K-pop stars Rain and Heize perform at free concert in Dubai

Fans are treated to live performances and virtual shows at The Agenda

• 

  K-pop star Rain performs at The Agenda in Dubai as part of the Kite: K-pop in the Emirates concert on October 2. All photos: Antonie Robertson / The National

• 

  Rising K-pop star Heize also performed.

• 

  A young fan in attendance at the K-pop concert.

• 

  Heize is a singer and rapper who is signed to Psy's label P Nation.

• 

  K-pop singer Rain released his first album, 'Bad Guy', in 2002.

• 

  Singer-songwriter Kwon Jung-yeol, who performs as 10cm.

• 

  Fans enjoy watching Rain perform at Kite: K-pop in the Emirates.

• 

  Heize takes to the stage.

• 

  10cm performed virtually from South Korea for fans in the UAE.

• 

  Heize released her second studio album, 'Undo', in June.

• 

  This was the third Kite: K-pop in the Emirates concert.

• 

  Rain's musical career includes seven albums - six in Korean and one in Japanese.

• 

  Rain performing with his backing dancers.

• 

  K-pop fans in the front row.

• 

  In March, Rain released his third EP 'Pieces by Rain'.

• 

  Heize performs on stage at The Agenda.

• 

  The event also featured metaverse performances from rock band YB, rapper Ph-1 and singer Car, the Garden, who performed from South Korea.

K-pop fans in the UAE have been treated to a performance by stars Rain and Heize at The Agenda in Dubai Media City.

The third Kite: K-pop in the Emirates concert, presented by the Korea Creative Content Agency and the Korean Cultural Centre in the UAE, took place on Sunday. It was a free event open to all fans of the music genre and featured live performances, as well as virtual shows from musicians in South Korea.

Rain is one of the country’s most famous personalities and is often referred to as the first K-pop star. He played some of his biggest hits during the event.

He gained worldwide popularity with his third album, 2004’s It’s Raining. He has twice been named as one of the 100 most influential people by Time magazine and released his EP Pieces by Rain in 2021. It featured five tracks, including the collaborative single Why Don't We with Chungha.

Heize, who also performed live, is a singer and rapper signed to Psy's record label and entertainment agency P Nation. She made her music debut with a 2014 eponymous EP featuring six songs. In June, she released her second album, Undo. She was nominated for Artist of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Vocal Performance at the 2021 Mnet Asian Music Awards.

During the concert, there were also extended reality metaverse video performances on a large screen from rock band YB, singer-songwriter 10cm, rapper Ph-1, duo Prudence, singer-songwriter SWJA and singer Car, the Garden.

They used extended reality live tracking and 3D technology to create virtual stages — in this case with the acts in South Korea looking like they were performing in Dubai.