Nancy Ajram, Marshmello and Black Eyed Peas to perform at Saudi Arabia's Gamers8 festival

The eight-week event will feature lots of music concerts and some of the world's leading esports teams competing for a share of $15 million

Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram will team up with Marshmello for a performace at Saudi Arabia's Gamers8 esports festival in Riyadh. AFP

Nancy Ajram and Marshmello join the list of musicians who will perform as part of Gamers8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The esports festival announced a dozen artists to play weekly concerts in Boulevard Riyadh from July 14.

While Lebanese pop star Ajram and EDM producer Marshmello will perform their own sets on August 11, expect them to team up on stage to perform their single Sah Sah, which is out on Friday.

Ajram teased the announcement on social media last week, posting a picture with Marshmello in a recording studio on Instagram.

Also taking the stage are an array of regional and international artists spanning Arabic pop, electronic music and hip-hop.

On July 21, Swedish DJ Axwell, Emirati-Yemeni singer Balqees and Egypt’s Mohamed Hamaki take the stage.

July 28 will feature a solo performance by rapper Lil Pump.

Moroccan DJ and producer R3hab will play on August 4, while rapper Russ leads a bill that will include DJ Alan Walker and Egypt electronic act Disco Masr on August 18.

After impressing crowds at Expo 2020 Dubai last year and the Saudi F1 Grand Prix in Jeddah in February, the Black Eyed Peas will return to the region to perform on August 25 alongside DJ Snake.

The latest news follows Gamers8's announcement of a blockbuster opening night's concert on July 14, featuring pop stars Balvin and Amr Diab, as well DJs Sebastian Ingrosso from Swedish House Mafia and Salvatore Ganacci.

Tickets for the concerts are now available from the official website, with entry to the opening night concert starting from 299 Saudi riyals (Dh293), while others starting from SAR 240.

The festival will end on September 8, but expect more big-name music acts to be announced soon.

Gamers8, running with the theme Your Portal to the Next World, is described as “the biggest esports and gaming event worldwide”, where tournaments are played alongside entertainment and cultural offerings.

According to its organiser, the Saudi Esports Federation, more than 1,000 activities, from concerts to comedy and magic shows, are part of the programme.

On the sporting front, Gamers8 invites some of the world’s best players and teams to compete across popular titles, such as Rocket League, Dota 2, Fortnite, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege and PUBG Mobile.

The total prize pool on offer is $15 million, one of the biggest in any esports competition.

The tournaments will be broadcast live on the festival’s social media channels in more than eight languages, including Arabic and English.

“The opening ceremony of Gamers8 will be a spectacular occasion, befitting a city of the imagination and ambition of Riyadh,” said Ahmed Al Bishri, chief operations officer of the Saudi Esports Federation.

“The goal of Gamers8 is to bring the virtual world of esports and gaming out into the physical realm of Riyadh while merging a plethora of other fun and futuristic events and attractions.

“We look forward to revealing even more artists of the quality of the opening night as the summer progresses — so watch this space.”

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