RIYADH: AlUla, the historic heart of the Incense Road, has announced visitors can now book tickets for a collection of extraordinary experiences set in heritage sites for this year’s Ancient Kingdoms Festival, launching on Nov. 7.
Presented by AlUla Moments, the festival returns with a jam-packed program of daytime discoveries, adventure-filled exploration and theatrical after dark journeys inspired by the stories of AlUla’s ancient past, and delivered by some of the world’s best immersive experience creators, an official statement said.
Participating heritage sites include the Nabataean city of Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site; Wadi Al-Naam, a spectacular valley of iconic rock art; and the mudbrick maze of AlUla’s Old Town, recognized as one of the world’s best tourism villages.
Events include the “Incense Road Experience” in AlUla’s Old Town, an immersive adventure that invites visitors to traverse a historic maze of atmospheric mudbrick buildings as live performances and technology meet interactive storytelling and explorations of archaeological treasures.
Those in search of intrigue can look forward to “Masterpieces of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples,” a showcase exhibition taking place at Maraya, the world’s largest mirrored building.
Presented for the very first time in Saudi Arabia, visitors will encounter exceptional art history from Pompeii and Herculaneum alongside iconic works depicting enduring icons like Alexander the Great, Roman Emperor Trajan, and Marcus Aurelius.
The fan-favourite “Hegra After Dark” is another back by popular demand — offering a flavour of the ancient world even bigger and bolder than before. Praised by travelers and media alike, this world-leading immersive nighttime summit returns to Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage site with a magical “theater of life” expedition through the spectacular landscape and Nabataean era.
Also starring in the Ancient Kingdoms Festival schedule is the “Stories from the Sky” Hegra drone show, a jaw-dropping audio-visual production illuminating ancient monuments; and “Hegra Candlelit Classics,” back with a trio of immersive one-of-a-kind musical experiences.
The full offer for this year’s Ancient Kingdoms Festival also includes epic parades, treasure hunts in historic hunting grounds, yoga in the UNESCO Memory of the World site Jabal Ikmah, sky tours across Nabataean tombs and hands-on activities for families.
The festival will run from Nov. 7 to 30.
The full program and booking details can be found on experiencealula.com.
