RIYADH: The Noor Riyadh 2025 festival concluded its fifth edition on Saturday after attracting more than seven million visitors and securing 12 international cultural awards, reinforcing its status as the world’s largest light art festival.
Organized under the Riyadh Art programme of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, the festival showcased 60 artworks by 59 local and international artists from 24 countries.
This year’s edition was held under the theme “In the Blink of an Eye” and featured installations across six locations in the capital, including the King Abdulaziz Historical Center, Qasr Al-Hokm District, JAX District, Al-Faisaliah Tower and the King Abdullah Financial District.
Noor Riyadh received a series of global honors, including LIT Lighting Design Awards, Muse Design Awards, New York Architecture Awards and TITAN Awards.
It also set four Guinness World Records, recognising the largest moving water-based art installation, the largest illuminated emoji, the largest artificial intelligence–powered projection mapping on a building, and the largest 3D-printed mural artwork, according to organizers.
Khaled bin Abdullah Al-Hazani, vice president of the Lifestyle Sector at the RCRC, said the festival highlighted the role of art in enhancing the urban landscape and strengthening Riyadh’s position as a global cultural destination.
The event also featured an expanded community engagement programme, with workshops, panel discussions, family activities and guided tours attracting tens of thousands of participants.
Noor Riyadh forms part of the Riyadh Art program’s wider vision to transform the Saudi capital into an open-air art gallery, with upcoming initiatives including Tuwaiq Sculpture 2026, scheduled to launch early next year.
