Neeraj Madhav apologises, offers Dubai return show after 100,000 fans pack Zabeel Park

Malayalam rapper and actor Neeraj Madhav said he was overwhelmed after performing in front of more than 100,000 people at Zabeel Park in Dubai on Sunday during the ‘Emirates Loves India’ community event.

The free-entry event, coinciding with the festive season of Diwali, turned out to be the largest community celebration of its kind in the UAE. The audience erupted when the Family Man star took the stage with his hit tracks Garjanam and Pani Pali.

Known for his energetic stage presence, Madhav interacted with fans throughout the performance and, at one point, asked organisers to switch on the lights so he could see the audience. The sea of cheering fans left him visibly stunned.

“Oh! My God. I haven’t seen something like this in my life,” he said on stage, swept by the scale of the crowd.

With footfall surging through the evening, entry gates to the venue were temporarily closed as a safety precaution when full capacity was reached. After learning that many fans were unable to enter despite arriving early, Madhav took to social media to apologise and extend a goodwill gesture.

“It was incredible. We Malayalis showed our power. But at the same time, I am really sad that many people who came there couldn’t see the show and had to return. My sincere apologies to those who couldn’t get inside the venue. I and the organisers were helpless. To compensate for this, I can do one more show in Dubai. We will try to make it happen.”

Madhav returned to Kerala for a shoot immediately after the event but said his heart remained in Dubai after the overwhelming love he received from the UAE Malayali community.

Organised under the banner of 'Emirates Loves India', the mega cultural event featured performances by popular Indian artists Neha Kakkar, Mika Singh and Nabeel Khan, and brought together families from across the UAE for a night of music and celebration.