WWE Royal Rumble: What to know about the 2026 event set in Saudi Arabia

WWE Royal Rumble 2026 will take place on Saturday, January 31, 2026, with an earlier start time than usual because the event is being held overseas.

The show will be staged in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at Riyadh Season Stadium and due the time difference, North American viewers will be watching the premium live event in the afternoon instead of the traditional evening slot.

The Royal Rumble 2026 start time for the main card is 2:00PM ET. The countdown pre-show is scheduled to begin at 12:00PM ET.

The location marks a significant change for one of WWE’s biggest annual events. While the timing is different, the scale of the show remains the same, with multiple marquee matches and two Royal Rumble bouts expected to shape the road to WrestleMania.

The WWE Royal Rumble card is anchored by the Men’s Royal Rumble match and the Women’s Royal Rumble match, each featuring 30 competitors.

The men’s field includes several top stars, such as Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, Gunther, Jey Uso, Rey Mysterio, Bron Breakker, Randy Orton, Logan Paul and Brock Lesnar, with more entrants to be announced.

The women’s Royal Rumble match is also stacked, with names like Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Bayley, Asuka, Alexa Bliss and Iyo Sky listed among the competitors.