Noor Riyadh

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, November 26, 2024—Under the umbrella of Riyadh Art, Noor Riyadh’s 2024 Preview Night illuminated the King Abdulaziz Historical Center, offering a first glimpse at the festival. The evening brought together artists, curators and dignitaries to preview the fourth edition of the world’s largest light art festival, under the theme Light Years Apart.

Following welcome speeches from Architect Khalid Al-Hazani, Executive Director of the Riyadh Art Program, and Nouf AlMoneef, Festival Director of Noor Riyadh, festival curators Dr. Effat Abdullah Fadag and Dr. Alfredo Cramerotti led guests on guided tours of the 18 artworks surrounding Murabba Palace.

London-based artist collective, United Visual Artists, transformed the night sky into a living canvas with a preview of their drone show, Aether. Featuring 1,500 drones, the seven-minute performance explores the silent harmony of the stars and planets as it brings the unseen into view.

The Preview Night set the stage for Noor Riyadh 2024 which officially opens to the public from November 28 to December 14. The festival turns Riyadh into a citywide gallery across three iconic hubs—the King Abdulaziz Historical Center, Wadi Hanifah and the JAX District—as this year’s edition showcases 62 light-based artworks created by 61 artists from 18 countries.

Noor Riyadh 2024 features 18 Saudi artists and 43 international artists, with representation from Australia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States.

Noor Riyadh integrates public art displays with workshops, talks and community events, offering a unique blend of cultural enrichment and creative expression. Noor Riyadh has achieved 14 Guinness World Records, cementing its reputation as the largest and most impactful light art festival in the world.

The festival underscores Riyadh Art’s mission of transforming the Saudi capital into an open-air gallery. Since 2019, the Riyadh Art Program has presented over 500 artworks by more than 500 artists and attracted over six million visitors through its flagship festivals, Noor Riyadh and Tuwaiq Sculpture Symposium.

For more details, visit noorriyadh.sa or follow the festival on Instagram.