East meets West at Tantora Festival’s Azimuth Event

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - Saudi Gazette report

ALULA — Winter at Tantora launches the Azimuth Event, where the culture of the East meets the West, and it is the last event, closing the second season of the festival. The event will take place in the location of the most ancient civilizations. The three-day event will present many activities such as live music, world-class food experience, and an epic film that captures the gathering of the present and the past within a site of limitless historical significance.

The Azimuth is an ancient instrument that was used by the Nabateans who settled in AlUla to tell the time by the angle of the sun. From 5-7 March 2020, some of the most notable talents from East and West will converge on this historical site once more. Music, food and cultural collaboration will be celebrated at the UNESCO World Heritage Site and the historical old town of AlUla in Saudi Arabia. The event will mark the end of Winter at Tantora, a festival that has been running every weekend since December ’19.

March 6th, the main day for the music part of the festival, will feature performances from international electronic dance artists — The Chainsmokers as well as Jean Michel Jarre, Tinie Tempah, Super Junior D&E, Hollaphonic, and local talent such as Omar Bassad and Hamza Hawsawi.

On the culinary side, Azimuth will feature menus created by Brazilian head chef Alex Atala of D.O.M., two of New York’s rising stars Jeremiah Stone and Fabian von Hauske Valtierra of Contra and Wildair, and beverages designed by globally awarded drinks experts Mr Lyan Studio. The festival will also host pop-up restaurants Annabel’s and La Cantine du Faubourg for lunch, Sass Café for dinners and Nobu at Maraya Rooftop for drinks.

Bringing the weekend’s art program to life are British contemporary artist Lauren Baker and the conceptual art studio Shuster & Moseley led by Claudia Moseley and Edward Shuster. This in addition to Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Room — The Brilliance of Souls, installed in the Maraya concert hall.

Guests will also have access to the inaugural Desert X AlUla exhibition, hosted in AlUla. Desert X AlUla is the first site-responsive exhibition of its kind in Saudi Arabia. An exploration of desert culture, the exhibition is a cross-cultural dialogue between artists from Saudi Arabia and its surrounding region and artists from previous iterations of Desert X in California, taking its cues from the extraordinary landscape and historical significance of AlUla.

Single-day tickets for the main festival day on March 6 and 3-day weekend passes (5-7th) to the event are available at www.azimuthfestival.com. Itineraries to choose from include –– accommodation at AlUla's most luxurious Camp Ashar, transfers via luxury SUV, meals at any of the restaurants and pop-ups on the culinary program, and sunset drinks and canapés served on the rooftop of Maraya Hall, on top of the world-class music performances happening throughout.

Excursions available to guests over the weekend include; Desert X AlUla, Hegra, Elephant Rock, Wadi Al-Qura, AlUla trails, Vintage Aircraft Tours, Winter at Tantora Zipline Adventure, AlUla Fresh, Winter Park, Experience Jabal Ikmah Rock Art, Hijrat Nora and the Brilliance of the Souls installation.

Set amongst the ruins of the ancient region of Hegra, Azimuth will also be captured by director Carl Hindmarch as he shoots a feature film documentary of the musical experience and tells the unfolding story of human enlightenment and relationship with technology. Exploring AlUla as the home to lost civilizations and countless centuries of discovery and inventiveness, this will unfold as a feature film and music experience that tells the unfolding story of human enlightenment and our entanglement with technology. The story of Azimuth is universally human and unfolds in four dimensions on-screen, and on stage.