WWE Royal Rumble 2026 will take place on Saturday, January 31, 2026, with an earlier than normal start time due to the event being held abroad.
The show will be staged in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at the Riyadh Season Stadium and due to the time difference, North American viewers will watch the premium live event in the afternoon instead of the traditional evening.
Royal Rumble 2026 start time for the main card is 2:00 PM ET. The pre-show countdown begins at 12:00 PM 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 battles expected to set the stage for 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 participants.
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 participants 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 among the participants.
