Manager Festival Cultural Program📣 Job Ad

About Qiddiya and the Role

Qiddiya is a giga-project under Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, aiming to become a global destination for entertainment, sports, and culture. This full-time role for a Manager Festival Cultural Program is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The individual will contribute to shaping a new lifestyle destination by leading the planning and delivery of large-scale cultural programming.

Role Purpose

The primary purpose of this role is to lead the planning and execution of the core Cultural Festival programming. This involves ensuring the delivery of a high-impact, large-scale cultural program that drives visitor engagement and aligns with the overall objectives of the asset.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, produce, deliver, and manage a high-volume portfolio of festival programming, including the coordination of over 1,400 performances, events, and cultural activities.
• Structure programming across multiple zones and time slots to optimize flow and engagement, ensuring alignment with overall strategy and visitor demand.
• Identify, engage, and manage third-party program experts, producers, and cultural partners for programming development and delivery.
• Lead the execution of all festival programming, coordinating across multiple venues and activities, and managing daily program operations, schedules, and real-time adjustments.
• Coordinate the onboarding, scheduling, and management of performers, artists, and contributors, including regional, international, and government-affiliated participants.
• Ensure the readiness of all participants, covering rehearsals, technical requirements, and performance delivery, while managing diverse participant groups.
• Monitor program performance during the festival, dynamically adjusting schedules, and addressing operational challenges in real time to ensure continuity and quality under pressure.
• Track attendance, engagement, and program effectiveness, identifying high-performing and underperforming content to inform future programming improvements.

Key Success Metrics

• Festival attendance and engagement levels.
• On-time delivery of programming elements.
• Visitor satisfaction scores.
• Revenue performance of festival programming against budget targets.
• Contribution of programming to overall asset financial performance.

Qualifications and Requirements

• 6-10 years of experience with a strong background in large-scale event programming, festival management, or live event delivery.
• Proven experience in planning and delivering large-scale festivals, cultural events, or entertainment programs.
• Experience managing multi-day, high-volume events with multiple simultaneous activities.
• Strong understanding of event lifecycle management, from planning through live delivery.
• Demonstrated experience in managing live event programming under real-time conditions, including overseeing daily schedules and activity coordination.
• Ability to handle last-minute changes, disruptions, and operational challenges during live events.
• Experience managing large numbers of performers, artists, and cultural contributors, including coordinating rehearsals and technical requirements.
• Experience ensuring readiness and smooth delivery across diverse participant groups.
• Experience managing programming across multiple stages, zones, or venues simultaneously, coordinating parallel activities while maintaining consistency and quality.
• Strong understanding of crowd flow, timing, and programming distribution.
• Experience leading teams, coordinators, and on-ground staff during live events.
• Experience in major national events, festivals, or large public events, particularly in cultural or entertainment programming environments.
• Experience in pre-opening or launching large-scale events is an advantage.
• Strong coordination and execution capability, with the ability to operate effectively in high-pressure environments.

Application Process

Candidates meeting the above requirements are encouraged to apply.