What’s On has news of a new purpose-built concert venue in Dubai. Done Events and Al Ahli Holding Group will build the new live music venue.

More…
– Opera House
– WIN! Buble tickets
– WIN! Drake tickets
– Freshly Ground Sounds
– Paolo Nutini
– Ed Shearan
– Robbie Williams live
– Blended Festival

Dubai is set to get a purpose-built concert venue before the end of 2016, the first of its kind in the emirate.

It was announced this week Done Events, the team behind shows like Justin Bieber, Jennifer Lopez, RedFestDXB, Jack Dee and the upcoming One Direction gig at Sevens Stadium, had partnered with Al Ahli Holding Group (AAHG).

Part of the agreement will see Done extend their reach into the Far East and Asia for a number of ‘shows of international calibre’. These will lead to an increase in the standard of events they are then able to bring to the Middle East.

The announcement is the biggest step forward to large-scale live entertainment in the region since plans were unveiled for the Dubai Opera House (below) in March 2014. The state-of-the-art 2,000 seater music venue inspired by the maritime traditions of Dubai will host opera, theatre, concerts, art exhibitions, orchestra, film, sports events and seasonal programmes, when it is completed in 2016. It forms the centrepiece of the new Opera District in Downtown Dubai.

As it stands, while Abu Dhabi has the fully operational du Arena for its live music – Robbie Williams, Jay Z, Pharrell Williams, Justin Timberlake, Rolling Stones, Rihanna among them – Dubai adapts its venues and landscapes, with mixed results.

Dubai Opera House

The Dubai Media City Amphitheatre is widely regarded as the pick of the bunch, and will host Ed Sheeran and Paolo Nutini in the next month, while Dubai World Trade Centre is better served as an exhibition hall. The Dubai International Stadium has been praised in the past, but will undertake its biggest challenge to date when it hosts Michael Buble and Drake on three consecutive nights later this month.

“A lot of the issues that we have with venues not having been built purposely for events will hopefully then be resolved in the way of purpose-built parking, food and beverage and even infrastructure that allows you to enjoy the show in a much better way than we can offer you to today, where we have to turn a car park or a leisure park or sometimes a field into a concert venue,” COO of Done Events Thomas Oveson, said in the announcement.

What’s On will of course have all the latest announcements from Done Events and AAHG just as soon as we can.