(19 Sep 2025)
ASSOCIATED PRESS –
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – 18 September 2025
1. Various of Gipsy Kings performing live on stage in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
2. SOUNDBITE (French) Nicolas Reyes and Patchaï Reyes, recording artists:
Nicolas Reyes: "We’re very happy, but we didn’t expect there to be a big party, in fact, it was a big party tonight. We were a bit surprised but pleasantly, pleasantly surprised."
Patchaï Reyes: "We were pleasantly surprised."
3. Gipsy Kings performing live on stage in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
4. SOUNDBITE (French) Nicolas Reyes and Patchaï Reyes, recording artists:
Patchaï Reyes: "It’s always a pleasure because it’s music that we play with the heart and we convey a lot, and to see that people are receptive and give us so much energy…"
Nicolas Reyes: It’s the first time we’re here."
Patchaï Reyes: "It’s also our first time here. It’s really…."
5. Various of Gipsy Kings performing live on stage in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a vibrant audience in attendance.
6. Audience applauding during the Gipsy Kings concert in Riyadh
7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ahmed Alghaith, Shared Services Supervisor for the Live Performances Path Project:
"Riyadh, as part of its goals, aims to enrich the theatrical scene in Saudi Arabia. We have seen this through various plays and cultural performances, from opera to the current Gypsy Kings and Anoushka shows, as well as musical performances previously executed or hopefully to be executed in the coming years. All of this is part of the Royal Commission’s objectives to make Riyadh, in particular, a local, regional, and global center in the fields of culture, arts, and theater, in alignment with vision 2030."
8. Various of audience applauding the performance of the Gipsy Kings in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
9. Wide of entrance
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Jasper Hope, General Supervisor of the Live Performances Path Project:
"(The) job of choosing who is coming to Riyadh to perform is about knowing who already lives here and what kind of music they enjoy . Riyadh already is a very , very diverse city . There are many different peoples and cultures who live here , and in the future there will be many more . So this week is all about world music. We have the Gypsy Kings tonight , and we have Anoushka Shankar on Saturday. Two very different artists , very different audiences , but still under the World Music banner."
11. Attendees gathering at the Gipsy Kings event venue, King Fahad Cultural Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
12. Digital displays showcasing Gipsy Kings concert in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
13. Attendees gathering outside a brightly lit venue in Riyadh for the Gipsy Kings event.
STORYLINE:
The French flamenco-pop band Gipsy Kings lit up the stage in Riyadh on Thursday night with a high-energy performance that drew a full house at the King Fahad Cultural Center.
The concert marked the band’s first-ever appearance in Saudi Arabia and was part of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City’s ongoing efforts to diversify the city’s cultural landscape as part of Vision 2030. Known for their spirited blend of traditional flamenco with Western pop and Latin rhythms, the Gipsy Kings captivated the crowd—even those unfamiliar with the lyrics.
While most in the audience didn’t understand the Spanish lyrics, the language barrier did little to curb the energy. Fans clapped, danced, and sang along to the rhythms.
“We didn’t expect it to be such a big party,” the band said in French after the concert. “We were a bit surprised, but pleasantly, pleasantly surprised.”
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