Free Kwon Eunbi, ONEUS concert at Dubai K-Fest rescheduled over mourning period

Dubai K-Fest will not go ahead this weekend, the festival's organisers have confirmed, following the announcement of an official mourning period in Dubai.

The free opening concert headlined by K-pop soloist Kwon Eunbi and boy band ONEUS, due to take place this Friday, will no longer happen this week. New dates will be announced at a later stage.

Why the festival has been postponed

Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the younger brother of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, died on Monday morning at the age of 76.

The Ruler's Court declared a 10-day period of official mourning in Dubai, starting Monday, with flags flown at half-mast across the emirate.

Sheikh Ahmed was the fourth and youngest son of the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, former Vice President and Ruler of Dubai. He served as Deputy Chairman of Dubai Police and Public Security, Group Chairman of A.R.M. Holding and chairman of Al Wasl FC.

What was planned for this weekend

The first Dubai K-Fest was due to run from 25 September to 4 October at venues across the city, under the theme "Discover Korea in Dubai", with K-pop concerts, Korean films, K-beauty, fashion, food and cultural showcases.

The opening night was set for Friday at Festival Bay, Dubai Festival City Mall. The free event was due to begin at 7.30pm with the IMAGINE Show, followed by a live concert from 8pm with Kwon Eunbi, a former member of IZ*ONE, and ONEUS.

For ONEUS, the Dubai show would have been their first global stage appearance since releasing their 12th mini-album, FIRST LIGHT.

A second free event was scheduled for Saturday at the same venue, featuring Korean dancers and choreographers AIKI and Choi Young-jun, brought to the city by the Korea Creative Content Agency.

What happens to the rest of the festival

Organisers have said new dates will be shared later. They have not yet confirmed whether the remaining K-Fest events, originally planned into early October, will also move.

Fans planning to attend any part of the programme should keep an eye on official K-Fest and Dubai Festival City Mall channels for updates before travelling.

Events during the mourning period

Changes to public events during official mourning are made on the basis of what is expressly announced by the relevant authorities and organisers, rather than applied automatically. Live entertainment is typically paused during the period, and several organisers across Dubai are expected to review their schedules over the coming days.