It is possible any surprises for the Royal Rumble next year may not be much of a surprise. WWE’s annual event is scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday, January 31, 2026.
Bryan Alvarez notes that with the event taking place internationally, any surprises set to take place on the show would be hard to hide. “There is a feeling that we might not get Royal Rumble surprises this year if only for the fact that sneaking people into Saudi Arabia will be a lot harder,” he writes. “Most likely surprises would take place the week prior at SNME.”
WWE announced over the weekend that it will be heading to Montreal for a January edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event. That show is scheduled for Saturday, January 24, 2026, one week prior to the Royal Rumble.
Surprises are commonplace in both the men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches. Notable ones from the 2025 event included the returns of Alexa Bliss, Trish Stratus, and Nikki Bella. The 2025 Rumble also featured streamer iShowSpeed, TNA World Champion Joe Hendry, and Jordynne Grace, who has since signed with WWE.