Tight skinny jeans, band T-shirts or hoodies, studded belts and side-swept bangs can instantly transport most millennials back to a very specific time in their lives. Back to when bands such as Blink-182, My Chemical Romance and Paramore were dominating the airwaves, inspiring a generation to sing out its angst.
Now, two decades later, friends Pedro Maggion, Rami Boraie and David Celis are hoping to bring back those memories with Emo Nite in Dubai, a one-night themed event set to take place at High So in Al Barsha on Saturday.
For those who don't know, emo is a rock sub-genre built on emotional, often vulnerable lyrics and strong melodic hooks. It grew out of punk and hardcore before shifting into a more polished, mainstream sound in the 2000s.
It just also happened to be the ideal soundtrack for youth who were navigating complicated feelings and finding comfort in music that spoke directly to them. It’s a connection that still resonates with fans today, including the trio behind Emo Nite in Dubai.
Although all three come from different backgrounds – Maggion is from Brazil, Boraie grew up in Canada and Celis is from Colombia – they’re united by their shared passion for the music genre.
“Emo and pop-punk are what drive us,” Maggion tells The National. "When I moved to Dubai in 2021, I thought my concert days were over. Then I met David in 2022, another Blink-182 fan, and later met Rami in early 2025. Once I saw what they were doing, I said, 'Guys, we need to start an emo night.'"
Boraie says the idea for the event grew out of his work with the Courtyard Playhouse, where he and a friend bonded over punk and pop punk. Noticing the lack of punk nights in Dubai, they launched their own late last year, and the events steadily drew a loyal crowd. A small community quickly formed, with regulars returning, new friendships developing and even the organisers, including Maggion and Celis, becoming close.
As the events expanded to include punk rock karaoke, Boraie, Maggion and Celis eventually decided to branch off and create something that felt more personal to them. They shifted their focus to emo, and what began as a casual experiment soon evolved into a much bigger project.
“What pushed us was that sense of community. We all grew up with this music, it helped us through life. There’s real emotion attached to it, and we wanted to celebrate that and create a space where people can connect, have fun and relive those memories together,” adds Celis.
Their confidence in the idea grew after Green Day’s concert at Expo City Dubai in January, where more than 25,000 fans turned out. It made them realise there was a “hidden community of fans in the Middle East”.
“The whole reason we’re starting this is because we’re three expats who’ve been living here for a while, and we’ve seen emo nights take off all over the world – Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, the US, Germany, Japan, Singapore – everywhere. But not here,” says Maggion.
“Our goal is to find those people and build a scene, grow the emo and pop punk community here, so maybe big production companies will take notice and start bringing the bands we love to play here. A lot of them literally fly over Dubai on their way to Asia, but don’t stop because there’s no visible scene. We want to change that.”
The evening aims to tap into that shared connection to the era with a playlist of emo classics, communal sing-alongs and a chance for fans to reconnect with the music they grew up with, while also making some new friends along the way.
Boraie will be behind the decks as La Rams alongside headliner DJ Kitty, with both set to blast some of the era’s most famous anthems. Those who attend can expect to hear everything from Dashboard Confessional, Fall Out Boy and New Found Glory to AFI, Silverstein and Underoath, with the mix curated to appeal to fans across the emo spectrum.
“We’re all balancing jobs and life, but we put our hearts into this. Rami’s an amazing DJ and MC, Pedro’s got endless creative energy, and I try to keep us grounded and focused,” says Celis.
More than just a project to bond over, they say they want to create something meaningful – a scene people can return to, where friendships form naturally and emo fans in the country finally have a place to call their own.
“Yeah, that’s what it’s all about – connection,” says Boraie. “Beyond the parties, it’s about building a community that lasts.”
Emo Nite in Dubai is Saturday at 8pm; tickets are sold at the door; Dh50; aged 21+ only
