Dubai: Saturday marks the date of one of the most anticipated launches and events for the UAE social and sporting calendar.
Meydan on Thursday revealed details of the official opening ceremony which concurs with the 2010 Dubai World Cup.
The day’s programme will include some of the world’s best known names in horseracing. Held in conjunction with the landmark event inaugurating the official opening of Meydan, a new era in horseracing will be introduced as the world’s largest integrated racing facility is launched.
Gates to Meydan will be open to the public at 12 pm, with the first race expected to commence at 4.45 pm.
Throughout the day, performances across all entrances and Apron Views at Meydan will take place, and these acts range from music and dance performances to fire and light shows. Performances include but are not limited to bubble dancers, stilt walkers, caricaturists, light cube shows, human and adagio statues, unicyclists, Arabic fusion bands, jazz quartets, flamenco guitarists, breakdancers, comedy acts, fire shows, a police band, magicians, and belly dancers.
The 27th of March will see the culmination of the 7th Dubai International Racing Carnival, and the first Dubai World Cup to be held at Meydan. What will be one of the most anticipated highlights of the evening will be the commencement of the opening ceremony spectacular, a multi-sensory experience themed around “The Vision of Meydan”. Meydan reveals that highlights will include media links across what is possibly the largest moving projected image screen in the world at 6,725 square metres across 15 projection wings. These will take audiences through a myriad of elements ranging from the cultural to the historical and the emotional, including the greatest moments of the past 14 Dubai World Cups.
Other key points of the ceremony will include equine and falcon performances, micro light and aerial displays, as well as a breathtaking pyro display by world-renowned The Gruccis of New York. Widely recognised as the leading pyrotechnics and firworks company in the world, Gruccis has been responsible for landmark displays across seven consecutive U.S. presidential inaugurations and most recently the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
The highlight of the evening is undoubtably the namesake race which is last on the cards and occurs approximately at 9.45 pm. With a US$10 million purse and 14 of the world’s top thoroughbreds vying to be crowned the first-ever Dubai World Cup champion at Meydan, this will be one of the most exciting 2 minutes of anyone’s sporting experience.
Capping off this exciting evening, the 15th Dubai World Cup will see a finale that showcases a double headliner concert by Sir Elton John and Carlos Santana, internationally renowned artistes who have wowed audiences the world over with their timeless appeal and stage presence.
Chairman of the Board and CEO of Meydan, Saeed Humaid Al Tayer said: “The launch of Meydan makes a monumental mark in history. To accomplish building the world’s largest integrated racing facility is no mean feat and we are very proud to have been able to do so in a timeframe that would have typically taken twice as long for others, if not more. Meydan is the representation of the rich history, culture and tradition of our people, born out of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.”
Mr Al Tayer continued: “To impress upon this momentuous moment for us all, this is the first time the Dubai World Cup is run on Tapeta, and it is also the richest race in the history of horseracing at US$10 million. Followed by an opening ceremony and extravaganza planned to take all audiences on a historical, cultural and emotional journey of Emirati culture and topped off with stellar performances by Carlos Santana and Sir Elton John, I am very pleased indeed to finally say – Welcome to Meydan.”
Capacity crowds of up to 60,000 are expected, so race goers and visitors are encouraged to turn up as early in the day as possible when gates open at 12 pm.
For more information, maps on how to get to Meydan and its facilities, and the Dubai World Cup Stars on the Track Golden Circle concert ticket sales, please visit www.dubaiworldcup.com
Opening ceremony Spectacular fast facts and figures
- Largest crowd ever for the Dubai World Cup
- Richest raceday in the world
- Stage area spanning 1.5 kilometres wide by 1 kilometre deep
- 6,725 square metres of moving projected images over 15 projection screens (to be confirmed if this will break the world record)
- 40 kilometres of pyro and pyrotechnics by The Gruccis of New York
- A total of 750 performers for the opening extravaganza
- Involvement of more than 500 production staff
- Involvement from 100 horses and riders
- First-ever 15 microlight falcons done simultaneously
Meydan – The world’s racing capital.
Meydan Grandstand and Racecourse is the brainchild of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. It is the culmination of his vision to create not just the ultimate venue for horseracing, but also an integrated city that is sustainable, environmentally responsible and also one that positions Dubai at the centre of the competitive global business stage.
Meydan City will feature the Meydan Free Zone and four distinct sub-districts – the Meydan Racecourse; where the Meydan Grandstand will take centre stage and be home to the 2010 Dubai World Cup, Meydan Metropolis; a series of state-of-the-art business parks, Meydan Horizons; where business towers intermingle with luxury waterfront developments and Meydan Godolphin Parks; with its distinctive Godolphin Tower created in the image of a thoroughbred and also where the shopping destination Signature Mall is located.
