Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi and Swedish pop star Zara Larsson will open this year’s Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix after-race concert series, tickets for which are on sale.
The pair will perform separate sets on Thursday, December 3, at Etihad Park, launching the four-night programme that runs alongside the race weekend at Yas Marina Circuit until December 6.
Access to the concerts is exclusive to Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ticket holders. Further artists for the 2026 after-race concert series will be announced in the coming months.
Capaldi’s return to the capital comes on the back of his appearance at Saadiyat Nights in January. In The National’s review of the sold-out show, Capaldi was praised for an emotive set that balanced fresh tracks with older hits.
“Newer tracks such as Love The Hell Out Of You and Something in the Heavens sat comfortably alongside familiar material, while Leave Me Slowly drew a hushed, attentive response from a crowd happy to let the songs breathe,” the review said. “Before You Go, one of Capaldi's most recognisable hits, landed with the emotional punch it always has, voices rising across the open-air venue as the chorus hit home.”
Best known for the 2019 global hit Someone You Loved, which topped charts worldwide and earned him a Grammy nomination, Capaldi, 29, has since built a catalogue rooted in emotionally direct ballads delivered with his trademark power.
The Abu Dhabi date lands during a busy period for the singer. In July, he announced a run of outdoor headline concerts across the UK and Ireland for summer 2026, including London, Cardiff and Leeds, following a sold-out European arena tour last year.
Sharing the opening-night bill is Larsson, who arrives in Abu Dhabi after a breakthrough year. The singer, known for chart successes such as Lush Life and Never Forget You, released her fifth album Midnight Sun, which earned critical acclaim and a first Grammy nomination. Expect crisp choreography and polished pop production, offering a high-energy start to the evening before Capaldi takes the stage.
According to Abu Dhabi Grand Prix organiser Ethara, last year’s race attracted a record 339,000 fans across four days.
