An acoustic fiesta

Music lovers are in for a treat this November as Dubai plays host to musical artists from around the world at Dubai Sound City (DSC). Devoted to providing a window into the city's budding music scene, the three-day festival hopes to establish Dubai as a premier music destination.

Dubai Sound City will be held from November 5-7 and is being organised by New Dawn Entertainment, in conjunction with Liverpool Sound City. The festival will showcase a stunning line-up of acoustically superb talent, who will make their Middle East debut across the most happening venues in the city.

Describing the event as the first-of-its-kind in the Middle East, Alex Bracken, CEO of New Dawn, said, "Dubai Sound City is taking the city's live music scene to a new level."

The music festival plans to bring some of the best live performances to the city, including 50 high-profile artists and up-and-coming bands, along with 50 keynote speakers who will take part in conferences.

The festival will feature a mix of Indie bands, Eighties legends and Manchester pioneers at popular venues across the city such as Irish Village, Alpha, Dubai Festival City, Chi at The Lodge, 360º and the Apartment.

Headline performances by legendary bands include Human League, Echo and The Bunnymen, Happy Mondays and De La Soul. Additionally key names confirmed are Nitin Sawhney, Doves, Alphabeat, Gabriella Cilmi and Super Furry Animals.

Think tank

Scattered throughout the festival, will be a series of debatable music conferences bringing together the best minds in the industry. Held at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers, the conferences will include an analysis of the current industry trends and its future path.

The brainstorming platform also promises to offer tremendous networking opportunities for the participants. Speakers confirmed for the conferences include Julian Wall, BPI's director of international events, Bobby Talwar director of Only Much Louder and The Big Chill in Goa.

Also present will be Ruud Berends, project manager Eurosonic, Shun Mori from Fujipacific, Myles Keller, music director of PRS for Music, Jeff Blue, music producer, A&R Executive, songwriter and musician, and Macy Gray along with high-profile music industry movers and shakers who will share their experiences with delegates at the conferences.

Details
When November 5-7
Where Irish Village, Alpha, Dubai Festival City, Chi at The Lodge, 360º and The Apartment
How One day and three day passes are available online at Time Out Tickets. Early bird Prices: Dh295 for a one-day pass, Dh750 for three-day passes.

For more information log on to www.dubaisoundcity.com