Riyadh Season to Host 2026 Ethnosport Festival in November, Bringing Traditional Sports from Around the World
Saudi Arabia’s capital is preparing to host an experience bringing together sport, heritage and global culture after it was announced that Riyadh Season will host the upcoming edition of the 2026 Ethnosport Traditional Sports Festival in November, adding a new event to Riyadh’s lineup of international activities.
The announcement was made during a signing ceremony held in Istanbul on September 17, 2026, attended by Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority’s board of directors, and Bilal Erdoğan, president of the World Ethnosport Confederation. The agreements included Riyadh’s hosting of the 2026 edition, as well as Riyadh Season’s sponsorship of the festival’s following edition, scheduled to be held in Istanbul in May 2027.
What Is the Ethnosport Festival?
The concept of “ethnosport” focuses on traditional sports and games linked to communities’ heritage and cultural identity. Events at festivals of this kind include sports such as traditional archery, equestrian sports, wrestling and falconry, along with heritage experiences and practices that vary according to the participating countries and cultures.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, the World Ethnosport Confederation organizes the festival annually, with participation from multiple countries. This gives audiences an opportunity to discover games with deep historical roots, rather than simply watching sports competitions in their conventional form.
Riyadh Brings Entertainment and Global Heritage Together
Hosting the festival as part of Riyadh Season adds a new cultural dimension to the capital’s agenda, as the event presents the heritage of different peoples through sport and firsthand experiences. This format aligns with Riyadh Season’s expanding efforts to attract a diverse range of international events aimed at different segments of the public.
Turki Alalshikh said that hosting the festival in Riyadh in November would include a surprise for audiences, noting that cooperation with the World Ethnosport Confederation would continue next year through the sponsorship of the Istanbul 2027 edition.
The full program, daily schedule and list of participating countries and sports have not yet been announced and will be revealed later. Therefore, the confirmed details at this stage are that the 2026 edition will be held in Riyadh in November and that Riyadh Season will sponsor the Istanbul edition in May 2027.
A Cultural Event with a Sporting Character
Hosting the Ethnosport Festival is particularly significant because it presents sport as part of peoples’ cultural memory. Traditional archery, equestrian sports, wrestling and other games emerged in different social and historical contexts and, over time, became practices that preserve aspects of identity and heritage.
The Riyadh edition is expected to give Saudi audiences and visitors the opportunity to watch examples of these sports in one place while learning about their cultural backgrounds. The hosting also represents an extension of the Saudi capital’s growing presence on the international map of sporting, entertainment and cultural events.
Sources
Saudi Press Agency (SPA) – Announcement that Riyadh Season will host the 2026 Ethnosport Festival
