The 2025 Esports World Cup kicked off at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh with a Post Malone concert on Thursday night.
The American singer-songwriter opened his performance with the 2019 hit Circles followed by a track list of fan favourites. The crowd revelled in a mix tape of his biggest hits, singing along throughout.
Complementing Malone's set list were special effects used on stage to bring each song to life.
During Sunflower, from the soundtrack of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Malone approached fans and even some of the VIPs in attendance. Later, he shared a moment with chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, one of the Esports World Cup’s ambassadors.
With the crowd warmed up, it was time for a performance of Malone's 2018 hit song Rockstar, which got some of the loudest crowd appreciation of the night.
Despite being a short concert, it served its purpose in getting the people of Riyadh, as well as its visitors, ready and excited for the competition about to unfold.
Malone ended his set with a message of good luck to all the competitors at the tournament, and a wish for those attending to enjoy the event.
Entertainment at the opening ceremony
Malone's set was preceded with a lively performance of the tournament’s official song Til My Fingers Bleed by Dino from K-pop band Seventeen, featuring American rapper and singer Duckwrth, and Telle Smith of metal band The Word Alive.
Before the artists took to the stage, fans flocked into the arena to enjoy various activations. Many watched as Saudi Arabia’s premier esports outfit, Team Falcon, competed in a tournament for the game Valorant. The game was projected on two large screens accompanied by live commentary.
Outside the venue, attendees enjoyed dishes from a selection of food trucks, which served up everything from burgers and fries to ice cream and bubble tea. A DJ also provided a soundtrack of remixed tunes.
The evening sidestepped many of the typical symbolic moves that signal the start of such a tournament, such as a ribbon cutting or speeches from organisers. Instead, the opening ceremony focused on the musical performances.
Running until August 24 in Boulevard City, Riyadh, the tournament is the largest esports event in the world, in terms of games played and prize pool for winners. The 2025 tournament features a $70 million prize pool, the largest in esports history. It surpasses last year’s total of $62.5 million, showing the growth and ambition of the competition.
It will feature 25 tournaments across 24 titles, offering a mix of strategy, shooter, sports, fighting and mobile games. This year, organisers have also set up a fan festival for visitors to enjoy outside of the competition arenas. These areas will host miniature competitions, meet and greets with celebrities and influencers from the world of gaming, as well as a museum dedicated to the history of gaming.
