Mad on Yas Island manager Sarah Stosic speaks to us about the one year anniversary of the Abu Dhabi Super Club and its growth over the last 12 months.
Congratulations for the first year anniversary of Mad. Did the year fly by?
Yes, I can’t believe it’s been a year. It feels like just yesterday we were recruiting our team and trying to get the place ready to open to public. This year has passed by really quickly.
What were some of the goals that you set out to achieve within the first year of the club and have you achieved them?
To begin with, our main goals were to provide a new and exciting addition to the capital’s nightlife scene, and to ensure the club was full three nights a week. We managed to achieve that and have recently launched XO Tuesdays, which is our fourth operational night per week.
What are some of the challenges you faced during the year?
One of our hardest challenges was building the team. We opened just two weeks before F1 weekend last year, so we were really thrown in the deep end. Thankfully, we are blessed with an amazing hospitality and entertainment team who continuously strive to provide a high level of customer service. I’m really happy with what we have achieved.
Do you feel the Yas Island location is a benefit or a challenge when it comes to bringing partygoers to Mad?
I think it’s a great benefit to be situated on Yas Island. The island has become a regional entertainment destination and we are really excited for the new developments that were recently announced by Miral.
With so many clubs in the UAE, what are the key things that distinguishes Mad from the rest?
We aim to provide a superior clubbing experience, with regular live artists and performers, entertainment shows and the latest in sound and lighting technology. Personally, my favourite part is the sophisticated lighting and 3D projection system, it’s truly spectacular.
Since you are the biggest club in Abu Dhabi, can you tell us some of the key characteristics of the Abu Dhabi clubber?
The Abu Dhabi market is made of many well-travelled people, who will likely have visited the best nightclubs across the world. Which means they will expect no less in Abu Dhabi, and are looking for the best nightlife experience. It keeps us on our toes, and means that we are constantly looking to evolve and to stay at the forefront of new trends.
Other than Fat Joe, what else do you have in store for the one year anniversary celebrations?
Expect an incredible energy, we will only turn one once and are planning to make the most of it! We have a few surprises in store as well as the live performance by Fat Joe.
You are about to release your line-up for the Formula One weekend, can you give us a hint on what you have in store for us?
The Yasalam festival is the largest in the region and brings the best talent every year. We are collaborating with FLASH Entertainment this year to bring two surprise artists from the Beats on the Beach line up. Our full after-party schedule for this year’s Yasalam is going to be announced soon, and it’s going to be amazing.
Fat Joe plays at Mad Yas Island's one year anniversary on Thursday. For details go to www.madonyasisland.com
sasaeed@thenational.ae