Start Time Of WWE Royal Rumble 2026 Revealed

The Royal Rumble will take place outside of North America for the first time in 2026 as the show has been announced for Saudi Arabia, with the pay-per-view emanating from Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on Saturday, January 31.

The move to the Middle East means the Royal Rumble will have an earlier start time, and WrestleVotes on Fightful Select has reported that WWE have officially decided the show will get underway at 2 pm ET/7 pm GMT.

The Royal Rumble was a four-match card in 2024 and 2025, with WWE having instead filled the event with more adverts since the completion of the merger with UFC under TKO Group Holdings.

According to reports, the internal favourite within WWE to win the men's Royal Rumble is Bron Breakker. The former NXT Champion has been heavily pushed since his debut in September 2021, and it is believed there are major plans in place for Breakker to face off with CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 42.

WWE have worked with Saudi Arabia since 2018, but the partnership has expanded in recent years with the 2026 Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 43 in 2027.