What’s On previews DXBNYE at Meydan, New Year’s Eve in Dubai. We profile Pharrell Williams, Busta Rhymes and more. Get ticket information.

More…
– Pharrell Williams profile
– NYE deals
– RedFest announcement
– Jazz Festival line-up
– Robbie Williams in AUD
– John Legend in DXB
– New Year’s Eve 2013

Fresh from his performance at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Pharrell Williams is heading back to the UAE to close out 2014 with a New Year’s Eve gig, DXBNYE, at Meydan. The show will put the cap on a lucrative year for the artist, who made his debut on the Forbes 100 list of the world’s most powerful celebrities after picking up a cool $22 million in the 12 months to June 2014. Thanks to his musical Midas touch (see Get Lucky, Blurred Lines, or the global phenomenon that is Happy for details) Pharrell is raking in enough cash to keep him in flamboyant hats and bespoke Lanvin tuxedo shorts for years to come.

Let’s look at his balance sheet…

$80 million
Pharrell’s estimated net worth

$16,500
Cost of the limited edition, yellow leather bike Pharrell designed with former Hermès craftsmen Bruno Domeau and Philip Pérès

$4,000
Starting price for a handbag Pharrell designed in collaboration with luxury luggage brand Moynat

$1 million
Estimated value of Pharrell’s Ferrari Enzo. He also owns a $450,000 Mercedes SLR McLaren

$44,100
Winning eBay bid for the Vivienne Westwood hat Pharrell wore at this year’s Grammy Awards. Williams sold the hat to raise money for his educational non-profit organisation From One Hand To Another

$168 (Dhs616)
Cost of a hoodie from Pharrell’s clothing line Billionaire Boys Club

$35 million
Cost of the Pharrell Williams Resource Centre, the 30,000sqft youth centre Williams is funding in his hometown in Virginia

$8 million
Pharrell’s pay cheque for being a judge on season seven of the US TV show, The Voice

$16.8 million
Price tag on his penthouse in Miami when he put it on the market in 2012

Meydan, Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, 7pm to 3am, Dhs395. Tel: (050) 2878703. Taxi: Meydan. dxbnye.ae

ALSO ON THE BILL….

Busta Rhymes
Spotted at the age of 12 by Chuck D from Public Enemy, Busta Rhymes quickly became a fixture in the rap universe with just one verse in A Tribe Called Quest’s 1991 track Scenario. In 1996 his solo breakout moment came via his single Woo Hah! Got You In All In Check. Now aged 42, Busta still has the hunger to make music and innovate.

“We have to challenge ourselves and not be afraid to experiment,” he says. “That’s what growing is about. I’m about constantly elevating. I’m not with maintaining stuff. That sounds like stagnation, homie. That gets boring. I’m going to get to new levels. I’m still learning.”

Retirement? Not a chance.  “Part of the reason I’ve been able to do this for so long is because of the excitement you continue to feel since day one. I love my job. I love the fact that I was blessed with this ability. I wouldn’t trade this for the world.”

Brotherley Love
Heart-thumping house and electro from DJ brothers Like Mike and Dimitri Vegas
Greek brothers Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike have enjoyed a spectacular rise in the EDM scene going from small appearances in Ibiza to headlining at the world’s largest electronic music festival Tomorrowland, and now the duo are set to storm the stage at #DXBNYE. Fresh from having been named No 2 on the industry-respected DJ Magazine Top 100 DJs list last month, the brothers are excited about rounding off 2014 with their debut in the Middle East. “It’s been a year full of crazy parties, from Argentina to Brazil, and then all over America and Europe,” said Vegas in a recent interview. “We have a lot of new music ready and we look forward to testing the sounds and songs in Dubai.”

 

Charli XCX
Real name: Charlotte Aitchison
Age: 22
From Cambridge, England
Hits: She wrote and performed on this year’s ubiquitous pop anthem I Love It, by Swedish duo Icona Pop. Boom Clap went top ten in America. She also featured on Iggy Azalea’s hit Fancy.
The critics say: “Republica meets Scary Spice, a little bit midrif-baring Disney Kid gone off the rails.” (The Guardian)
She says: “The music industry messes with you. One day you’re on cloud nine and the next day… But I also love not knowing what’s going to happen. That’s why I do this.”

Plus… British house DJs Seb Fontaine and Paul Oakenfold, and one half of LMFAO Sky Blu.