Expo 2020 Dubai continues to be a haven for culture lovers in the new year.
After explosive New Year’s Eve concerts by EDM stars Armin Van Buuren and Dimitri Vegas, the world's fair returns to its eclectic programme of performances.
In January, there will be concerts ranging from chart-topping pop music to Balkan and Italian jazz, and from Hungarian folk to Spanish flamenco.
Here are seven shows to see this month. All are free to attend with an Expo pass.
1. Goran Bregovic
Country Pavilion: Serbia
What it is: With six million albums sold over a three-decade career, Goran Bregovic is one of Serbia’s most successful musicians and a star across the Balkans.
Bringing his Wedding and Funeral Orchestra, a vibrant ensemble featuring a brass and string section and male choir, Bregovic promises an upbeat show.
“I haven’t written anything sad in 20 years,” he said. “My music is cheerful, it invites people to dance, to rejoice, no matter what their religion or nation, I believe that the audience in Dubai will recognise it and that we will have a great time.”
Venue: Jubilee Stage
Time: 7pm to 9pm
Date: January 13
2. 'Faro' by Eduardo Guerrero
Country Pavilion: Spain
What it is: A lush flamenco show inspired by some of the lighthouses dotting Spanish coastal cities and towns.
Dancer Eduardo Guerro will channel the beauty of these edifices with pieces named after them, such as Faro de la Cerda de Santander in Aviles and Sacratif in Granada.
Fiery and wistful, Faro is set to be a memorable journey.
Venue: Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre
Time: 8pm to 10pm
Date: January 18
3. National Jazz Orchestra: All that Jazz
Country Pavilion: Italy
What it is: Originally conceived as an education project in 2016, the orchestra went on to perform across Italy and Europe with a repertoire highlighting the rich history of Italian music from the post-war period.
The Expo 2020 Dubai show will feature jazzed-up takes on Neapolitan folk songs and works by influential Italian composers.
Venue: Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre
Time: 9.30pm to 10.30pm
Date: January 24
4. Infinite Nights: Black Eyed Peas
What it is: The concert by the big-selling trio comes as part of the six-month Infinite Nights series, which has had the likes of Kadim Al Sahir, Nancy Ajram, Ragheb Alama and Alicia Keys take to the stage over the past few months.
Also being streamed live on the Expo website, the special show by the Black Eyed Peas has been "inspired by the pace and pulse of technology and music that explores and embraces new musical frontiers”, according to the official announcement.
You can also expect the group to play some of its biggest hits such as Where Is the Love?, Boom Boom Pow and I Gotta Feeling.
Venue: Al Wasl Plaza
Time: 8.30pm to 9.30pm
Date: January 25
5. Tania Libertad
Country Pavilion: Mexico
What it is: The veteran Peruvian-Mexican singer is a leading light in the world music scene.
With more than 44 albums recorded in a career spanning five decades, Libertad has performed alongside Spanish opera star Placido Domingo and South American music giants such as Puerto Rican mambo composer Tito Puente and Mexico's Vicente Fernandez.
With a sound mixing bolero and mariachi with Afro-Peruvian rhythms, Libertad's performance should be as enchanting as it is energetic.
Venue: Jubilee Stage
Time: 9pm to 11pm
Date: January 25
6. Iwal rock folk group
Country Pavilion: Algeria
What it is: With its delicate acoustic guitars, harmonica and piano, the folk group conjures a tender and ethereal sound with eclectic songs inspired by the mountainous Chaouis region of Eastern Algeria.
Venue: Jubilee Stage
Time: 9.30pm to 11pm
Date: January 26
7. Csik Band
Country Pavilion: Hungary
What it is: One of Hungary's most popular groups, Csik Band specialises in their native country's folk music tradition with a dash of rock and world music thrown in the mix. The group are widely acclaimed at home and were awarded the prestigious Fonogram Prize from the Hungarian Association of Record Producers.
Venue: Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre
Time: 5.30pm to 6.30pm
Date: January 29
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