Until the Sun Comes Up – Azimuth Rocks AlUla
From the soaring, searing peak to the deepest, darkest drop, the beats and bops of Azimuth AlUla have taken audiences on immersive journeys as memorable and moving as the mountains and wadis of the spectacular scenery at AlUla itself.
Organized by MDLBEAST, Azimuth AlUla is the – no, THE – annual music festival of the AlUla Moments calendar, welcoming artists and audiences from across Saudi and around the world for two days of the best new music from the Kingdom and beyond. Scheduled for the last weekend of September, the event also aligns with Saudi National Day, giving everyone extra energy to celebrate not just the music, but the Kingdom that’s created the setting, venue, and environment to bring these artists to the stage.
For 2025, the fifth edition of Azimuth AlUla’s theme was “Until the Sun Comes Up”—because could there be a better way to describe a festival which starts at sunset and pushes on into the night? It’s about music, art, fashion, and food pop-ups that nourish the mind, body, and wardrobe, showing the same mix of international and local flavours as the music. So, whether you made it to the festival, or just wish you did, let’s look back at some of the best artists and moments from the main stage.
Some people might see being the first artist on the main stage as a bit stressful. But if Canadian-Palestinian singer, songwriter, and icon-in-the-making, Nemahsis, was feeling the pressure, it certainly didn’t show. Setting the tone for the festival to come, her set combined electro, indie, ear-worm melodies, and incisive lyrics – as well as drip that paid tribute to both Saudi’s heritage and her own – showing why she’s one of the most exciting international voices today. With the hearts, bass, and feet now all feeling the beat, the party just went to the next level with Zeyne, one of Arabic music’s rising stars taking the crowd on a genre-hopping journey across local beats, soul, jazz, pop, and R&B.
Next up, Saudi artists took the stage. DJ BKR Sound was followed by electro-duo Dish Dash. AlUla may have been their home crowds, but we couldn’t hear them taking it easy. Their sets, although different in tone and style, showcased just why Saudi is seen as a hotspot for new musical talent. After this Saudi stopover, the world tour of music carried on. RDJ Music, from nearby UAE, brought a very-Dubai mix of deep-house and underground electro, before we hopped across continents to Spanish duo Mëstiza, who, in keeping with the genre-bending energy of Azimuth, brought together the emotion of flamenco with house and techno beats that defined the night, before Turkey’s moment came with Mahmut Orhan blending indie, disco, and house.
To wrap up Day 1, two of the world’s leading DJ acts took the Azimuth audience to a new zenith. Mind Against, from Italy via Germany, brought a hypnotic mix of techno and electro to a collective “oh!” from the crowd as the swirling music matched the colours and shapes of AlUla’s illuminated scenery. They were followed by Christian Löffler who, while set to bring the night to a close, kept the energy electric to the very end (just as the festival theme promised).
Day 1 was done, but the party wasn’t over. As day 2 dawned, attendees could enjoy a slow start to the day to take in the sights. But when Shkoon took to the stage to start that evening’s revels, they relit the fire in everyone. The Syrian and German duo brought AlUla tumbling Arab beats and lyricism, mixed with modern-German techno hits – music that makes you move and think. Next, they hit us with the UK’s London Grammar. If you’ve seen pictures of AlUla or been lucky enough to visit, you’ll know that “ethereal” is a pretty appropriate adjective, and if you’ve heard London Grammar’s music, you’ll know “ethereal” fits them too. Are they and Azimuth a match made in heaven? Now we’ve heard and seen the two together, we certainly can’t imagine a better soundtrack.
We also can’t imagine a better DJ to get the dance going again, after that much needed breather, than South Africa’s Shimza. His set did for African rhythms what previous sets had done for their Arab equivalents – blending these traditional beats with modern EDM to create something truly new. A new find for us, he’s gone straight on the playlist! He was followed by Colyn, a Dutch DJ mixing beats with emotion to take the audiences places and – once again – he fit the vibe of AlUla like a glove.
With Day 2 and the festival drawing to a close, it was up to the last two artists, the one-of-a-kind Kevin De Vries and his melodic techno followed by Cairo-via-Canada deep house maestro, Ash. With these two, it was one hit, one emotion, one trip after another – until the sun comes up indeed.
Azimuth 2025 may be done, but the music echoes on, across the landscape of AlUla and on our playlists. We can’t wait for next year and, in the meantime, we’re going to keep spinning some of our favourite 2025 sunset-to-sunrise tracks!
