Saudi Arabia to host WrestleMania 2027, first outside North America

Saudi Arabia will host WrestleMania in 2027, according to a video posted and then deleted Wednesday by Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority, and subsequent reporting that says an official WWE announcement is imminent. The move would mark the first time WWE has staged its flagship WrestleMania event outside North America, organizers and media accounts said.

In the Snapchat clip, Alalshikh said, "We are announcing that for the first time, WrestleMania will take place outside America. WrestleMania will be coming to Saudi Arabia in 2027." WWE did not immediately confirm the claim Wednesday. A wrestling industry news outlet reported the story is legitimate and that WWE is expected to make a formal announcement soon. The original social post was removed hours after it appeared online.

If the reports are borne out, WrestleMania 43 will be the latest expansion of a commercial relationship between WWE and Saudi authorities that began in 2018. The companies entered a multi-year agreement under which Saudi Arabia has hosted multiple major live events annually. Reports have long estimated that WWE receives tens of millions of dollars for those shows; some...