One Direction in Dubai - where the boys might hang out
What’s On previews One Direction in Dubai, as Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson… not Zayn Malik, prepare for their concert at Sevens Stadium.
More…
– 1D Update
– New concert venue
– Freshly Ground Sounds
– Paolo Nutini
– Robbie Williams live
– Blended Festival
Calling all Directioners (and Harry Styles fans who are old enough to know better): tickets for One Direction’s Dubai gig may have sold out faster than you can squeal “marry me Niall”, but that doesn’t rule out possible sightings of the boys during their sojourn in the city – even Zayn who quit the band recently. We’ve used a scientific combination of guess work and Google to compile a list of the places you’re most likely to catch a glimpse of Harry, Zayn, Liam, Louis or Niall.
April 4
The Sevens Stadium, Al Ain Road, Dubai, 8pm. Taxi: The Sevens Stadium.
LOUIS TOMLINSON
Surf House Dubai
Louis is a keen surfer, so he’ll probably try to catch some waves during his Dubai downtime. The vibe at the Surf House Dubai is so laidback the regulars probably won’t even notice a megastar in their midst – Louis can just rent a board and ride the waves in peace.
surfingdubai.com
Saucette
Having five younger half-sisters adds up to a heck of a lot of souvenirs. We reckon Louis might spend a little of the cash he’s raked in from the boys’ sold out tour on designer gear for his siblings at Saucette, the new chilren’s boutique in The Galleria Mall. After all, nothing says “my big bro’s a pop star” quite like a Stella McCartney tutu.
shopatsauce.com
LIAM PAYNE
Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project
Turtles are Liam’s favourite animals (true fans will know all about his pets, Boris and Archimedes), so maybe he’ll pay a visit to the little fellas at Jumeirah’s Mina A’Salam, where Dubai’s Wildlife Protection Office keeps tabs on injured sea turtles before releasing them back into open water.
jumeirah.com
NIALL HORAN
Nando’s
Niall’s obsession with peri peri chicken has inspired fan fiction and internet memes, so it’s unlikely he’ll leave Dubai without at least one pitstop for a double chicken wrap and spicy rice. Yeah, we checked his order.
nandos.ae
The Irish Village
It’s the spiritual home of Dubai’s Irish expats, so if Niall is struck by a bout of homesickness (hey, life on the road is tough), he’ll most likely head to Garhoud for a bowl of Irish stew – just like they make in his hometown of Mullingar.
theirishvillage.com
ZAYN MALIK
Desert safari
It sounds as if stressed out Zayn needs a bit of quiet time. We suggest he ventures out into the desert to find some peace and contemplate his next move during a VIP desert safari.
platinum-heritage.com
HARRY STYLES
Fashion Avenue, The Dubai Mall
A fan of a bold shirt, skinny jeans and – lately – a headscarf to hold back his flowing curls, Harry is One Direction’s most fashion forward member and may stop by the world’s biggest shopping mall to stock up on Prada and Kenzo.
thedubaimall.com
The Rivington Grill
Harry has said his favourite way to spend a Sunday is tucking into a roast dinner with his mates. The Rivington Grill’s take on the British classic was one of What’s On’s favourites of 2014 – and who else’s recommendation would Hazza go on? Our detective instincts tell us he’ll choose the Souk Al Bahar branch, so he can check out the fountains too.
rivingtongrill.ae
Atlantis
The Kardashian clan are among the most famous members of Harry’s gang of celeb mates (he and Kendall Jenner used to date). Kim Kardashian West chose to stay at Atlantis on her recent trip to Dubai, so maybe Styles will follow suit.
atlantisthepalm.com
ALSO CHECK OUT…
Skydive Dubai
The band wore Skydive Dubai T-shirts to announce their UAE gig last year, so there’s a chance they’ll fling themselves from a plane over The Palm. We recommend setting up camp at Zero Gravity for the best views of the parachuting popstars.
skydivedubai.ae
THE STORY SO FAR
July 2010: After failing as solo acts on British talent search TV show The X Factor, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne form One Direction.
December 2010: One Direction finish third on The X Factor. No one remembers who won that year.
November 2011: Debut album, Up All Night, sells almost five million copies. Kerching!
December 2011: Harry Styles has a fling with older British TV presenter Caroline Flack. Cougars everywhere rejoice.
November 2012: Their second album, Take Me Home, comes out.
January 2013: Taylor Swift splits with Harry, but has enough material for her next three albums.
August 2013: 3D concert film One Direction: This Is Us comes out. Fans flock to the cinema to see if they make the cut.
November 2013: One Direction unleash their third album, Midnight Memories. It includes the anthem Best Song Ever.
September 2014: Struggling to come up with a name for their fourth album, they eventually call it… Four.
October 2014: Crowned the richest young celebs in the UK, sharing £77 million.
November 2014: Meet the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the Royal Variety Performance.
March 2015: Zayn quits the band for “some private time out of the spotlight”. The world weeps.
April 2015: The lads play Dubai.