John Legend will play Dubai's Coca-Cola Arena this January

The event marks the end of the Dubai Shopping Festival

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 13: John Legend performs at the 2019 Global Citizen Prize at the Royal Albert Hall on December 13, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Global Citizen)
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Singer-songwriter John Legend is set to play Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena later this month.

The show, which will take place on Friday, January 31, will be part of the closing celebrations of the Dubai Shopping Festival.

It will mark a return to the UAE for the Ordinary People hit maker, who headlined the Dubai Jazz Festival back in 2018. Legend will play songs from his 16-year career, including All of Me, Green Light and Love Me Now.

Tickets for the show are on sale now and start at Dh195 for silver level seating going up to Dh995 for for VIP tickets.

The concert marks the end of a month-long sale across the emirate, which has seen dozens of malls and hundreds of stores slash prices for the annual shopping event.

The start of Dubai Shopping Festival was marked with two outdoor concerts in Burj Park, which saw performances from Liam Payne, Jorja Smith, Cheb Khaled and Hussain Al Jassmi. Robbie Williams will perform on Friday, January 24 at The Pointe.

Ahead of his 2018 Dubai concert, The National's Saeed Saeed predicted that Legend would bring a mix of up-tempo hits and piano ballads.

"Make no mistake, a live stage is the ideal place to appreciate Legend’s talents. Where some of his albums sound decidedly beige, those yearning for the hip-hop and neo-soul that are at the root of Legend’s work will be rewarded in concert," Saeed wrote.

"A wildly energetic performer, Legend splits time on the piano for the gentler ballads and dancing away on the stage to the more up-tempo numbers such as Used to Love U.

"Best of all, Legend's latest album, Darkness and Light, doesn't need too much stage finessing. In this colourful record, Legend was able to blend his disparate influences and as a result he sounds revitalised with live favourites including the funk jam Penthouse Floor."

2016's Darkness and Light is Legend's most recent mainstream release. However, in 2018 he released festive album, A Legendary Christmas. 

Friday, January 31; 8.30pm; Coca-Cola Arena, City Walk, Dubai; from Dh195; www.coca-cola-arena.com