• Kevin, Nick and Brian at MCI Centre in Washington in 1999. All photos: Reuters
    Kevin, Nick and Brian at MCI Centre in Washington in 1999. All photos: Reuters
  • Backstreet Boys performed at the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball at Madison Square Garden, New York, in 2022
    Backstreet Boys performed at the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball at Madison Square Garden, New York, in 2022
  • Throughout their career, they have won countless awards, including the Golden Camera award at Berlin's concert hall Schauspielhaus in 1997
    Throughout their career, they have won countless awards, including the Golden Camera award at Berlin's concert hall Schauspielhaus in 1997
  • From left, AJ, Howie, Kevin, B-Rock, and Nick in 1998
    From left, AJ, Howie, Kevin, B-Rock, and Nick in 1998
  • The band performed with Sting in New York in 2000
    The band performed with Sting in New York in 2000
  • They played Z100's Zootopia in 2005
    They played Z100's Zootopia in 2005
  • They joined forced with New Kids on the Block on NBC's Today in 2011
    They joined forced with New Kids on the Block on NBC's Today in 2011
  • Backstreet Boys presented the award for New Artist of the Year at the 40th American Music Awards in Los Angeles, California, in 2012
    Backstreet Boys presented the award for New Artist of the Year at the 40th American Music Awards in Los Angeles, California, in 2012
  • The band received their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2013
    The band received their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2013
  • AJ and Kevin at the Wango Tango concert in California in 2017
    AJ and Kevin at the Wango Tango concert in California in 2017

Backstreet Boys to play first Abu Dhabi show in May


Saeed Saeed
  • English
  • Arabic

The Backstreet Boys will make their debut performance in Abu Dhabi in May.

The popular US boyband — who have been going strong for 30 years — will perform at Etihad Arena on May 7.

Ticket prices will be revealed soon and will go on sale on Ticketmaster on Friday at noon.

The concert will mark their return to the region; their last performance was in Saudi Arabia in 2019 on the back of their well-received album DNA. It was their first in the kingdom.

The time spent in between has been marked with triumph and tragedy.

In 2021, the group topped the US charts with the festive album A Very Backstreet Christmas, while last year they mourned the death of Aaron Carter, the singer and brother of group member Nick Carter.

Days after his death, the Backstreet Boys paid tribute to Carter in a concert in London.

“Tonight, we’ve got a little bit of heavy hearts cause we lost one of our family members yesterday and we just wanted to find a moment in our show to recognise him," said singer Kevin Richardson on stage.

Formed in 1993, the five-piece remain one of the planet's biggest boybands, and they also command a dedicated fan base in the Arab world.

During their last trip to the UAE, they headlined a sold-out edition of the Blended festival, which had more than 10,000 fans singing along to hits such as Larger than Life and Everybody.

In her review, The National's Backstreet Boys superfan Sofia Barbarani hailed their performance for keeping it vintage, writing: "Over the space of an hour and a half, the boys danced like it was 1993, like they were still five teenagers rehearsing dance moves in an Orlando warehouse."

However, on that occasion, the normally swift footwork of Carter eluded him and he slipped and landed on his back during the second song of the night, prompting “a chorus of concerned sighs from the largely-female audience".

The Abu Dhabi show marks the continuation of the DNA World Tour with a sturdy 30-song set list featuring tracks from the album as well as the greatest hits.

More information is available www.ticketmaster.ae

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MATCH RESULT

Al Jazira 3 Persepolis 2
Jazira:
Mabkhout (52'), Romarinho (77'), Al Hammadi (90' 6)
Persepolis: Alipour (42'), Mensha (84')

While you're here

The Sky Is Pink

Director: Shonali Bose

Cast: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, Rohit Saraf

Three stars

Scoreline

Syria 1-1 Australia

Syria Al Somah 85'

Australia Kruse 40'

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

Updated: February 22, 2023, 2:39 PM