ABU DHABI // Tickets for the capital's largest New Year's Eve event, La Rumba, will go on sale this week. The Colombian-born singer Shakira will be the big attraction at the Latin American street party in the grounds of the Emirates Palace hotel. The tickets will be released on Thursday but can be reserved online today. Other attractions at the event will include a salsa tent and a steel band.
Shakira, who has a Lebanese father, performed at the Dubai Autodrome last year to an audience of 25,000 but this event has been capped at 10,000 to ensure a "more intimate occasion", say the organisers, Flash. Concerts at the hotel have seen audiences of about 20,000 to artists such as Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera. "Shakira's a huge name and absolutely perfect for the event," said John Lickrish, the managing director of Flash.
"She is just the kind of artist we wanted to encapsulate the Latin feel. With Shakira being half Lebanese she's the perfect artist to bring here, reaching out to her fans in the region and adding the Latin twist to the evening." Flash has a flexible ticket plan for the event, with prices ranging from Dh1,500 (US$408) to Dh295. Tickets can be reserved at www.shakiranye.ae. Virgin Megastores and www.boxofficeme.com are the event's official ticket outlets.
Other New Year's Eve events in the capital include an outdoor party at Al Bateen Marina with the international DJs Saeed Murad and Artful Dodger. mswan@thenational.ae
