Miguel Blanco-Carrasco

Founding Executive Director at Noor Riyadh

Speaker

Miguel Blanco-Carrasco is a cultural executive who has spent two decades creating cultural organisations and large-scale public experiences across the Gulf and internationally. His work shapes how cities are seen, understood and experienced.

As Founding Executive Director of Noor Riyadh, he established and scaled the world's largest light art festival. Over four editions, it set 16 Guinness World Records and presented more than 300 commissioned artworks across 40 locations in the city. He also served as Senior Advisor to the Royal Commission for Riyadh City.

He was previously COO of Misk Art Institute and Founding Director of Cultural Diplomacy at Qatar Museums, where he created and delivered the first three editions of the Years of Culture programme. He now advises on major events and public programmes, with a focus on turning ambitious projects into lasting institutions.