WWE is planning to hold the 2026 Royal Rumble event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of the 2025-26 Riyadh Season. This announcement marks the company‘s first traditional Royal Rumble Premium Live Event (PLE) in the Kingdom, continuing WWE‘s expanding global presence.
The Royal Rumble 2026 Saudi Arabia edition follows the historic Greatest Royal Rumble held in April 2018 in Jeddah, where Braun Strowman emerged victorious and claimed the Greatest Royal Rumble Championship. This upcoming event in Riyadh promises to be a major milestone for WWE‘s international calendar.
Extensive Road to Royal Rumble Tour Across Europe
Before the Royal Rumble itself, WWE will launch the Road to Royal Rumble tour running from January 8 to 19, 2026, across Europe. This 12-day journey includes 11 shows in six countries, starting with a live event in Leipzig, Germany, and concluding with Monday Night RAW from Belfast, Northern Ireland.
The tour’s schedule is packed tightly, featuring a mix of live events, RAW, and SmackDown broadcasts in diverse venues such as the Quarterback Immobilien Arena in Leipzig, the Uber Arena in Berlin, and OVO Hydro in Glasgow. Other stops include Copenhagen, Dusseldorf, Mannheim, Newcastle, London, Gdansk, Nottingham, and Belfast.
Some notable stars leading the tour include Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Seth Rollins, Rhea Ripley, Tiffany Stratton, Randy Orton, Jade Cargill, and Jey Uso, all set to energize fans throughout the European leg.
Successful European Wrestling Event in Paris Draws Huge Crowd
WWE recently carried out a similar European tour ahead of the WWE Clash in Paris, which saw an impressive attendance of 30,343 fans. The event featured six matches, opening with Roman Reigns defeating Bronson Reed, despite Reed’s impressive performance, including two spears to Reigns.
The show also had high-impact moments such as Bron Breakker’s double spear on Reigns and Bronson Reed’s double Tsunami move that sent The OC member to the emergency room. Championship bouts saw Wyatt Sicks and Becky Lynch retain the WWE Tag Team and Women’s Intercontinental Championships, respectively.
Other highlights included Rusev prevailing over Sheamus in a Good Ol’ Fashioned Donnybrook Match. John Cena secured a memorable victory against Logan Paul in a match widely regarded as an instant classic. Seth Rollins maintained his World Heavyweight Championship after Becky Lynch aided him in a controversial main event Fatal 4-Way Match involving CM Punk.
Significance of the Royal Rumble 2026 Saudi Arabia Event
Hosting the Royal Rumble in Riyadh strengthens WWE’s efforts to globalize its flagship events beyond the United States, expanding its fan base and delivering culturally significant entertainment worldwide. The Road to Royal Rumble tour is an ambitious prelude that not only builds anticipation but also reconnects with European audiences ahead of WrestleMania 42.
This strategy underscores WWE’s commitment to large-scale international shows and enhances the visibility of top wrestling stars, including tribal chief Roman Reigns and rising names like Tiffany Stratton and Jade Cargill. Fans can expect a thrilling buildup to the 2026 Royal Rumble, with a blend of high-profile matches and locations that spotlight WWE’s footprint in Saudi Arabia and across Europe.
