Riyadh music festival returns with live orchestral performances
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The Royal Commission for Riyadh City has inaugurated the second edition of the Riyadh Film Music Festival at Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, drawing widespread attention from composers, filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts across the Kingdom and abroad.
The festival, running until August 9, 2025, combines film visuals with live orchestral music to create an immersive experience. The opening night featured a symphonic performance that reimagined classic film scenes through music, setting the tone for a week of cinematic celebration.
This year’s program includes live orchestral renditions of soundtracks from four iconic films, including Top Gun: Maverick, Pirates of the Caribbean, Back to the Future and The Lion King. Audiences experienced well-known compositions such as He’s a Pirate, Alan Silvestri’s Back to the Future score and Hans Zimmer’s award-winning music from The Lion King, performed in real time alongside the films.
The event forms part of Riyadh’s broader cultural strategy, aimed at enriching the city’s entertainment landscape and promoting its status as a global destination for the arts.
