It is now all but confirmed that WrestleMania 43 will take place in Saudi Arabia in 2027.
The news was first announced in a Snapchat video by Turki Al-Sheikh — the Chairman of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority, who stated that WWE’s biggest show of the year would be coming to the Kingdom. This will also mark the first time that The Show of Shows has taken place outside of North America:
“WrestleMania has been announced, for the first time outside of America, WrestleMania in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2027.”
Although there has been no official announcement from WWE, multiple outlets, including PWInsider and F4WOnline have confirmed that the news is true, with Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline adding that the deal will include the go-home SmackDown and Raw after Mania, and the deal is around $100 million in value. Mike Johnson of PWInsider stated in their report that a press release was issued in Arabic, but was quickly pulled as no official announcement had been made, but is expected soon.
Providing further information, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select stated that there is an announcement planned on Friday, September 13, which could be the Saudi Mania made official given that it is currently Riyadh season. It is also noted that Saudi Arabia has made it very clear that they have wanted to host Mania since the relationship began 7 years ago.
WWE Bringing WrestleMania 43 To Saudi Arabia
The announcement was not well-received by fans online, with the WWE and Saudi Arabia relationship remaining a point of contention ever since it began in 2018. While there was hope in the UK that London would be the first city to host Mania outside of the United States and Canada, it appears that the honour will instead go to one of the cities in Saudi Arabia. Aside from the pandemic, WWE Premium Live Events and TV tapings have been held in the Kingdom at least once every year, reportedly generating WWE $50 million per event. The announcement is also set to greatly affect independent promoters who capitalise on the Mania buzz in the United States by hosting events in the host city each year.
WWE will also bring the Royal Rumble to Saudi Arabia in 2026.
Featured image: WWE
