Manager - Festival Cultural Program

About Qiddiya

Join Qiddiya, Saudi Arabia's ambitious Vision 2030 giga-project aimed at establishing the future capital of entertainment, sports, and culture. This initiative envisions world-class theme parks, arenas, outdoor adventures, and immersive cultural experiences designed to promote economic growth and national talent development, creating a vibrant lifestyle destination and a lasting legacy.

Role Purpose

You will be responsible for leading the planning and execution of the core Cultural Festival programming, managing a large-scale, high-impact cultural event that engages visitors and supports asset objectives.

Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and oversee a diverse portfolio of festival programming comprising over 1,400 performances, events, and cultural activities.
• Design programming schedules across multiple zones and timeframes to ensure optimal visitor flow and engagement.
• Collaborate with Commercial, Cultural Ecosystem, and Marketing teams to align programming with overall strategy and visitor demands.
• Identify and partner with third-party experts, producers, and cultural collaborators to enrich festival content.
• Lead festival execution across various venues, coordinating multiple activities and managing daily operations and scheduling adjustments.
• Manage onboarding, scheduling, and coordination of performers and participants, including regional and international artists and government-affiliated contributors.
• Ensure performers are prepared through rehearsals and meet technical and performance requirements.
• Monitor festival program effectiveness in real time, handling operational challenges and maintaining continuity under high-pressure conditions.
• Track visitor attendance, engagement, and program success; provide data-driven insights for future improvements.

Success Metrics

• Festival attendance and participant engagement levels.
• Timely and smooth delivery of festival programming.
• High visitor satisfaction rates.
• Festival programming revenue performance and alignment with budget targets.
• Contribution to overall financial performance of the venue.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Between 6 to 10 years’ experience in large-scale event programming, festival management, or live event delivery.
• Proven ability to plan and execute complex festivals or cultural entertainment programs.
• Experience managing multi-day events with multiple simultaneous activities across various stages or zones.
• Competence in event lifecycle management from planning to live execution.
• Strong skills in managing live scheduling, operational challenges, and last-minute changes effectively.
• Extensive experience coordinating large groups of performers, artists, and cultural contributors, including rehearsal and technical oversight.
• Capability to manage multiple parallel activities while maintaining performance quality and visitor flow.
• Leadership experience managing teams and on-ground coordinators during high-pressure live events.
• Background in major national or cultural events and large public festivals is preferred.
• Experience participating in pre-opening or launch phases of large-scale events is considered advantageous.