and song rising into the night, dancers weaving between tables, a souk alive with dreamlike motion.
Souk Wonders broke the boundaries of what a show can be. It was not theatre, not market, not festival — but all of them at once. A living labyrinth where food, culture, technology, and human artistry converged.
It honored the roots of Saudi Arabia through dance, song, and cuisine — while embracing the world through international artistry. It gave every visitor, whether in the heart of the crowd or gazing from a VIP tower, an experience that felt uniquely theirs.
With Souk Wonders, Dragone proved once again that entertainment is not only about spectacle, but about creating worlds. Worlds where the familiar becomes fantastic, and the souk — the timeless heart of Arab culture — becomes the stage for tomorrow.
The People of the Souk
The heartbeat of Souk Wonders was its cast of over 120 performers, an unprecedented fusion of Saudi and global talent:
- 30 local dancers, showcasing the strength of a new Saudi generation.
- 30 traditional dancers, bringing the majesty of the Samri dance, grounding the show in cultural memory.
- 30 international artists, each with their own marvel:
- A troupe of trampo-wall daredevils scaling and leaping across vertical stages.
- A one-man orchestra from Denmark, summoning symphonies alone.
- A fearless high-wire walker from Canada, suspended high above the souk.
- A mesmerizing fire breather, sculpting flames against the desert sky.
- Aerialists, jugglers, contemporary dancers, breaking gravity with every move.
- Beloved Saudi singer Ghada Sheri, her voice a bridge between tradition and innovation.
Together, they created a market where every encounter became a performance, every step a discovery.
An Immersive Extravaganza
But Souk Wonders was more than performance. It was an entire city of imagination, designed for both spectacle and intimacy:
- VIP experiences on a scale never seen before:
- A comfort zone for relaxed encounters.
- An opulent Majilis-inspired VIP area.
- An entire first-floor VIP terrace, overlooking the souk.
- A VIP tower dominating the venue, a beacon of exclusivity and wonder.
- A maze of corridors and stairways, built to make guests lose themselves in discovery.
- A mind-bending Illusion Room (by Rames Illusion), tricking perception and stretching the body’s sense of scale.
- A full 3D mapping room designed especially for children, telling enchanting stories through walls of light.
- Boutiques, retail spaces, and culinary stalls transforming shopping and dining into living theatre.
Every element was meticulously designed to make guests ask: Is this reality, or a dream?
Facts at a Glance
- Title: Souk Wonders
- Commissioned by: Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA)
- Produced with: Dragone’s partner Hwadi
- Venue: Mayadeen Venue, Riyadh (6,400 m²)
- Construction: 1 year of development, 3 months of construction
- Run: 25 days during Diriyah Season
- Cast: 120+ performers
- 30 local dancers
- 30 traditional Samri dancers
- 30 international artists (trampo-wall, one-man orchestra from Denmark, high-wire walker from Canada, fire breather, aerialists, jugglers, dancers)
- Saudi singer Ghada Sheri
- Experiences:
- Chefs from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Italy, Japan, Turkey, Belgium
- 15 culinary stalls
- Comfort zone, VIP Majilis, VIP terrace, VIP tower
- Illusion room (by Rames Illusion)
- Full 3D mapping room for children
- Shops, retail, and immersive maze of corridors and stairways
- 1 year of creative development
- 3 months of construction to raise the venue and its intricate structures
- 25 days of performances during Diriyah Season, hosting thousands of visitors
The scale was unprecedented — a full marketplace reimagined as a multidimensional stage.