At the Palace of Versailles, on the eve of Saudi Arabia’s National Day (Sept. 23), the latest tour of the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir—part its Marvels program—brought together over 100 Saudi musicians, each with their own journey and story.

Versailles Echoes With New Notes

In early September, Versailles wrote an unfamiliar chapter in its long history. The same walls that once carried the sounds of French royal court music reverberated this time with a new rhythm. Among corridors filled with Europe’s old grandeur, the voices and instruments of the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir declared that the Kingdom now speaks to the world in a new language: the language of music.

This was more than a concert. It was a symbolic scene that captured the essence of a growing cultural movement—reflecting Saudi Arabia’s transformation as it reshapes its image through strings, voices and melodies.

More Than Just an Ensemble

Founded in 2019 under the Music Commission, the orchestra and choir were never meant to be just another musical troupe. Their mission was bigger: to create an academic environment for Saudi musicians and give local heritage a global platform.

The Marvels tour has already traveled through Paris, New York, London, Sydney, Tokyo and Mexico City. Versailles was not only another milestone in Europe’s most storied palace, but also a moment when a new generation of Saudi musicians stood proudly before the world—offering an image of their country that emerges from within, yet opens outward with confidence and passion.

The orchestra’s first international stop was Paris in 2022, where The Masterpieces of the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir debuted. The tour expanded to Mexico City, New York, London, Sydney and Tokyo, before returning home in early 2025 for a performance in Riyadh. In August this year, another Riyadh concert celebrated the graduation of the first cohort of the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir’s Music Education Program after two years of training.

Masterpieces Across Cultures

The tour carved a bridge between Saudi music and global audiences by adapting performances to resonate with each culture. In London, traditional song “Addayt fi Marqab” was fused with an Adele medley. In New York, Frank Sinatra’s classic “Fly Me to the Moon” was reimagined with Eastern rhythms. In Tokyo, audiences heard anime themes performed in Arabic.

At Versailles, in a 90-minute performance, the orchestra blended Saudi traditional and contemporary music with folk dances such as khibaiti, majroor and khutwa—before shifting into French and even operatic singing. The highlight came with a joint performance alongside the Royal Opera Orchestra, conducted by Egyptian maestro Hany Farhat—the first Arab ever to lead the French orchestra. The following day, Saudi conductor Reaab Ahmed took the baton, becoming the first Saudi maestro to lead the national orchestra.

A Mosaic of Over 100 Musicians

What makes this project remarkable is not just its academic foundation but also the diversity within its ranks. Behind the unified sound stand of over 100 musicians with unique stories.

Some left entirely different careers to follow music: Adwaa Shanan once practiced clinical psychology, Ma’an Al-Yamani worked as a sales consultant, Maha Abdullah in medical care while Ibrahim Al-Rashed, a pianist, was a network engineer. For them, joining the choir was a life-changing moment.

Their musical tastes are just as varied. Nawaf Al-Jizani, the youngest member, loves classical music—an influence from his father, though he admits to listening to rap like most of his generation. Chorister Fatimah Zahid shone in Versailles with her rendition of “Les Champs-Élysées” in French. Hataf and Taghreed Al-Shahrani prefer old Arabic songs, while Horia leans toward R&B.

Backstage, each musician carried a different mood and style, but once on stage, differences dissolved into one shared voice. That diversity—seemingly contradictory—gives the orchestra and choir their unique identity: individual tastes converging into a collective national sound.

“Our Music Holds Dignity and Majesty”

The orchestra and choir did not choose the easy path of merely performing existing Western classics. Instead, they placed Saudi music at the heart of their repertoire—songs by icons like Mohammed Abdu and Talal Maddah, and folk traditions such as samri, majroor and mizmar yanbawi—all reimagined in modern orchestral arrangements.

“Saudi music carries within it dignity, majesty and solemnity,” said qanun player Yazid Al-Aidi. The project preserved this essence while placing it in a classical frame, allowing the world to hear Saudi music as Saudis do—not replacing identity, but expanding its reach to new audiences.

Building From Scratch—But Building Strong

Saudi soprano Reemaz Al-Oqbi embodies both pride and realism. Trained in opera since childhood, she knows the challenges of pioneering a new cultural era—especially for women in a fast-changing society.

“Studying music from a young age gave me a different perspective, to see it as a real profession,” she said. “We are building from scratch in Saudi Arabia—but building a strong foundation, an environment where musicians can live with dignity and a clear future. It’s harder for women, but thank God, the opportunities are now here.”

“The Concert Is Like a Feast”

Between exhausting rehearsals and the thrill of audience applause, unforgettable moments stand out.

“The best moments are in the final days before travel, when the choir and orchestra come together and we finally see the full picture,” said Hassan Al-Mahouzi. For Nawaf Abdulhadi, joy comes when the choir conquers a difficult phrase in perfect unison. For Wahib Al-Salem, the performance day itself feels like a holiday: “The concert is like Eid.”

Yet all agree that the climax comes in the finale, when they bow and hear the applause. As chorister Rose put it: “The most beautiful moment is when the stage glows green”—the color of the Saudi flag, symbolizing both national pride and collective achievement.

A Nation Writing Its Story in Music

At the Versailles concert, Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan declared: “Culture is a driving force for sustainable development, a key engine of economic and social growth, and a source of inspiration for future generations to build a better world filled with dialogue, stability and prosperity.”

The Saudi National Orchestra and Choir’s presence at Versailles was more than a performance. It was a symbolic announcement that Saudi Arabia is writing its cultural story with the voices of its sons and daughters. Each note testified to the transformation of a society opening to the future without abandoning its roots.

When over 100 musicians merge into one voice, the boundaries between individual and collective, past and present, local and global, blur—capturing the very essence of Saudi Arabia’s vision: a story that begins from within yet speaks to the world with confidence and creativity.

Zach Top, Keith Urban and Brooks & Dunn will be the three headliners for the 2026 edition of C2C: Country to Country.

The annual international country music fest, created by AEG Europe and SJM Concerts, takes place March 13-15 with the artists each headlining a show at London’s the O2, Glasgow’s OVO Hydro and Belfast’s SSE arenas over three consecutive nights.

Appearing with Top, who will start in London on March 13, will be Scotty McCreery, Waylon Wyatt and Noeline. This marks Top’s first European dates, while McCreery recently came back from playing in Europe and has built a strong following overseas.

Urban, who will start in Glasgow on March 13, will be joined by Russell Dickerson, Tyler Braden, Alana Springsteen and Bayker Blankenship. Urban has frequently played throughout Europe.

Brooks & Dunn will launch in Belfast before playing in Glasgow and London, marking their first time headlining C2C and the legendary duo’s first U.K. appearance since 2010. They will be joined by Drake Milligan, Kameron Marlowe, Ashley Cooke and Mackenzie Carpenter.  

More artists are set to be announced for all the bills.

Tickets will go on sale Friday (Sept. 26) at 10 a.m. local time.

C2C launched in 2013 at London’s O2 Arena, with appearances by Tim McGraw and Carrie Underwood, and then expanded to Dublin (now Belfast) and Glasgow.

BBC Radio 2 is the broadcast partner for C2C, while the Country Music Association is a key festival partner. “CMA is proud to once again sponsor the Spotlight Stage at C2C,” Sarah Trahern, CMA CEO said in a statement. “Helping rising country artists take their music to international audiences and working alongside the industry that champions them worldwide remains central to our mission.” The CMA will also sponsor a songwriters series.

Starting in 2019, editions will launch in the Netherlands and Germany, which are held the week before the London/Belfast/Glasgow dates with some overlapping artists. 

The 2026 Norwegian edition, to be held March 5-7 outside of Rotterdam, will feature Jordan Davis, Top, Milligan, Jackson Dean, Marlowe, Braden and Wyatt, among others. The Germany edition, to be held in Berlin March 6-8, will feature Davis, Top, McCreery, Milligan and Marlowe among others.

Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi’s new daughter was born to be Jon Bon Jovi‘s grandbaby.

About a month after the Stranger Things actress and Rockbottom actor announced they’d welcomed a baby girl through adoption, the rock icon gave an update on life as a new grandpa while appearing on Bunnie xo’s Dumb Blonde podcast. “[It’s] crazy, but great,” he began of gaining a new family member. “Wonderful.”

“They adopted a girl, and we met the baby, obviously, and immediately, that becomes your grandchild, you know what I mean?” Bon Jovi continued on behalf of himself and his wife, Dorothea Hurley. “Your baby. So it’s beautiful, I want to see pictures like every other day, I’m that pain-in-the-butt guy already.”

Brown and Bongiovi announced on Aug. 21 that they were now parents, writing in a joint statement, “This summer, we welcomed our sweet baby girl through adoption.”

“We are beyond excited to embark on this beautiful next chapter of parenthood in both peace and privacy,” the pair continued. “And then there were 3.”

The news came about a year after the two actors tied the knot after three years of dating. Brown is 21 while Bongiovi is 23, but according to the latter’s father, the couple is stronger than ever despite getting married and starting a family at such a young age.

“They got married very young, but we blessed it because we get it,” Bon Jovi told Bunnie xo, who is married to country star Jelly Roll. “They’re sort of mature beyond their years. Her and Jake fell in love and we just thought, ‘OK, we’ll support this.’ It’s working out.”

Of the Enola Homes star, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer added, “She’s a sweetheart, and she’s a hard worker. I tell her all the time how much I admire her, because her work ethic is unbelievable.”

Bon Jovi’s Dumb Blonde debut comes as his band is gearing up to release Forever (Legendary Edition), a revamped edition of their 2024 album that will feature collaborations with Avril Lavigne, Bruce Springsteen, James Bay and more. Jelly also makes a cameo on the Oct. 24-slated LP, adding vocals to “Living Proof.”

Listen to Bon Jovi’s full interview with Bunnie xo below.

The iHeartRadio Music Festival is officially in the books for 2025, complete with unforgettable performances from Tate McRae, Ed Sheeran and more.

Taking place across back-to-back nights starting Friday (Sept. 19), this year’s event brought some of the biggest names in music together at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. In addition to McRae, the first day of the festival featured explosive live showcases from LL Cool J, Bryan Adams, Justice, Sammy Hagar, Diplo, BigXthaPlug and Bailey Zimmerman. Jelly Roll also brought the house down with covers of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama,” Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa’s “Young, Wild & Free,” and Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers,” while Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine performed a gorgeous acoustic rendition of “She Will Be Loved.”

On Saturday (Sept. 20), the concert continued with performances from The Offspring, John Fogerty, Tim McGraw and Mariah Carey, who took the audience on a trip through some of her biggest hits, including “Always Be My Baby” and “Obsessed.” Fresh off the release of his new album Play, Sheeran performed tracks such as “Shivers,” “Azizam,” “Perfect” and “Shape of You,” after which GloRilla closed out the whole event with performances of “Blessed,” “TGIF,” “Yeah Glo!” and more of her fan-favorites.

The festival comes six months after the annual iHeartRadio Music Awards, which saw Benson Boone, Gracie Abrams and Billie Eilish take home big awards. For those who missed the festival, a special featuring highlights from the two-day extravaganza is coming to Hulu on Oct. 2.

Until then, catch up on some of the best moments from the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Festival by checking out photos below.