What An Unfinished Venue Could Mean for Fans

The Royal Rumble 2026 is a WWE pay-per-view and livestream event. It will be the 39th Royal Rumble show. The event is scheduled for Saturday, January 31, 2026. It will take place at the King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Wrestlers from the Raw and SmackDown brands will compete.

This will be the first regular Royal Rumble held outside North America. It will be WWE’s 14th event in Saudi Arabia under its 10-year agreement linked to Saudi Vision 2030. It will be the second event to include a Royal Rumble match after the Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018. It will also be the first WWE “Big Five” event hosted in Saudi Arabia. In the United States, it will be the first Royal Rumble streamed on the ESPN app.

The show centers on the Royal Rumble match. The winner usually earns a world title match at WrestleMania. The men’s winner can choose to challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship from Raw or the Undisputed WWE Championship from SmackDown. The women’s winner can choose between the Women’s World Championship from Raw or the WWE Women’s Championship from SmackDown at WrestleMania 42.

WWE Fans Remain Concerned About Royal Rumble 2026 Stadium Readiness in Saudi Arabia

WWE fans are still uneasy about the Royal Rumble stadium in Saudi Arabia, even though reports say everything is fine. The Royal Rumble will be held later this month in Saudi Arabia, which is a first in the event’s nearly 40-year history. It is also the first time the Royal Rumble is taking place outside North America. WWE plans to hold the Premium Live Event inside a brand-new stadium, and the Royal Rumble will be the first event ever hosted there.

The concern started after videos began circulating online that appear to show the stadium still under construction. These clips show unfinished sections, with seating still being installed, which immediately worried fans. Many began questioning whether the venue would be ready in time and if WWE might have to delay the Royal Rumble. With the event now just 16 days away, fans expected the stadium to be fully completed and possibly even prepared for stage construction.

PWInsider addressed the situation last week and stated that the rumors about a delay were false. The report stated everything is still on schedule, and there is no risk of the Royal Rumble being postponed. That update calmed fans for a short time, but fresh videos have now appeared online, bringing the worries back again. Based on what is visible, the stadium does not look close to being ready for a major event happening in just over two weeks.

There are, however, some important things to consider. There is no confirmation of when these videos were actually recorded. They could be old footage from weeks or even months ago. Also, most fans reacting to the clips are not experts in stadium construction. What looks unfinished to viewers may still be normal at this stage of the process, and the venue could be much closer to completion than it appears.

Even in the worst case, delaying the Royal Rumble would be WWE’s last option. WWE could move the event to another venue in Riyadh if needed, and there is even a possibility of hosting the show in the United States if it came to that. For now, there is no official indication that WWE’s plans are changing.

At the moment, it seems likely that the situation is being blown out of proportion. WWE has reassured everyone that the event is still happening as planned. When the Royal Rumble finally begins on January 31, fans may end up wondering why there was so much concern in the first place.

FAQs

Q. What time does the Royal Rumble start in 2026?

A. The 2026 Royal Rumble starts at 2 p.m. ET and 11 a.m. PT.

Q. When is the WWE Royal Rumble 2026?

A. The 2026 Royal Rumble takes place on Saturday, January 31, 2026.

Q. Why is the 2026 Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia?

A. It is part of WWE’s 10-year partnership with Saudi Arabia in support of Saudi Vision 2030 and is the first traditional Royal Rumble held outside North America.