We were tasked with producing a world-class digital platform for MDL Beast, the first music festival of its kind in Saudi Arabia. The goal was to deliver a seamless, vibrant online experience in just under three months—a feat typically requiring over a year for most festivals. With the support of the Saudi Royal Family and key partners, Coherence rose to the challenge.
The Challenge
MDL Beast set out to create an unprecedented music festival in Saudi Arabia, featuring world-renowned global and local acts. The challenge, however, was to design and build a world-class website in just four weeks. The site needed to evolve constantly with updates ranging from ticket sales to lineup changes, all while handling massive bursts in traffic.
With such a tight timeline and the dynamic nature of the event, flexibility was critical. The website had to provide a flawless user experience while being adaptable to the festival’s ever-changing needs.
Our Approach
- Rapid Website Development
We replaced and rebuilt the existing website on WordPress, leveraging its flexibility to customise components to MDL Beast’s specific requirements. Given the festival’s fast-paced evolution, we set up a continuous deployment pipeline that allowed daily updates to go live seamlessly, ensuring the site could quickly adapt to new information.
- Optimising for High Traffic
Anticipating high demand, we deployed Impreva’s network with edge servers to maintain fast content delivery and protect the origin server from overload. This ensured the website remained stable even during traffic surges, particularly when ticket sales launched just two weeks before the festival.
- Collaborative, 24/7 Support
With teams operating across time zones from the UK, US, Saudi Arabia, and India, we provided 24/7 support and continuous delivery to meet the demands of the rapidly changing event. This flexibility ensured that any changes could be implemented immediately, from lineup updates to new ticket packages.
Testimonial
“There was a huge desire from everyone involved to make MDL Beast as successful as possible. As time was the biggest challenge faced, we knew being flexible was critical. We were operating and coordinating across multiple time zones including UK, US, Saudi Arabia and India meaning we had to deliver a 24/7 support package and continuous delivery approach”
Richard Bundock
CEO, Coherence
The Outcome
The MDL Beast website launched on 4th December 2019, just four weeks after Coherence was brought on board. The website successfully captured the festival’s energy and societal transformation in the region, while Impreva’s edge servers ensured stability during high traffic. The site allowed seamless ticket sales, just two weeks before the event, and handled the massive influx of visitors without any downtime. MDL Beast went on to host over 400,000 attendees, offering a multi-sensory experience, with performances by global superstars such as David Guetta, Martin Garrix, and local talent like Cosmicat and Dish Dash.
About MDL Beast
MDL Beast is a groundbreaking music festival held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, featuring international electronic music stars and local talent. The festival represents a major cultural shift in the region, showcasing the country’s evolving entertainment landscape and delivering an unparalleled multi-sensory experience to attendees from around the world.
