Were you at the Madonna concert last night? The weather really wasn't as bad as you'd expect in Abu Dhabi in June; there was no humidity, there was a breeze, it was a delight to witness, especially considering everyone's low expectations. Her Madge-sty, however, complained about the weather a little - I don't think she's as used to it as we have become!
The concert began with the sound of an old church bell being rung, the type you'd expect in an old cathedral, the type attached to a rope you have to pull. I won't reveal too much about the concert itself; suffice to say that the Queen of Pop - and she certainly does believe herself to be Queen - really knows how to put on a show. Not necessarily a perfect show, but a good one nonetheless.
Expect amazing choreography, a first half punctuated by violence and aggression, quite a few costume changes, Madonna strumming a guitar and some unexpected takes on old favourites.
Logistically speaking, here's what you need to know before tonight's concert: make use of the hotels on Yas Island and have dinner at one of them! They don't require reservations; just walk in to a restaurant. It'll give you the chance to valet your car, enjoy your dinner then hop on to the convenient shuttle buses ferrying everyone from the hotels to the exact entrance of the recently renamed du Arena. Alternatively, if you don't want to wait for the shuttle buses that come by every 20 minutes starting at 6pm, you can always hail one of the dozens of taxi cabs roaming the streets, all of whom are happy to drop you off at the entrance for a mere Dh5 - the cost of the ride from the hotel's entrance to the arena's entrance.
For your return, as soon as the concert is over, the same buses will be parked right outside the entrance, each marked with which hotel it'll take you back to. Easy, convenient, no need to navigate the huge parking lots that are quite a walk away from the venue, and no need to get stuck in ridiculous traffic once the concert is over and you're eager to get home.
Inside the du Arena, you'll be surprised at the marked changes. The grass is thick and green, there are stands to buy water pretty much everywhere labeled as Water Points and the crowd will be teeming.
The one let down was an inability on my side to find the merchandise stands and get myself a Madonna T-shirt. Apparently, they are right by the General Admission entrance, so do keep that in mind if you're as eager as I was to leave with a memento of the event.
