Missy Elliott, Tamir Hosny, Cee Lo Green and Melanie C are some of the names headlining this year’s Beats on The Beach Festival.
The concerts, announced today by Flash Entertainment, are part of the month long pre-race festival Yasalam. The line-up for this year’s Yasalam roster of events, held in and around the capital as part of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, has finally been revealed.
What is it about?
Beginning on October 3 and culminating with Eminem’s race-day performance on November 4, the 30-day event – running across various venues including on Yas Island and the Corniche – offers a range of entertainment including live music, art, culture and film. And it’s all free.
The music
The after-race concerts at Yas Island are not the only places to catch big-name pop acts. Two free beachside concerts at Abu Dhabi’s Corniche will show off an eclectic range of musicians including a television celebrity, a genre-bending rapper and a former Spice Girl. Missy Elliott, Tamer Hosny, Cee Lo Green and Melanie C are some of the performers headlining this year’s Beats on the Beach Festival.
The first concert on November 1 finds the Egyptian pop star and actor Hosny topping a bill including the superstar rapper Elliot and the R&B singer and The Voice (US version) mentor Green.
The following night, the Lebanese singer and fashionista Maya Diab will headline an evening featuring the Arab crooner Hani El Omary and the former Spice Girl Melanie C. Local musicians performing on the main stage include the Dubai hard rockers Juliana Down and the Lebanese-born, UAE-based soul singer Rouba.The next guessing game is which of these artists will also perform at SkyBar on Yas Island (the artist details are yet to be revealed). Last year, Wyclef Jean, J Cole and Jay Sean all made the trip from the Corniche to perform at the exclusive club. Local musicians also have a chance to shine among the stars on the F1 FanZone live stage, also at the Corniche, with daily live performances.
Films and images
The festival will also include the return of Screen by the Sea, a weekend of family films screening in the Corniche from October 26 to 28. Aspiring filmmakers should also get ready as the short film festival Tropfest Arabia will run on October 26. And Cut&Paste, a series of photography workshops, will be held October 27 to 28.
The F1 FanZone, at the Corniche, is also the best place to sample the race away from Yas Island. Celebrity spotters and petrol heads take note: some of the drivers and musicians are set to visit for autograph signing sessions. As well as merchandise stands selling authentic race gear, the big race will be screened live on large screens.
The message
The Yasalam Responsibility road safety campaign, which launches with the event itself on October 3, will return with education sessions run in universities and high schools across Abu Dhabi. The programme will end with students entering a competition to create their own safety campaign. The winners will be announced live at the F1 FanZone on November 1.
“Yasalam is more than the after-race concerts,” says Mike Fairburn, the Flash Entertainment marketing director. “It is one the biggest coordinated events from any F1 hosting city, and that should make us all proud.”According to Flash Entertainment, Yasalam has greeted more than 1.5 million revellers since its launch in 2009, providing them with 263 hours of live music.
For more details visit www.yasalam.ae
