Abu Dhabi: Florence and the Machine, Enrique Iglesias and Blur are the artists performing at this year’s Yasalam series of concerts at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Enrique Iglesias performs on November 27, Florence and the Machine on November 28, and Blur perform after the final race, on November 29.
Entry is for F1 ticketholders only. A series of free concerts on Abu Dhabi Corniche from November 26-28, called Beats on the Beach, will feature Faithless, J Cole, Wael Kfoury and Fayez al Saeed.
Running alongside the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with events taking place on Yas Island and the Abu Dhabi Corniche, Yasalam is a yearly series of music and entertainment events in the UAE. Yasalam is made up of three main events: Live at the Corniche, Live on Yas Island and Live Across the City.
“This is my favourite event, to see 30 or 40 thousand people enjoying themselves when the artist is on stage,” said Reeva Bains, vice president of marketing and communications at Flash Entertainment, speaking at a press conference to announce the artists in Abu Dhabi on Monday. “It’s very fulfilling.” She added that Flash, the organisers of the entertainment for the annual event, want to diversify the genres of artists that perform due to the large international audience that attends the F1.
The concerts are one-offs by each artist, and not part of any tour.
UK electronica band Faithless — known for hits Insomnia and We Come 1 — perform at Live at the Corniche on November 28. Other artists performing at the free, open-to-the-public shows, also known as Beats on the Beach, are: Bamboo and Fayez Al Saeed, Wael Kfouri, J. Cole and Emirati singer Omar Al Marzouqui.
Algerian singer Cheb Khaled, best known for the hit ‘Aicha’, headlines the Arabic night on November 26 at du Arena. Khaled will be joined by Lebanese singer Fares Karam, Emirati songstress Aryam and DJ Said Mrad.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix races take place November 27, 28 and 29 at Yas Marina Circuit. For race tickets go to www.yasmarinacircuit.com or to Virgin Megastores and Etihad Airways Shops across the UAE.
Tickets for the F1 start at Dh395 for Friday general admission.
Since its launch in 2009, with the first Abu Dhabi GP, Yasalam has seen performances from the likes of Britney Spears, Kanye West, Prince, Beyonce among the many acts to have performed at the event’s concerts.
