Dubai: From digital, the Arabic music streaming portal Anghami is getting into the real world, by buying Spotlight Events, an events and concert company. Anghami, which is listed on Nasdaq New York, will thus make Spotlight its arm for live events and concerts, to expand its base in the ‘music and entertainment ecosystem’.
The buy also declares Anghami’s hopes of ‘unlocking synergies and opportunities between the physical and digital worlds’. Traditional and virtual concerts will be accessible either through tickets or sponsored by brands. Music fans will be able to experiences exclusive access to private concerts, VIP lounges, meet & greets and backstage access, apart from attending concerts either offline or streamed through their devices.
“Our vision is to expand from music streaming to a fully integrated entertainment platform that meets our goal of building our own unique category that no other provider can compete with,” said Eddy Maroun, co-founder and CEO of Anghami. “Spotlight and Anghami Lab are among a number of initiatives we plan to develop as new business extensions to accelerate our growth and improve our margins while widening the gap with our competitors.”
Spotlight Events recently confirmed upcoming events set for Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Paris, Cairo and Riyadh, including 'Beat the Heat', a 7-concert festival organized in collaboration with the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing - Dubai. In Abu Dhabi, six concerts are planned later in the year. Also on the schedule is a live concert by Arab superstar Wael Kfoury in Paris. Spotlight will also be handling all of Anghami's events, including 'Amr Diab Live'.
Anghami is the largest music platform in the MENA region with an incredible number of users and a unique network of partnerships that, once connected to Spotlight, will open doors to amazing opportunities
