WWE Royal Rumble 2026 Set For WrestleMania-Tier Production (WWE News)

WWE looks set to go all out with Royal Rumble 2026.

Jan 28, 2026 January 28th, 2026

With the 2026 Royal Rumble only a matter of days away, it sounds like WWE is going all out to make this year's Rumble as big as possible.

Per PWInsider, WWE is planning for a WrestleMania-level production for the Royal Rumble, with no expense being spared to make the PLE feel absolutely huge. This report notes that there have been internal WWE discussions about the massive investment made by Saudi Arabian officials for this event, and there is an expectation of this investment being reflected in a PLE that will be presented with the pomp, spectacle, and sheer scale of a WrestleMania.

Of course, WWE is currently in the middle of a ten-year, $500 million deal with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where the pro wrestling market leader nets a cool $50 million per PLE, traditionally running two PLEs each year in Saudi Arabia. The 2026 Royal Rumble is separate from this arrangement, with it believed that Saudi Arabia is paying an additional $100 million for the Rumble, and it's likewise understood that WWE is being paid in the region of $250 million to take WrestleMania 43 to Saudi Arabia next year.

For WWE Royal Rumble 2026, that takes place this Saturday from the King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In terms of a specific venue, the Rumble will be hosted at an unnamed, temporary outdoor stadium that has been built in recent weeks. As well as the men's and women's Royal Rumble matches, Drew McIntyre defends the WWE Championship against Sami Zayn, and AJ Styles puts his career on the line against Gunther.

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Andrew Pollard

Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.

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