Twitter is buzzing. In a tweet from yesterday, Coca-Cola Arena announced that a “super event” is coming to Dubai on Friday, March 20 with the hashtag #KpopinUAE.
And while UAE fans have long been asking for the return of a full-blown K-pop concert – the last was arguably SM Town Live in 2018 – we still don't know which act (or acts) are coming. However, an official announcement is expected to come soon.
UPDATE: We called it: Super Junior are coming to the UAE
We’ve got news that’s (k)poppin’
— Coca-Cola Arena (@cocacolaarena) January 20, 2020
Trust us, it’s going to be super! #KPOPINUAE pic.twitter.com/tonb59U1st
In the meantime, here’s a look at who we think it could be and why:
Super Junior in the UAE?
Super Junior have been around for quite a while. Debuting in 2005, the veteran group has endured everything from lawsuits, departing members and mandatory military service. While there were once 12 members, they're now down to nine.
Back in June, the group performed in Saudi Arabia as part of Jeddah Season Festival as one of the first K-pop acts to head to the country. Their concert not only sold out but crashed the website an hour later.
In October, they released their ninth studio album Time Slip and they are in the middle of a world tour. Super Junior will perform in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on March 1 before their next gig in Saitama, Japan on March 25 so, at least geographically, it seems tricky they would make a stop over in Dubai.
However, the real clincher could be a Facebook note from the page Super Junior World Tour "Super Show 8." While it is run by a fan club, it seems pretty accurate in terms of the other dates listed.
In a Facebook note from August 2019, the Coca-Cola Arena is listed as a confirmed venue for a concert but without any date attached to it. Could this be for March 20?
SuperM's Dubai debut?
The recently formed SuperM is the definition of a super group. Nicknamed the "Avengers of K-pop," they formed in 2019 with members coming from four other existing SM Entertainment boy bands. The seven members are Exo's Kai and Baekhyun, Shinee's Taemin, NCT 127's Taeyong and Mark, and WayV's Ten and Lucas. It seems the group are partial to the UAE. Back in October, SuperM filmed the music video for their debut single Jopping in Dubai.
SUPER EVENT - SUPERM??
— MARK LEE .. 🐯🌱 (@MarkissSuper) January 20, 2020
The group is currently on a world tour in America with the last date listed as February 28 in London. With no other dates scheduled for March onward, it would be a perfect time to make a stopover in Dubai for a performance.
BTS to finally return to the UAE?
Fans in the UAE have been begging for a concert from the group since they last performed in Abu Dhabi as part of KCon Abu Dhabi in 2016. However, a lot has changed in four years. The seven-member group has hit astronomical popularity and became the first K-pop act to hit No 1 on the Billboard 200, only to repeat the same feat twice more in the same year. The band performed in Riyadh back in October before wrapping up their world tour in Seoul. Regardless, fans in the UAE have held onto hope that perhaps they'd come to the UAE.
Can you please just bring BTS for their world tour? Please? That’s all we’ve been asking for for the past 4 years!!
— 🧈 😈 쿠룯⁷ 💜🧈 (@KkW167) January 20, 2020
The group have announced they'll be coming back with a new album on Friday, February 21. In anticipation of their new music, they'll also embark on a world tour. However, it isn't scheduled to start until April, making a stop in Dubai in March seem unlikely. Then again, the Saudi Arabia stop was also a last minute add on as well.
So as we wait for confirmation to see which act will be coming to the Coca-Cola Arena, we can't help but feel excited over news that K-pop is, indeed, coming back to the UAE. Who do you want to see?
