Freaks of Nature opening week cancelled after approval delays

Freaks of Nature’s seventh edition, themed “Freakyard”, has seen its opening week cancelled after final operational approvals were not granted in time.

Headliners scheduled across the cancelled February 5-6 dates included Alesso, ARTBAT and Hot Since 82 on the first day, followed by Eric Prydz, MEDUZA, MORTEN and The Freaks (Live) on February 6.

Freaks of Nature organisers initially announced that the first day of Freakyard, scheduled for 5 February, had been cancelled due to circumstances outside their control, stressing that the decision was taken to ensure safety and maintain the standard of experience they aim to deliver. They said their focus had shifted to the following day while updates on tickets, rescheduling and lineup changes were being prepared. In a more personal follow-up message, the team described the setback as deeply difficult after years of planning and months of preparation, adding that they were working closely with ticketing partner NoFomo to support attendees and provide the best possible options while attempting to rebuild the programme and retain as many artists as possible.

In a subsequent update, organisers thanked supporters and said they were awaiting final approvals to proceed, noting that stages, operations and artists were ready to open as soon as permission was granted. They later confirmed that authorisation to open had ultimately not been received, making it impossible to proceed with the event that day. The team said they had taken every possible step to deliver the show responsibly, prioritising safety, and directed ticket holders to NoFomo for refunds.

Many ticket holders responding to the festival’s announcements on Instagram complained that staff at the entrance failed to provide adequate explanations, criticising what they described as a lack of communication that turned into major uncertainty and saying they were unable to find anyone to address ticket refund concerns.

Some people on X voiced frustration over the situation, with one user writing, apparently under the impression that the event was organised by MDLBEAST, probably due to the festival location, “@MDLBEAST What is this poor system and bad organisation with Freaks of Nature, and cancelling without notice?”

MDLBEAST responded to some of the complaints, stating: “We’re sorry about what happened. We’d like to clarify that the Freaks of Nature event was not organised by MDLBEAST. For any further details, please contact the event organiser directly.”

Another user wrote, “I was planning to go to Riyadh this week for Freaks of Nature, but it wasn’t meant to be, and the event got cancelled as well.”

The festival’s first-week programme ultimately could not proceed after final operational approvals were not granted in time. It remains unclear whether the February 12-13 programme will go ahead, where Alan Walker, Amelie Lens, Kasablanca, Martin Garrix, Mathame and The Freaks (Live) were set to headline.

Mixmag MENA has reached out to festival director Yazeed Alhashim, but had not received a response at the time of publishing.