Sharjah World Music Festival: Balqees and Abdallah Al Rowaished to headline opening night

They week-long music festival will kick off the concert at Al Majaz Amphitheatre on January 12

Emirati-Yemeni pop star Balqees will perform alongside Kuwaiti singer Abdallah Al Rowaished. Antonie Robertson / The National

Emirati star Balqees and Kuwaiti singer Abdallah Al Rowaished will headline the opening night of the Sharjah World Music Festival at the Al Majaz Amphitheatre on January 12.

The fifth edition of the music festival will feature 14 concerts spanning Arabic and Andalusian music, jazz, and more.

Five concerts are ticketed, and will be held at either Al Majaz Amphitheatre or Flag Island Theatre. The remaining nine performances are all outdoors and free to the public at Al Qasba and Al Majaz Waterfront.

More acts will be announced soon.

Balqees made her music debut in 2013 with the record-breaking album Majnoun Balqees. Her follow-up release Zay Ma Ana was even more successful, being named the most downloaded album on iTunes in the Middle East in 2015. She is presently on tour on the back of her latest album Arahenkom.

Dubbed the Ambassador of Gulf Song, Al Rowaished is best known for his ballad Akher Habib, and remains a creative force with the release of his latest well-received album Tesalem Alek.

The festival runs from January 12-19. Tickets for the concerts are available online at www.ticketmaster.ae, and can be purchased at customer service counters of Al Qasba Theatre, The Flag Island Theatre, Al Majaz Amphitheatre and Al Majaz Waterfront. 

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