Saint Levant continues to prove that his breakout success was anything but a flash in the pan. Fresh off releasing two new singles—both featuring Lebanese icon Haifa Wehbe and accompanied by their own music videos — the part-Palestinian artist is already looking ahead at what’s next. And with only a few days to go before he headlines Mahrajan’s debut edition in London on Aug. 1, he’s just announced a 41-date world tour that will take him across North America, Europe, and the Middle East.
With six stops across the Arab world—beginning in Amman on Aug. 13, followed by Kfardebian in Lebanon on Aug. 15, Casablanca on Dec. 3, Doha on Dec. 11, Muscat on Dec. 12 and concluding in Dubai on Dec. 19—the 25-year-old is embarking on one of the biggest and most ambitious tours of his career to date.
From what we know, the show will be far more than just a simple standard concert. Titled Layali Al Afandi, the live production is said to have been inspired by the Levantine cabarets of the 1990s. Conceived as a narrative performance, it combines live music, storytelling, and stage design to reflect the atmosphere and cultural influence of that era.
What’s more, there may be another Saint Levant project on the way too. Though the artist hasn’t publicly confirmed the news yet, Live Nation may have beaten him to the punch. In the tour’s official description, the global concert promoter reveals that AFANDI is not only the name of the tour, but also of his forthcoming sophomore album. And, in hindsight, it all adds up. From NANO with TUL8TE and Sabah El Ward to two collaborations with Haifa Wehbe and now a 41-date world tour, all signs have been pointing towards a larger project for months. Official release date, track-list, and cover art remain under wraps for now.
The tour description also offers a few clues about what listeners can expect from AFANDI. Live Nation describes it as “a new chapter marked by timeless elegance,” inspired by many Arab musical legends such as George Wassouf or Kadim Al Saher. What’s more, the album reportedly seeks to reinvent the figure of the afandi—a term once used across the Arab world to describe a well-dressed, educated and refined gentleman — it seems as if Saint Levant isn’t simply naming his next album after the archetype: he’s fully embracing it.
Presale tickets are expected to go live on July 21 before general sales open on July 24.