In 2014, Top Gear filmed an episode for its 21st season on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The motoring show's co-host Richard Hammond showcased the Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6x6 across a range of locations, including Liwa Desert and the Emirates National Auto Museum. But the highlight was when he drove the brand-new car through the lazy river at Yas Waterworld.
Hammond returned just a month later to take a Porsche 918 Spyder for a spin on Yas Marina Circuit, for another episode of Top Gear.
These marked some of Yas Island's earliest moments in showbiz, and the spotlight has been shining on the entertainment location ever since.
Case in point: parts of F1: The Movie, the highly anticipated racing film starring Brad Pitt, were shot at Yas Marina Circuit, which hosts the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The capital is also set to host the regional premiere of the film.
In it, Pitt plays a former Formula One driver whose once-promising career was cut short by a devastating crash in the 1990s. In his 50s, he's lured back to the track by a former teammate who owns a struggling team on the brink of collapse.
Doubling as the set of F1: The Movie marks Yas Island's latest high-profile turn in the entertainment industry. Over the years, it has served as a filming location for both international and regional movies and TV shows.
In 2019, The Ellen Show featured the destination when host Ellen DeGeneres gifted her entire audience a six-day trip to Abu Dhabi. MasterChef India brought a 2024 episode to the capital, with contestants competing in challenges around Saadiyat and Yas islands to secure a spot in the grand finale.
The island has also made its mark on reality TV. On Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa – the Indian version of Strictly Come Dancing – judges Farah Khan and Malaika Arora, along with hosts Rithvik Dhanjani and Gauahar Khan, were shown enjoying various attractions around Yas Island, which also served as the grand prize destination for the show’s winners.
As for film, Yas Marina Circuit featured in Furious 7 in 2015, while the broader Yas Island area has been showcased in Bollywood action thriller Race 3 (2018); Hollywood flick 6 Underground (2019) starring Ryan Reynolds; and the penultimate film in the Mission: Impossible series, Dead Reckoning (2023), with Tom Cruise.
The destination even had a starring role in Al Eid Eiden, a Saudi-Emirati comedy in which a family go to Yas Island for their Eid holiday.
Upcoming releases that were filmed at the location include Bollywood action film War 2 and Hollywood thriller Now You See Me 3.
