Last Thursday, the 4th edition of KAUST Got Talent brought together the community in a packed Auditorium at Building 20 for an unforgettable evening of performances, laughter, and heartfelt cheers. From powerful vocals and stirring melodies to dynamic dance and magic tricks, this year’s finalists wowed the crowd with their incredible range of talent.
The event was opened by Khawater Aldalam, a Saudi Arabian light-up dance crew from Jeddah, and concluded with special remarks and prize presentations by KAUST President Sir Edward Byrne AC, Amr Atiah, Vice President of Campus and Community, and Maha Aldubaiyan, Director of Social and Community Development, who applauded all participants for their dedication and passion.
Our 2026 panel of judges, our own Giovanni Vorraro, Ros Harvey and Cristina Lopez Latussek, who were joined by celebrity guest Qusai, a former host of Arabs Got Talent, had the challenging task of selecting winners alongside live audience voting. A heartfelt thanks goes to our charismatic hosts Belky and David Ketcheson, who kept the energy high throughout the night.
Special thanks to everyone who auditioned but didn’t make it to the final stage. Your courage and creativity are at the heart of what makes this event so meaningful. We’re also grateful to our amazing team of volunteers who supported this event behind the scenes, and to the audience, who filled the hall with encouragement and positivity.
We were also honored to have an exceptional lineup of guest performers, including our in-house talent and special guests from Jeddah. We listened to the Arabic tunes from Tarab Band, poetry from the KAUST President Sir Edward Byrne, the debut of Community Chorus, a Broadway-themed performance by David Keyes and Natalia Garmashova and energizing fusion by Qusai.
We once again congratulate all the winners of the KAUST Got Talent 2026:
- Grand prize winner: Junyoung Lee – Pianist
- First runner-Up: Abdullah Bawazir (‘Bowser’) – Beatboxer
- Second runner-up: Khaycee Calago – Singer
- Youth winner: Sparks (Priya Alevoor, Emily Zhang, Sunny Kelly and Daniel Ramirez Tellez) – School band
You can view the full event photos on our official Flickr page and watch the show recording and a highlights video on our Vimeo.
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KAUST Got Talent is proudly organized by Campus and Community (C&C) to celebrate and uplift the talents that make our campus vibrant. We look forward to seeing what the KAUST community brings to the stage next year!
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