Lebanese singer Fadl Shaker is returning to public concerts with a performance at the Abu Bakr Salem Theatre in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on 22 October as part of Riyadh Season. It will be his first appearance before the season’s audience after many years away from the stage.
Turki Alalshikh announces Fadl Shaker concert in Riyadh
Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, announced the concert on his account on the X platform, saying: “Many people asked about him, and many waited for his return… the great artist Fadl Shaker will meet his audience in Riyadh after a long absence.” He added that tickets for the evening would go on sale on Wednesday evening.
The Riyadh concert marks Shaker’s return to live public activity after an absence linked to his disappearance from public view amid legal cases dating back to the Abra events, which took place in the Lebanese city of Sidon in 2013. Those cases have seen a series of differing rulings and judicial decisions in recent years.
Fadl Shaker
Lebanese singer
- 2018
Acquitted of fighting
The Military Court acquitted Shaker in 2018 of directly participating in the fighting during the Abra events, while convictions and charges linked to other cases remained against him. In 2020, he was sentenced in absentia to 22 years in prison. In October 2025, Shaker surrendered to the Lebanese authorities after about 12 years in hiding.
- May 2026
Acquittal ruling
His cases subsequently saw new developments, including a ruling acquitting him in May 2026 of attempting to kill Hilal Hammoud, before he was released on financial bail in July of the same year in a number of cases, while judicial proceedings continued in others.
Riyadh Season awaits Shaker’s return before the public
Riyadh Season hosts a group of Arab and international artists each year as part of a programme featuring concerts and entertainment events that attract audiences from Saudi Arabia and across the region. Shaker’s expected appearance will be his first public concert as part of the season’s events. The evening is expected to include a selection of Shaker’s best-known songs, which have been associated with his audience since the beginning of his artistic career, alongside some of his more recent work.
The concert is attracting interest from his audiences in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and the wider Arab region because of the length of his absence from public concerts.
Audiences are awaiting the release of tickets to learn their prices and seating categories, as well as the organisational details and the list of songs Shaker will perform at the concert scheduled for 22 October at the Abu Bakr Salem Theatre.
