Ladies and gentlemen, the day is finally here. A 350-strong crew of chefs, electricians, gardeners, carpenters, cleaners, security guards, scaffold specialists, riggers, computer technicians, front-of-house staff and musicians have been working overtime for the past 16 days to bring one man and one man only - Justin Timberlake.
The final stop of his FutureSex/Love Show world tour will be in Abu Dhabi tonight.
And while they have everything behind the scenes under control, tabloid! brings you all the information needed to plan a Timberlake night to remember.
IMG, the organisers of the highly-anticipated concert taking place tonight at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, say they have all bases covered when it comes to parking, access and security.
More than 13,500 fans are expected to attend Timberlake's Middle East debut on a specially-constructed stage at the scenic outdoor West Park of the hotel grounds.
The production crew is made up of a large proportion of local hires as well as a team that has collectively flown over 480,000 kms to be in Abu Dhabi.
Indicative of the scale of this concert, organisers have hired more than 30 trucks to transport all the necessary gear and equipment required to support this world-class event.
Location
Emirates Palace, West End Corniche, Abu Dhabi
Email: emiratespalace@kempinski.com
Website: www.emiratespalace.com
Call: 02-6907999
Getting there:
Situated on a small peninsula at one end of Abu Dhabi Corniche, the hotel is easy to find at the bottom of 11th Street.
Food:
Want a snack? Or believe in fine dining? There are plenty of options at the hotel.
Le Vendôme Brasserie, Sayad and Mezzaluna are just three possible dining options.
Tickets
Ticket holders MUST have the hard copy of their ticket before entering the premises as those without tickets will not be granted entry.
Anyone who has purchased tickets online should go directly to the dedicated box office located in the main lobby of Emirates Palace. A form of identification such as a driving licence MUST be presented before the tickets will be handed over.
Get in early
Doors open from 4pm and organisers are urging people to arrive as early as possible to avoid the traffic and to ease access issues.
Abu Dhabi's own Juliana Down will be the warm-up band, with Timberlake scheduled for 9pm sharp.
Leave the nunchucks at home, people
To ensure total enjoyment of the event, make sure you know what to bring - and what not to
Do bring
- Your ticket.
- Photo ID or proof of age.
- A sweater - it tends to be chilly at night in Abu Dhabi.
- An umbrella in case of rain.
Don't bring
- Weapons of any kind.
- Fireworks.
- Glass containers or cans.
- Outside food or beverage.
- Filming equipment or cameras.
- Laser pens.
- Pets or animals.
- Portable furniture.
- Skateboards, rollerblades or bikes.
- Music systems such as iPod.
5 songs we hope Justin will perform
Cry Me A River and What Goes Around...Comes Around: Justin's epic songs of love, adultery and loss. We'd never cheat on you, JT...
Rock Your Body: Your chance to recreate the "wardrobe malfunction" dance. Nipple jewellery optional.
SexyBack: No-one who hears that deep bass can resist moving their body. Cue saucy interpretative moves in line with the kinky lyrics. Take it to the chorus!
Senorita: All together now ladies: "I don't know what I'm thinkin' about, really, leaving with you".
The collaboration: Nelly and *NSync won't be there, but Girlfriend was Justin's show anyway.
Read these tips
Remember to bring your vital medications and keep them with you. Tell your friends of any allergies or medical conditions that you have.
Try to label belongings in case they get lost.
Please do not park illegally on service roads. They must remain open at all times. This is the way that the organisers provide emergency medical and fire protection as well as refill water tanks, service the toilets and pick up trash.
If you need medical or first aid attention, make your way, if you can, to the Medical Centre tent. Or approach a member of first aid staff, any person with a radio, concert information tents, a security person, or a police officer, any of whom will be able to summon assistance.
Lost something important at the concert and want to find out if it has been handed in? The Lost and Found property office will be located near the main gate.
Don't shoot!
The organisers have told Gulf News that NO cameras of any kind will be allowed into the concert.
That includes professional and regular point-and-shoot cameras.
Traffic flow
Working in close co-ordination with Abu Dhabi Police, organisers have ensured that all necessary measures are in place to guarantee safety of fans plus smooth traffic flow.
A 7,000-capacity carpark has been built directly across from the concert site. One of the UK's leading event traffic management companies has been involved in the design and control of vehicle movement for this event.
Lee Charteris, event manager, said: "There are always going to be challenges when organising an event of this size and stature. However, with the help of the Abu Dhabi Police and our various logistics partners, we are quite confident that all foreseeable challenges have been addressed and that this concert will be one to remember. Consistent traffic flow is paramount for fans, which is why we have pulled in a number of significant expert resources to implement this."
