Saudi Arabia will play host to the first ever international WrestleMania when “The Showcase of the Immortals” lands at the Gulf state’s shores in 2027.
It’s a groundbreaking yet contentious move by WWE, who will take its biggest event overseas for the first time in history. Since its inception in 1985, WrestleMania has only ever been hosted in North America, with 39 being held in cities across the United States while two have taken place in Canada.
However, the decision sees the likes of London and Paris passed over for the honour, who have earned global acclaim for their impassioned and undying wrestling fanbases. The French capital most recently hosted PLE (Premium Live Event) Clash in Paris, the latest of numerous Europe-based pay-per-views that have been held in the likes of Cardiff, Glasgow and Berlin to great critical and commercial acclaim.
All signs seemed to indicate that the first WrestleMania to venture over the Atlantic would be in Europe, with record 17-time world champion John Cena adding fuel to the fire in an impassioned promo at Money in the Bank in 2023, which was held at London’s O2 Arena.
“I’m here to try and bring WrestleMania to London,” Cena said to a massive pop. “Struck a nerve on that one didn’t I?
“I’m not here for one more match, I’m here because I know when those trumpets play, people watch and people listen, and right now I want to give something to an audience I love. I want to give them a chance to tell the world, to tell the people who make decisions, what we already know.
“Take a moment right now, let them know, let them see, let them feel, let them hear what WrestleMania is going to sound like in London!”
But following the announcement from WWE legend turned company chief creative Triple H, real name Paul Levesque, it’ll be in Saudi Arabia where WrestleMania first breaks ground on foreign soil.
This was all but confirmed by Turki Alalshikh, the Saudi sports advisor behind the country’s aggressive entry into combat sports over recent years, who made the claim before it was made official during a Snapchat live video on Wednesday.
WWE has a longstanding relationship with Saudi Arabia and signed a 10-year strategic deal with the Ministry of Sport in 2018. The company has since hosted numerous PLEs in both Riyadh and Jeddah.
The relationship has come under fire due to Saudi Arabia’s poor human rights record, with Crown Jewel 2018 – one of the first WWE events held in the Kingdom as part of the deal – becoming a subject of huge controversy as it took place just a month after the allegedly state-sanctioned killing of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
While there were calls from human rights activists for WWE to tear up the deal at the time, the promotion have continued to stage events in Saudi Arabia and have since achieved a number of historic feats, such as holding the first ever women’s match in the country.
Saudi Arabia will also host the 2026 rendition of the Royal Rumble – a staple of the wrestling calendar – in Riyadh.
