Where will Hugh Jackman perform in the UAE?

The Australian actor and singer hinted at a UAE performance on social media: 'we're rehearsing really hard getting ready for the show'

Actor and singer Hugh Jackman performs on NBC's "Today" show at Rockefeller Plaza  in New York in December 2018 (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)

It turns out Hugh Jackman’s UAE adventure is more than a desert vacation. The Australian actor hinted on social media yesterday that his stay in the Emirates will also include a performance, and imminently.

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Sharing a video with his 24 million Instagram followers, he said: “We’re in Dubai, in the Empty Quarter. We're rehearsing really hard getting ready for the show, but as we say in Australia, you’ve got to work hard but you’ve also got to play hard too, so we are doing a little dune buggying.”

He jokingly added: “Don’t tell anyone who’s in charge.”

So the question is where will be able to see Jackman performing songs from his star turn in the musical film The Greatest Showman?

Two options for his performance... 

March 21: The Special Olympics Closing Ceremony at Zayed Sports Stadium

The artists performing at the closing ceremony tonight at Zayed Sports Stadium have singers and song choices connected to Hugh Jackman.

While all eyes will undoubtedly be focused on ex-Pussy Cat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger's performance, also performing on the bill is the lesser known but immensely talented Keale Settle.

The US actress and singer will take the stage to perform the hit This Is Me, from the soundtrack to The Greatest Showman. This is a song that the Australian does love to sing, and he was in the original film, so could this be the moment when Jackman waltzes into the stadium to make a guest appearance?

Another aspect that links the Special Olympics to Jackman is the fact that This Is Me was written by music producer Greg Wells, who also happens to be the co-writer and producer of the Special Olympics Abu Dhabi anthem Right Where I Am Supposed to Be.

The closing ceremony begins at 7pm and tickets cost Dh60, which can be purchased through Ticketmaster.

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March 23: The Global Teacher Prize concert at Dubai Media City Amphitheatre

The other big connection Jackman has to the UAE this weekend is the Global Teacher Prize. There will be a mega concert in Dubai on Saturday to celebrate the prize, which includes Little Mix, Liam Payne, Rita Ora and, wait for it, The Greatest Showman singer Loren Allred.

Last month, Jackman announced the line-up of 10 finalists for the Global Teacher Prize, which recognises the best teachers from around the world with a $1 million (Dh3.67m) prize.

In the announcement, Jackman described them as the “real superheroes”.

“Since the launch of the Global Teacher Prize in Dubai just five years ago it has gone on to inspire over 30 national teacher prizes, unearthing thousands of stories of heroes that have transformed young people’s lives,” Jackman said in the video.

“When I was a kid, there were lots of superheroes that I wanted to be. But I can tell you right now, from where I stand, with all my experience, the real superheroes are teachers – they’re the ones that change the world.”

Tickets for the Global Teacher Prize concert start at Dh350 and are available via 800tickets.com

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