Mariah Carey's back in Abu Dhabi in 2026 to headline Saadiyat Nights

Icon remains the best-selling female artist of all time & has sold over 200 million albums

Last updated: October 23, 2025 | 10:51

Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Entertainment, Lifestyle and Sport Editor

2 MIN READ

Mariah Carey.

Dubai: Mariah Carey will return to Abu Dhabi next year to headline the 2025–2026 season of Saadiyat Nights, organisers have announced. The global icon will perform on 7 February 2026, marking her highly anticipated comeback to the UAE capital following a sold-out debut at the open-air concert series in January 2024.

Carey, one of the most successful and influential vocalists in music history, is expected to deliver a powerhouse performance featuring her signature five-octave range and a catalogue of hit songs spanning more than three decades. Her return follows overwhelming demand from fans after her first appearance at Saadiyat Nights drew rave reviews for its glamour, vocal excellence and atmosphere under the stars.

With 200 million albums sold worldwide, 19 Billboard Hot 100 number one singles, and five Grammy Awards, Carey remains the best-selling female artist of all time. Her chart-topping hits – including Hero, Fantasy, We Belong Together and Always Be My Baby – have defined contemporary pop and R&B.

The announcement comes on the heels of the release of her 16th studio album, Here For It All, launched on 26 September 2025 via gamma. The album marks Carey’s first major release in nearly eight years and debuted at No. 1 across multiple Billboard charts, including Top Album Sales, Top R&B Albums and Independent Albums. Featuring collaborations with Anderson .Paak, Kehlani, Shenseea and the Clark Sisters, the record blends ballads with disco, gospel and soul influences, reinforcing Carey’s continued dominance in the industry.

Saadiyat Nights 2025–2026 has already announced a star-studded line-up, including Ludovico Einaudi (10 January), Lewis Capaldi (17 January), John Mayer (24 January), Ricky Martin (31 January) and Bryan Adams (11 February). More international artists are expected to be revealed in the coming months.

Tickets for Mariah Carey’s 7 February performance and the full Saadiyat Nights concert series are now available at Ticketmaster.ae.

The concert series is a key highlight in Abu Dhabi’s cultural calendar, bringing world-class entertainment to the heart of the city.

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Manjusha RadhakrishnanEntertainment, Lifestyle and Sport Editor

Manjusha Radhakrishnan has been slaying entertainment news and celebrity interviews in Dubai for 18 years—and she’s just getting started. As Entertainment Editor, she covers Bollywood movie reviews, Hollywood scoops, Pakistani dramas, and world cinema. Red carpets? She’s walked them all—Europe, North America, Macau—covering IIFA (Bollywood Oscars) and Zee Cine Awards like a pro. She’s been on CNN with Becky Anderson dropping Bollywood truth bombs like Salman Khan Black Buck hunting conviction and hosted panels with directors like Bollywood’s Kabir Khan and Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh. She has also covered film festivals around the globe. Oh, and did we mention she landed the cover of Xpedition Magazine as one of the UAE’s 50 most influential icons? She was also the resident Bollywood guru on Dubai TV’s Insider Arabia and Saudi TV, where she dishes out the latest scoop and celebrity news. Her interview roster reads like a dream guest list—Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Shah Rukh Khan, Robbie Williams, Sean Penn, Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt, Joaquin Phoenix, and Morgan Freeman. From breaking celeb news to making stars spill secrets, Manjusha doesn’t just cover entertainment—she owns it while looking like a star herself.