WWE has confirmed that WrestleMania 43 will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2027.
The company’s Chief Content Officer, Paul Levesque, made the announcement together with Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, in a live video on the WWE YouTube channel just after 3.00 pm ET on Friday.
The news followed an earlier leak from Alalshikh, who broke the news on Wednesday during a live social media broadcast. In a Snapchat live video, he reportedly said, “We are announcing that for the first time, WrestleMania will take place outside America…WrestleMania will be coming to Saudi Arabia in 2027.”
The official confirmation came on Friday. The dates and venue for the event were not disclosed, beyond it taking place in the capital city, Riyadh.
The date for the 2026 Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia was confirmed, however, as Saturday, January 31. It too will take place in Riyadh.
The Fontainebleau Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, was the site of the announcement, which began with Joe Tessitore hyping the Canelo vs. Crawford boxing fight this weekend. He then brought out a number of WWE personalities, including Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, Seth Rollins, Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Logan Paul, Liv Morgan and Stephanie Vaquer.
Paul Levesque was then introduced. He said:
This is an incredible day. Since 1985, WrestleMania has stood as the pinnacle of sports and entertainment, and as one of the greatest sports franchises the world has ever seen.
From its humble beginnings in Madison Square Garden on closed-circuit TV, WrestleMania has grown into a cultural phenomenon that brings people together from across the globe.
He added:
Today, we are here to talk about what’s next in the legacy of WrestleMania. And to help us announce this, I want to welcome a dear friend. We are currently in our eighth year of a long-term and fruitful partnership with the General Entertainment Authority, the GEA. This partnership, guided by His Excellency, Turki Alalshikh, has seen historic firsts year after year, as we work together to collectively reshape what’s possible in global entertainment.
Alalshikh then took to the stage. Everyone present referred to him as “His Excellency” when referring to him.
Levesque continued:
Today, we announce something that takes this partnership to a new level. So on behalf of His Excellency, on behalf of Nick Khan, WWE President, who was the driving force on this deal, I would like to announce that for the first time ever, WrestleMania will be held outside of the United States and Canada.
In 2027, we are proud to announce that WrestleMania 43 will take place in Saudi Arabia as part of Riyadh Season. History will undoubtedly be made again. Thanks to our partners at the GEA and Riyadh Season, we just could not be more excited for this opportunity.
Levesque also claimed that the Saudi fans were instrumental in the decision, saying:
It also doesn’t happen without the fans of Saudi Arabia, without the fans in Riyadh, without the fans in Jeddah that have shown up time after time, that have gotten louder and louder every single time we have been there, that have done their homework, put in the chants.
They know everything. And it is one of our sort of hotbed fan bases, if you will. That has become a big thing globally for us lately, whether it’s fans in Paris or England or different locations of who is the loudest. I’ve got to put Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, up on that map of one of the greatest fan bases on the planet.
Alalshikh then made some remarks, including several references to former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon. He said:
Eight years ago, I met my father, Vince McMahon, and Triple H in my home when I was the Minister of Sport in my country. And I said to them, “Let’s go and change the future, doing big projects together.” And I hope now we deliver some of what we say.
Before a couple of years, my close friend, Nick Khan, became the president of WWE. And now we are saying to him that you are continuing the legacy of Vince McMahon, and you delivered for us a very big project, and a very big surprise will come in this year and next year, inshaAllah.
Addressing the leak of the news on Wednesday, he stated:
For two days, one of my office had a mistake and put something in the social media, in his social media for two seconds, and he get it out. The people get crazy, and they don’t believe it. Now it is truth.
No details were immediately available on the payment that WWE will receive from the Saudi government for bringing WrestleMania to the country. It has received approximately $50 million for each of its prior PLEs in the country.
The 2026 Royal Rumble has already been confirmed to take place in Riyadh in January. Again, it is the first time that event will be hosted outside of North America.
WWE’s relationship with Saudi Arabia began with a series of non-televised house shows starting in 2014. This arrangement escalated significantly in 2018 with the announcement of a 10-year strategic partnership between WWE and the Saudi General Sports Authority, now the General Entertainment Authority, in support of the nation’s Saudi Vision 2030 social and economic reform program.
The first major event under this new deal was the Greatest Royal Rumble held in Jeddah in April 2018. The agreement was later expanded through 2027, with WWE committing to two large-scale premium live events in the country each year.
Over the course of the deal, the total value to WWE is estimated to be around $1 billion. That may be a conservative estimate, given that the profile of the events has risen markedly to encompass marquee shows such as the Royal Rumble and now WrestleMania.
