Wasla music festival will come to Riyadh for the first time in March

The indie Arab music festival will run over two days

Wasla music festival, which has been held in the UAE three times in the past, will take place in Saudi Arabia for the first time this year. Victor Besa / The National

Wasla, the region's Arab alternative music festival, will take place for the first time in Riyadh.

The event, which has had three successful runs in Dubai, will be held on March 4 and 5, featuring Arab and Saudi musical talents.

On March 4, Egyptian rock band Cairokee and Algerian musician Souad Massi will headline, while March 5 will feature folklore sensation Hamza Namira and Jordanian rock and jazz singer Aziz Maraka.

More than 15 bands will perform live covering a wide range of musical genres from hard to alternative and indie rock, as well as jazz, soul, funk and electro-pop. Tapped from Saudi Arabia's underground music scene, Al Farabi, Hajaj, Statues of Sinking Men and Fulana will perform.

The festival will be held in a grassy valley on a farm outside Riyadh and it will include a barbecue brunch, food and drinks, workshops, children's activities and art and fashion installations, as well as boutiques that reflect the cultures of different Arab nationalities.

The main headliners

Cairokee

Founded in 2003, Cairokee rose to regional fame in the wake of the 2011 Egyptian revolution with protest anthem Ya El Medan. For the past decade, the group have released numerous albums, including Abna'a Albuta So'da (The Ugly Ducklings).

Souad Massi

The Algerian singer-songwriter is known for her emotive mix of Arabic, French and Amazigh folk songs. Her music masterfully features powerful lyrics with heart-rending tunes, such as the track Oumniya.

Hamza Namira

Singer-songwriter Hamza Namira has built a pan-Arab fan base with folk and pop songs, making him one of the stars of Egypt's indie music scene. His tracks on YouTube have racked up more than 200 million streams.

Aziz Maraka

The Jordanian musician known for his Arabic rock-jazz musical style has gained regional fame with tracks such as Ya Bay, the ukulele-led Mafi Mennik and Konna Sghar. His simple lyrical style has gained him a youthful fan base.

Wasla festival takes place on March 4 and 5 at The Hidden Valley, Riyadh. Tickets are available at riyadh.platinum.net