Get ready for some baseless speculation…

Every November the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix brings some of the planet’s biggest superstars together on Yas Island for a weekend of really fast cars and stellar musical performances.

We’ve noticed a trend in how Yasalam After Race Concert organisers, Flash Entertainment, appear to pick the headlining acts that will perform.

They seem to follow a formula that breaks down the three headliners into the following categories – the band, the classic and the pop-star.

‘The pop star’ brings with them a legion of devoted younger fans, ‘the band’ generally appeals to a millennial crowd hungry for a good rock show, and ‘the classic’ is aimed at both an older audience and those after a healthy dose of nostalgia.

Don’t believe us? Check the full list of past performances and see if we’re not wrong!

Previous years’ lineups have included Rhianna (the pop star), Lionel Richie (the classic) and Chemical Brothers (the band) as recently as 2016, as well as Beyonce (the pop star), Aerosmith (the classic) and Kings of Leon (the band) way back in 2009.

A smart choice, we think, as it means that each year’s line-up appeals to as broad a range of concert-goers as possible.

While we’re still a while away from any kind of formal line-up announcement, and even further from the concerts themselves which are scheduled to take place between Friday 24 – Sunday 26 November, there’s nothing wrong with a bit of healthy speculation.

So without further ado, we bring you our predictions for the 2017 Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix Yasalm After Race Concerts:

The pop star – Adele

Alumni: Rhianna, Kanye West, Britney Spears

Why we’d like to see them? Of all the female pop megastars, Adele remains the only hold out having never performed in the UAE. She’s a multiple grammy award winner (15 of them to be precise) and her live performances are known to have an intimate, personable feel, even when she’s performing in front of thousands of fans.

How’s their tour schedule looking? Adele is currently on a run of stadium concerts that wraps up on July 2nd at Wembley Stadium in London. That appears to leave her schedule free and clear for the rest of the year, hopefully allowing her to play her first ever concert in the Middle East in November.

Chances of it actually happening? 4 out of 5 divas

The classic – Fleetwood Mac

Alumni: Lionel Richie, The Who, Prince

Why we’d like to see them? Fleetwood Mac are the embodiment of ‘the classic’. A tried and tested touring band (complete with their fair share of controversy over the years) with a back catalogue of hits to rival any other artist going. They announced earlier this year that 2018 will be their farewell tour, so we would be disappointed if the UAE isn’t on that list.

How’s their tour schedule looking? According to their website, the band has only two dates booked so far this year in July – one at Dogers Stadium in Los Angeles, and the other at Citi Field in New York. The dates for their farewell tour have yet to be announced, so we’re crossing our fingers for a kick-off show headlining the Grand Prix, similar to The Who back in 2015.

Chances of it actually happening? 3 out of 5 rumours

The band – Foo Fighters

Alumni: Blur, Kings of Leon, Muse

Why we’d like to see them? After the unbridled mess of the recent Guns N’ Roses concert in Dubai, the UAE’s rock fans deserve a win. The Foo Fighters are arguably the biggest rock band on the planet, having risen from the ashes of the ’90s grunge scene to transform into the kind of act that packs out stadiums and headlines festivals the world over. They’ve also never performed in the UAE before, and we reckon they’d bring the house down.

How’s their tour schedule looking? Pretty decent, actually. The Foo’s kick off a 16-date summer festival headlining tour in May that doesn’t let up until they close Lollapalooza Berlin in September. We recommend they then take a nice month and a bit off, and come surprise fans by closing off this year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Sounds like a plan to us.

Chances of it actually happening? 3 out of 5 monkey wrenches

So there you have it, not much in the way of evidence, but these are our predictions and we’re sticking by them.

We will, of course, be updating this story once these predictions come true, or the real headliners are announced later this year – whichever comes first.

Who are you hoping will be announced as this year Grand Prix headliners? Better yet, if you’ve heard any rumours, let us know on Facebook.