Riyadh Season Moves WWE Crown Jewel to a New Venue 10 Days Before the Show

Riyadh Season, the Saudi entertainment festival run by the country's General Entertainment Authority, announced on X on Wednesday, Oct. 28, that WWE Crown Jewel has been moved to a new venue.

The show is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 7. It had been planned for the temporary Riyadh Season Stadium in the King Abdullah Financial District.

"All ticket holders will receive a full refund, and tickets will be re-released to everyone within the next 48 hours," the statement said.

The statement gave no reason for the change and no new location. WWE has issued no statement of its own.

Still in Riyadh, for now

The event is expected to stay in the Saudi capital. PWInsider reported that it remains in Riyadh, and Fightful Select reported the same, citing sources on site.

Fightful also reported that people at WWE headquarters learned of the move only when the Riyadh Season post went up. WWE's website still lists the original stadium. Construction on the temporary outdoor venue had already started.

NoDQ has reported that The Venue, also called ANB Arena, is one possible replacement. That arena hosts a boxing card headlined by Canelo Alvarez and Christian Mbilli on Saturday, Oct. 31. Dave Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio that WWE's decision to go ahead could depend on how that event goes, and that it could help WWE and its parent company TKO gauge security and travel conditions.

The security backdrop

The move comes during a conflict that has drawn in Iran, Houthi forces in Yemen, Saudi Arabia, the U.S. and others since late February, after President Donald Trump ordered airstrikes on Iran.

Earlier this month, Houthi strikes hit King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. More than a dozen people were killed, according to Fox News' OutKick.

On Oct. 21, the State Department ordered non-emergency U.S. government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia. The U.S. Embassy cited "safety risks" and said that Iranian-supported Houthis have attacked "civilian airports and other critical infrastructure resulting in civilian casualties and severe travel disruptions." It added that the hostilities "have the potential to escalate rapidly beyond that immediate area."

Saudi Arabia is under a Level 3 advisory telling Americans to reconsider travel. Level 4 advisories now cover Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.

On Monday, Oct. 26, Saudi military spokesman Col. Turki al-Malki said air defenses intercepted three ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis toward the Eastern Province.

WWE's position and the pressure on it

TKO CEO Ari Emanuel told Fox News on Oct. 22 that the company was doing "daily monitoring" and had a team working on contingencies. "If that doesn't happen, where we can move it," he said.

USA Today reported that Middle East experts and many wrestling fans have urged WWE to reconsider hosting a major event in the region. Emanuel's stated position is that the company is monitoring conditions and keeping the show on schedule, with a plan to relocate if needed.

Money is part of the equation. The Wrestling Observer reported that WWE could lose up to $90 million if the show does not take place in Saudi Arabia. That figure is the Observer's claim. Neither WWE nor TKO has confirmed it.

Other events in the kingdom have already been disrupted. The Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition, which was to feature Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic in October, was postponed to Dec. 27 to 30 after what organizers called an assessment of "organizational and logistical challenges."

WWE's 2026 calendar included the Royal Rumble in January and Night of Champions in June in Saudi Arabia. Crown Jewel was the third event there this year.

Riyadh is also slated to host WrestleMania 43 in April 2027. No official venue or date has been announced.

Eight months of conflict and a live U.S. evacuation order make that a harder sell than it was a year ago. A relocation inside the same city does not change the threat environment the embassy described. Houthi missiles have reached Riyadh's airport this month.

The next fixed point is the 48-hour ticket window Riyadh Season set. By Friday, Oct. 30, fans should know where the show is, or whether it is still on. The Canelo-Mbilli card on Oct. 31 is the next test of whether large crowds can gather safely in the capital.