Saudi Arabia to Host WWE WrestleMania 43 in 2027, First Time Event Leaves North America

Las Vegas, NV – In a landmark announcement, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) confirmed on Friday that its flagship annual pay-per-view event, WrestleMania 43, is scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia in 2027. This decision marks a significant deviation from tradition, as it will be the first time in the event’s history that WrestleMania is held outside of North America, signaling a strategic acceleration of WWE’s global expansion efforts.

The announcement was made during a high-profile event in Las Vegas, featuring WWE’s Chief Content Officer, Paul "Triple H" Levesque. He was joined by a delegation that included Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA), alongside a selection of prominent WWE figures past and present. Legendary performers such as The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels stood alongside current top stars like Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Liv Morgan, Stephanie Vaquer, and mainstream personality Logan Paul, underscoring the magnitude of the occasion. The specific date for WrestleMania 43 in 2027 remains unconfirmed, a detail that will likely be finalized closer to the event.

Levesque emphasized the depth and success of the existing partnership between WWE and Saudi Arabia, which has laid the groundwork for this unprecedented move. "We are currently in our eighth year of a long-term and fruitful partnership with the General Entertainment Authority," Levesque stated during the announcement. "This partnership, guided by His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, has seen historic firsts year after year as we work together to reshape what’s possible in global entertainment. In 2027, we are proud to announce that WrestleMania will take place in Saudi Arabia as part of Riyadh Season. History will undoubtedly be made again."

The roots of this historic development trace back to 2018 when WWE and Saudi Arabia forged a comprehensive 10-year partnership. This agreement, reportedly valued at approximately $1 billion, established a framework for WWE to host two major events annually in the Kingdom. Since its inception, this collaboration has seen a series of high-profile events, including multiple editions of Crown Jewel, Super ShowDown, Elimination Chamber, Night of Champions, and the inaugural King and Queen of the Ring tournament in Jeddah in May 2024. These events have consistently drawn large crowds and significant broadcast viewership, contributing to WWE’s international revenue streams and expanding its global footprint.

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The financial terms surrounding WrestleMania 43’s inclusion in this existing agreement remain unspecified. It is currently unclear if the hosting of the company’s biggest annual spectacle falls within the parameters of the original 10-year, $1 billion deal or if it represents a separate, additional financial arrangement, reflecting the elevated status and production costs associated with WrestleMania. Historically, WrestleMania has been a major economic driver for its host cities, generating tens of millions of dollars in direct and indirect spending through tourism, hospitality, and local services. Bringing this economic engine to Saudi Arabia represents a new frontier for both WWE and the Kingdom’s burgeoning entertainment sector.

WrestleMania’s shift to Saudi Arabia aligns with the Kingdom’s broader "Vision 2030" initiative, an ambitious strategic framework aimed at diversifying the country’s economy, reducing its reliance on oil, and developing various public service sectors, including health, education, infrastructure, recreation, and tourism. Hosting global sporting and entertainment events is a cornerstone of this strategy, positioning Saudi Arabia as a major hub for international spectacles. The General Entertainment Authority, under Turki Alalshikh’s leadership, has been instrumental in attracting and facilitating these events, transforming the nation’s entertainment landscape. Riyadh Season, specifically mentioned by Levesque, is an annual state-sponsored entertainment and sports festival that has brought numerous international acts and events to the capital, further solidifying Saudi Arabia’s position on the global entertainment map.

The move is expected to generate diverse reactions from the global WWE fan base and the broader sports and entertainment industry. While some fans may welcome the unprecedented international location as a sign of WWE’s growth and a unique travel opportunity, others may raise questions related to human rights concerns and the concept often termed "sports washing" – where countries utilize high-profile sporting events to improve their international image. WWE has previously addressed such criticisms by emphasizing its role in entertainment and cultural exchange, highlighting the positive impact it believes its events have on local communities and its commitment to showcasing diversity within its programming. The presence of female WWE Superstars like Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Liv Morgan, and Stephanie Vaquer at the announcement event in Las Vegas underscores WWE’s continued efforts to promote its female talent on a global stage, even in regions with differing cultural norms regarding women’s roles in public life.

Logistically, hosting WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia presents both challenges and opportunities. WrestleMania is a monumental production, requiring extensive infrastructure, including a stadium capable of accommodating upwards of 60,000 to 100,000 attendees, advanced broadcasting facilities, and robust transportation networks for talent, crew, and fans. Previous WWE events in Saudi Arabia have utilized venues such as the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah and Mohammed Abdu Arena in Riyadh. For WrestleMania 43, it is anticipated that a purpose-built or significantly upgraded stadium will be required to meet the scale and grandeur synonymous with the event. The time zone difference will also impact live viewership in North America, necessitating strategic scheduling for the broadcast, likely involving a daytime event in Saudi Arabia to align with prime-time viewing hours on the American East Coast.

The announcement for WrestleMania 43 comes as WWE continues to refine its strategy for future major events. WrestleMania 42, the preceding annual spectacle, is scheduled to return to Las Vegas for the second consecutive year in 2026. This decision itself was a notable shift, as the company had initially awarded the 2026 event to New Orleans before revising its plans. This dynamic approach to host city selection reflects WWE’s evolving business priorities, including maximizing gate revenue, sponsorship opportunities, and strategic market development. The selection of Saudi Arabia for WrestleMania 43 further illustrates this evolving strategy, prioritizing global market penetration and leveraging existing partnerships for unprecedented expansion.

Paul Levesque, a pivotal figure in WWE’s creative and strategic direction since taking over as Chief Content Officer, has consistently advocated for an aggressive international growth strategy. His vision encompasses not only touring more frequently in global markets but also bringing the company’s biggest events to new territories. This move with WrestleMania 43 represents the culmination of years of groundwork and aligns with his publicly stated goals of making WWE a truly global entertainment phenomenon, transcending its North American roots. The involvement of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and its chairman, Turki Alalshikh, has been critical in actualizing this vision, providing the financial backing and governmental support necessary to stage events of this scale.

The 2027 WrestleMania will undoubtedly be a historic chapter in the event’s four-decade-plus legacy. Since its inception in 1985, WrestleMania has grown from a single-night spectacle into a multi-day festival, attracting hundreds of thousands of fans and generating massive economic impact for its host cities, predominantly across the United States and Canada. Its move to Saudi Arabia is a testament to the changing landscape of global sports and entertainment, where major organizations are increasingly looking beyond traditional markets to forge new partnerships and capture new audiences, while host nations seek to enhance their international profiles and diversify their economies. The eyes of the wrestling world will undoubtedly turn to Saudi Arabia in 2027 as it prepares to host "The Showcase of the Immortals" for the first time on foreign soil.