Good news music fans – Dubai Music Week is back.
The umbrella initiative – which includes a mix of live performances, celebrity talks, workshops and attractions – will return to Dubai World Trade Centre from September 23 to 26 (not quite a week, but still).
For casual fans the top draw is the gigs, and we’ve been promised four big name acts to play across each of the four evenings; one pop, one rock, one urban, and one Arabic artist.
It seems likely that the previously announced September 25 gig by Thirty Seconds to Mars – which was originally set for April – will be revealed as the “rock” headliner.
However, many will be saddened to hear the event’s co-founder/mascot Quincy Jones will not be appearing at the 2015 event.
Dubai Music Week first took place in September 2013, founded as a partnership between the legendary producer’s Global Gumbo Group foundation and Dubai World Trade Centre. That inaugural event featured performances and talks from talents including Selena Gomez, Will.i.am, Timbaland, and Jones himself.
However, despite a personal pledge from Jones that Dubai Music Week would return in 2014 – and various leaks about the proposed line-up – no follow-up event surfaced until now.
This second festival sees the brand resuscitated as a partnership between Dubai World Trade Centre and longstanding concert promoters Live Nation.
It’s clear this year the focus will be more live music-orientated, with four gigs as opposed to two in 2013. Away from the stage, the 2015 edition also promises guest speakers, master-classes and an “entertainment village”, as well as opportunities for local musicians and DJs to get involved.
That’s all the information we have for now, but the return of Dubai Music Week can be no bad thing for the emirates’ many music lovers. It’s only right to be excited.
rgarratt@thenational.ae
