It’s going to get a bit electric in Abu Dhabi this November as Brit trio Depeche Mode close the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with a performance at du Arena on Yas Island.
The electronic music band, best known for songs such as ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’ and ‘Enjoy the Silence’ will perform as part of the Yasalam Festival on the sidelines of the Grand Prix, organisers announced on Tuesday.
Flash Entertainment, who made the announcement at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, also said the Yasalam after-race concerts will be back to the four-day format, with the first night on October 31 to feature top-notch Arabic artists.
The concerts have been over three nights in the past few years. Acts for the second and third nights will be announced at a later date, Flash said.
While entry to the concerts are limited to F1 ticket holders only, ticket privileges will include extra complimentary tickets to the October 31 and November 1 concerts and discounts on upcoming Flash concerts among other perks. A separate free concert series called Beats on the Beats, under the Yasalam, umbrella will also be announced.
“Yasalam was created in Abu Dhabi for the entire region to enjoy so it is fitting that on the race’s 5th anniversary we should be celebrating Arabic live music and culture on such a global stage. Combined with the finale performance from Depeche Mode, we hope to cater to the multicultural audience of the capital and its visitors,” said Mike Fairburn, the vice-president of marketing and communications at Flash Entertainment .
“The after-race concerts have been, and will continue to be, one of the many hightlights of the F1 weekend.”
Formed in the eighties in Essex as a four-piece, Depeche Mode have often been called the most successful electronic band in history. The band, who released their 13th album, ‘Delta Machine’, in March this year, have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, according to recording company EMI Group.
Over the years, bands such as Pet Shop Boys, The Killers, Link Park and Coldplay have cited them as influences. The band is currently on a global Delta Machine Tour, which kicked off last week.
The Yasalam after-race concerts have featured some of the world’s biggest artists in the past including Beyonce, Aerosmith, Kanye West, Paul McCartney, Prince and Britney Spears. Rapper Eminem performed on the last night last year.
The Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be held at the Yas Marina Circuit from October 31 to November 3.
