Inside Abu Dhabi’s rise as a global entertainment powerhouse: Ethara’s David Powell on F1, UFC and year-round live concert experiences

Abu Dhabi: "You can't just rely on sport anymore to sell tickets."

It's perhaps the simplest explanation for why Abu Dhabi has evolved from hosting sporting events to staging some of the world's biggest entertainment spectacles featuring global pop icons. Think Jennifer Lopez, Coldplay, Benson Boone, Metallica and AC/DC. Next in that stellar line-up is Christina Aguilera, who is scheduled to perform in Abu Dhabi this September.

As Chief Strategy and Business Development Officer at Ethara, the company behind many of Abu Dhabi's biggest sporting and entertainment events, David Powell has had a front-row seat to that evolution.

On the latest episode of The Hustle, Powell sat down with Gulf News Entertainment, Lifestyle and Sports Editor Manjusha Radhakrishnan to discuss the strategy behind transforming Abu Dhabi into a year-round entertainment destination.

Our conversation took place at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, where preparations were underway for another major UFC event that weekend. It was a fitting backdrop for a discussion about how the capital has steadily built a reputation for delivering world-class live experiences, from Formula One and UFC to concerts by international superstars.

For Powell, the shift has been deliberate.

We met him just a day after the curtain came down on the FIFA World Cup 2026, where football embraced full-blown entertainment with its first-ever halftime show featuring Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira, BTS and Burna Boy. Simply put, it was a polarising spectacle that underscored just how deeply the lines between sport and showbiz have blurred.

"You have to deliver more and more value to the customers because they're becoming more and more demanding," he says.

Powell believes Abu Dhabi recognised that shift early and built its events around that philosophy.

He points to the Super Bowl as an example.

"A lot of people who go to the Super Bowl don't really know much about the sport, but they love everything around it," he says.

"They love the glamour and the show and the experiences and excitement and the fact that it's broadcast to the world."

He believes the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has grown into a similar experience.

"I think there's a lot of dedicated F1 fans, but there's more people who are fans of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix who love being there, love experiencing everything that we offer in Abu Dhabi, on Yas Island and all the venues that we put on in December."

That philosophy has evolved alongside Abu Dhabi itself.

When Ethara first started bringing international acts to the capital nearly two decades ago, selling the destination was often the hardest part.

"It's always difficult to bring top tier talent, but we've been very successful over the years," Powell says.

"Our record goes back 17 years now. We've booked over 100 AAA artists... Convincing artists used to be difficult because we used to tell the story of Abu Dhabi. Now it's much easier because they know Abu Dhabi, they know the hospitality and the brilliant events and the brilliant venues that we have to showcase their talents."

Today, conversations with artists often begin years before fans ever hear an announcement.

"We're talking about artists now who are ready to come to Abu Dhabi in 2028," he says.

For artists who have already performed here, the conversation is often much easier. Powell points to Christina Aguilera, who returns to Abu Dhabi later this year.

"She's been to Abu Dhabi before. She came to perform at Saadiyat Nights a couple of years ago. She's experienced everything we do, from welcoming her to Abu Dhabi, seeing the crowd, seeing her fans here. She's seen the great hotels we have and then how we produce the show."

"So I think it's much easier to talk to an artist who knows Abu Dhabi and knows Ethara than it is to someone who's never been to Abu Dhabi before."

For Powell, attracting international talent is only half the job.

The experience starts long before audiences take their seats.

"We are perfectionists," he says.

"The whole guest experience from the beginning, when you buy your ticket, through to when you leave the venue and you've had a tremendous experience, we want that to be the benchmark."

He says every stage of that journey matters.

"We achieve that from all elements in terms of the way in which parking happens, the way in which wayfinding is set out, where you know where you're going, how you get to your seat, how the usher might greet you, take you to your seat, access to high-quality F&B, and then seeing a fantastic venue, an amazing performer."

"We can always get better. So we're always trying to find innovative and creative ways to improve that."

Ironically, Powell says the biggest challenge facing the live entertainment industry isn't another destination.

"Our number one competitor is people's living rooms."

With streaming platforms offering premium sports broadcasts, concerts and endless entertainment, persuading people to leave home has become increasingly difficult.

"It's how do we make sure that we can offer a better value proposition to someone who could sit at home and watch Formula One on TV," he says.

"What that really is about is community, living live experiences with other people and sharing that joy. And that thrill is what we sell."

That thinking has also changed how Abu Dhabi programmes its calendar.

Rather than focusing only on the cooler months, the city now hosts major events throughout the year.

Powell points to Jennifer Lopez's sold-out concert at Etihad Arena on a Tuesday, school night, in July as proof that audiences are willing to show up in the middle of summer.

"I think that was where everyone started to talk about, well, things don't just close down in Abu Dhabi during the summer."

From UFC fight nights and concerts to family productions and cultural events, Powell says the objective is to ensure there is always something happening.

"I think there's always people in Abu Dhabi, there's always people in the UAE ... It's very safe, it's very kid-friendly, and there's a lot of things for families to do."

Despite the rapid growth of entertainment across the Gulf, Powell believes Abu Dhabi continues to set the pace.

"I don't think we've reached our peak," he says.

"But I do think we set the benchmark."

He points to innovations introduced at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, including the Podium Club hospitality experience, which has since inspired similar concepts elsewhere.

"The highest form of flattery is people copying your ideas."

That ambition continues this year with Yasalam expanding from a race weekend into a week-long entertainment programme. Andrea Bocelli joins the line-up, alongside after-parties and a broader mix of music and experiences aimed at different audiences.

"So we're trying to make sure that we do more," Powell says. "And what we do more of is of high quality."

There are still a few names on his wish list.

"I think the two artists who we've never brought to Abu Dhabi before, and they're everyone's favourites, are Taylor Swift and Adele."

"But everyone from Beyoncé and Ed Sheeran to Metallica, Eminem and Coldplay... they've all been here."

For Powell, however, the biggest milestone isn't the next superstar booking.

It's the fact that Abu Dhabi has become a destination that increasingly sells itself.

"Over the years, Abu Dhabi has really sold itself," he says.

"It is a fantastic place and the world know about it."