WWE is not expected to replicate the elaborate LED seating setup used at the 2026 Royal Rumble when the company returns to Saudi Arabia in the future.
For the Royal Rumble event in Riyadh, WWE constructed a custom temporary outdoor stadium in under a month, outfitting large portions of the seating area with LED lighting designed to enhance visual effects throughout the Premium Live Event. However, the experiment reportedly backfired on the broadcast side, making the arena appear noticeably empty on television despite a full crowd in attendance.
According to WWE sources who spoke with PWInsider, approximately 25,000 tickets were distributed for the event. One source indicated that WWE does not anticipate using the LED seating concept again for future Saudi Arabia shows, noting that the lighting looked far better in-person than it did on the televised broadcast.
The temporary venue was necessary due to scheduling conflicts, as WWE’s usual arenas in Riyadh were unavailable at the time because of football matches.
The Royal Rumble event itself received a mixed reaction from fans. During the post-show portion of the broadcast, Triple H was met with scattered chants of “We want Vince” from the crowd. In the end, Roman Reigns won the Men’s Royal Rumble, while Liv Morgan emerged victorious in the Women’s Royal Rumble match.
Looking ahead, WWE is expected to return to Saudi Arabia twice more in 2026, an increase after holding just one event in the country throughout 2025.
