Muse caps off Abu Dhabi F1 after-race concerts with blazing rock show

The occasion marked the British trio's first show in more than a year

Muse in concert to close this year's Grand Prix after-parties in Abu Dhabi. All photos: Antonie Robertson / The National

The packed crowd for Muse see off the 2024 Grand Prix concert season

It was the first time the British trio has performed for more than a year

Singer-guitarist Matt Bellamy in Abu Dhabi

The crowd at the Muse concert on the closing night of the F1 in Abu Dhabi at Etihad Arena

Muse drummer Dominic Howard in full flight

Matt Bellamy during the Muse concert

Chris Wolstenholme on bass

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Being a rock group is a thankless business these days. With the hip-hop genre dominating the charts and a dazzling new wave of female singers leading an exciting phase of pop music, rock's significance on the large stage has largely been relegated to a handful of legacy and veteran artists.

This makes the UK group Muse an intriguing exception. Now well into their third decade, they continue to capture attention with high-concept albums and grandiose concerts brimming with pomp and spectacle.

Even when there isn’t a new album on the horizon, the trio remains ready to deliver a spectacle, as crowds discovered on Sunday at Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Park.

Performing the closing concert of the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix, the show marked their first of the year and started a jaunt that will see them play at Riyadh’s Soundstorm Festival on Friday.

The time in between shows hasn’t left them rusty, with the group entering to recorded chants and launching into a blazing version of Won’t Stand Down.

It is a shape-shifting highlight. Singer and guitarist Matt Bellamy begins the track with an Eastern-inspired guitar motif before settling into a punchy verse, then launching the song into a wall of crushing guitars and Dominic Howard’s thunderous drumming.

Up next is Hysteria with singer Bellamy’s potent vocal performance matched in intensity by Chris Wolstenholme’s dazzling bass lines. The song is one of their clearest examples of marrying sharp melodies with their signature technical, prog-rock prowess.

It conjures the kind of energy only a committed rock band can deliver. If the Abu Dhabi show is part of their long-awaited return to touring, we can confidently report that Muse shows no signs of losing their will.

The concert capped off another dynamic series of concerts at the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix. It began on Thursday with the double bill of DJ Peggy Gou and soul singer Teddy Swims, followed a day later by Maroon 5, before Eminem performed to a capacity crowd of 40,000 people on Saturday.

All tickets were exclusive to Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ticket holders.