Linkin Park will make their long-awaited return to the UAE next year, performing at Etihad Arena, Yas Island on January 20.
The concert will be part of the band’s From Zero World Tour – their first global outing in more than a decade and their first UAE show since 2010. Founding members Mike Shinoda, Dave “Phoenix” Farrell and Joe Hahn will be joined on stage by vocalist Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain.
The tour celebrates From Zero, the band’s latest album, which reached No 1 in 14 countries last November. Since its release, singles such as The Emptiness Machine and Heavy Is the Crown have topped various international charts, reasserting the group’s standing as one of rock’s most influential acts.
“It’s been 15 years since we last played in the UAE and we’re so excited to go back and see our fans there,” Shinoda said in a statement.
Presented by Live Nation Middle East, in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism and Miral, the show is expected to be a major draw. The band's last performance in the region, at Riyadh's Soundstorm Festival in December, drew more than 100,000 fans. Etihad Arena has an estimated maximum capacity of 18,000.
In The National's review of the performance in Saudi Arabia, Saeed Saeed highlighted the welcome addition of singer Armstrong, saying: “The nearly two-hour set, spanning their biggest hits and tracks from this year’s solid comeback album From Zero, should also help silence the two main criticisms levelled by hardcore Linkin Park fans.
“For those initially wondering – and I count myself among them – 'Emily who?' when Armstrong was announced as the new lead singer, the Riyadh set proved she is a dynamic and powerful vocalist in her own right,” Saeed continued.
How to get tickets to Linkin Park in Abu Dhabi
Tickets go on general sale on September 4 at noon via LiveNation.
Presales begin earlier, with the LPU Legacy Presale opening on September 1 at 11am, followed by the LPU Passport Presale at noon the same day. The Live Nation Presale will run from September 2 at noon until September 4 at 11.59am.
What to expect from the From Zero World Tour
Fans can expect a set list that spans more than 20 years of music – from early anthems such as In the End and Numb to new material shaped by the band’s revitalised sound. Heavy Is the Crown, released last year as the official anthem for the League of Legends World Championship, brought the band to a new generation of listeners.
With more than 54 million monthly Spotify listeners and strong acclaim for their comeback, Linkin Park’s return has been hailed as one of rock’s defining stories of the past two years.
