Ancient Kingdoms Festival 2025 Welcoming Ceremony Illuminates Hegra With Stunning Display

The Ancient Kingdoms Festival 2025 opened on Thursday night with a stunning welcome ceremony in Hegra. Set against the remarkable backdrop of Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, the festival began in the landscapes made famous by the Nabataeans with an immersive celebration of culture, history and storytelling.

Guests from around the world were welcomed by AlUla’s renowned Rawis, the region’s premium storytellers, with tales of the historic city and its place at the heart of the Incense Road, to open the weekend in fitting fashion. The Rawis’ depth of historic knowledge, shaped through continual interaction with archaeologists, and lifelong connection to the land not only makes them the perfect narrators of the Ancient Kingdoms Festival, but also reflect AlUla’s commitment to community-led interpretation of its history.

The guests then participated in a symbolic incense-burning ceremony alongside Nabataean characters inspired by the signature, award-winning Hegra After Dark experience, evoking ancient customs of gathering along the Incense Road and marking the beginning of this year’s festival.

Those in attendance were then treated to the award-winning Hegra Drone Show – Stories from the Sky experience, an epic performance that illuminated the night sky with hundreds of drones to share stories of Hegra, its people, and its place in global history.

 The programme was rounded off by this year’s first Hegra Candlelit Classics concert, where hundreds of candles illuminated the tombs of the ancient Nabataean city as Japanese composer and pianist YOSHIKI performed alongside Grammy-nominated trumpet virtuoso Ibrahim Maalouf.

In his welcome address, Dr. Abdulrahman AlSuhaibani, VP of Culture at the Royal Commission for AlUla, said, “Today, AlUla is recognised as one of the most active archaeological regions in the world and its historical significance is becoming clearer than ever, revealing the complex and often unexpected legacies of ancient North-West Arabia.

“For us, heritage is not only something we protect; it is something we revitalise, interpret, and share. Through this festival, and the activations we deliver year-round, we aim to share this rich history and make it accessible and engaging for everybody, standing as a source of knowledge, inspiration, delight, and enrichment.

“The Ancient Kingdoms Festival is made possible by a flourishing cultural ecosystem, one that creates opportunity, nurtures talent, and empowers the people of AlUla. I take great pride in seeing local expertise at the forefront of this work.”

Running from 20 November to 6 December 2025, the Ancient Kingdoms Festival reinforces AlUla’s reputation as one of the world’s most significant destinations for archaeological discovery, human heritage, culture, and creative exploration.

Guided by this year’s theme, Journeys Through Time, the festival invites visitors from all over the world to explore the deep histories, interconnected civilisations, and cultural traditions of AlUla.

It will once again set a new benchmark for immersive cultural storytelling, bringing more than 7,000 years of human history to life in a series of innovative experiences.

The final Hegra Candlelit Classics concert takes place on Friday, 21 November with performances by Grammy-winning jazz and soul artist Jon Batiste and Lebanese singer Marilyne Naaman.

An array of the Ancient Kingdoms Festival’s experiences open this weekend, too, with the Incense Road Experience, Hegra Drone Show – Stories from the Sky, Hegra Geology Hike, Hegra Children’s Tour, The Secrets of the Scribe – Ikmah After Dark, and Old Town Escape House Experience bound to delight visitors of all ages. The highly-anticipated return of Hegra After Dark will further captivate audiences from 26 November.

For more information on the Ancient Kingdoms Festival, visit experiencealula.com.