Confirmed: Red Hot Chili Peppers to play in Abu Dhabi for UFC 242
It’s official!
It’s already set to be a massive year for music in the capital, with artists including Eminem, The Killers and Travis Scott all confirmed to perform. And after some speculation, it’s been confirmed that the Red Hot Chili Peppers are coming to Abu Dhabi this September as part of the week-long Abu Dhabi Showdown week, which will lead up to the UFC 242 fight.
The gig will take place on September 4 at the currently under construction UFC arena (called The Arena), which is being built on Yas Island.
Tickets are not yet on sale, but organisers have confirmed they will start from Dhs250, up to Dhs995. You can pre-register for tickets here.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers will play in Abu Dhabi as part of ‘Showdown Week’, which will run from September 1 to 7. The week-long schedule will see city-wide events and activations take place including pool and beach parties, shopping and restaurant deals.
A second artist will also be part of the line-up, and will take to the stage on September 5, so stay tuned for another artist announcement soon.
Speculation about the gig began to mount after UFC president Dana White confirmed that the American rockers “might” play in Abu Dhabi as part of UFC 242, which is taking place on September 7.
“They might play in Abu Dhabi, they’re talking about having the Peppers play in Abu Dhabi in conjunction with the fight,” White told vlogger Robbie Fox during a tour of the UFC offices in Las Vegas.
The four-piece rock band were last in the Middle East in March, when they performed in front of Egypt’s Great Pyramid of Giza.
UFC 242 is set to be one of the most exciting matches in the MMA calendar when it takes place in just under six weeks time. The reigning UFC lightweight world champion Khabib Nurmagomedov will battle interim champ Dustin Poirier in the title unification bout at the currently under construction arena on Yas Island.
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Images: Getty