The final piece of the Beats on the Beach puzzle has been uncovered, with Big Sean announced as a last-minute musical headliner.
The US hip-hop star will perform at the free festival, hosted at Abu Dhabi Corniche on Friday, November 25.
As the middle of three nights of live music celebrating the Grand Prix festivities, Friday is shaping up to be the biggest of all. Big Sean joins previously confirmed headliners including dance hall crossover star Sean Paul, Arabic boyband The 5, Jordanian X Factor star Adham Nabulsi and UAE teen sensation Esther Eden.
The news was announced by promoters Flash Entertainment on Tuesday, November 22 — just three days before the gig.
Born in Detroit as Sean Michael Leonard Anderson, the rap star known as Big Sean emerged close to a decade ago with 2007's Finally Famous: The Mixtape.
However it was timely collaborations in the first half of this decade which put Sean onto the international airwaves, with 2011 alone premiering tracks alongside Chris Brown (My Last), Kanye West (Marvin & Chardonnay) and Nicki Minaj (Dance).
The theme of fame has continued to pervade his work, with debut album 2011 also named Finally Famous, and 2013's follow-up entitled Hall of Fame. Both charted in the US Billboard top three.
Third long-player Dark Sky Paradise emerged last year, hitting the top spot for the first time.
Beats on the Beach opens of Thursday, November 24, with performances from Filipino starlet Yeng Constantino, who achieved national fame after graduating from Pinoy Dream Academy in 2006.
Darker tones will be provided by underground UK hip-hop duo Krept and Konan, while support comes in the form of fan-favourite Shamma Hamdan, renowned as the first Emirati woman to make it to the finals of reality-TV show Arabs Got Talent.
The weekend closes on Saturday November 26 with headliners including Lebanese superstar Nancy Ajram and US hip-hop name Travis Scott.
Doors open at Lagoon Beach, Abu Dhabi Corniche, at 6.30pm each night. For more information see www.yasalam.ae.
rgarratt@thenational.ae