• Arabic music legend Omar Khairat will return to the UAE. The celebrated Egyptian composer and instrumentalist will lead his orchestra through his extensive songbook of classics, at the soon-to-open Dubai Opera on October 6. Tickets from Dh375 at dubaiopera.com.
• In a great start to the alternative music season, top Irish indie act Little Green Cars are to make their UAE debut. The quintet arrive as part of a tour in support of acclaimed second album Ephemera. The band will perform at McGettigan's Abu Dhabi on Thursday August 25, and The Baggot at McGettigan's JLT on Friday August 26. Best of all, both concerts are free.
• Celebrated a cappella group Penn Masala have announced a Dubai theatre show. Formed back in 1996 by a from of University of Pennsylvania students of South Asian descent, the celebrated ensemble have been embraced in digital age as YouTube sensations. After clocking millions of viewers for their novel mash-ups of commercial Hindi and Western popular tunes, the group were invited to make a cameo in Hollywood hit Pitch Perfect 2. Penn Masala perform at Dubai's Ductac on August 20, tickets from Dh200.
• Lovers of cheesy tunes might want to keep January 13 free in the diary, with plans for a big retro music festival apparently underway. Hosted by a company called Mission Control X, a Facebook event page promises "the biggest 90s/00s music festival to hit the UAE. A great artist line-up will be announced soon." The location and further details are still to be confirmed.
• Dubai sound art collective Tse Tse Fly Middle East have launched a crowdfunding campaign to help get their forthcoming debut release printed on vinyl. Prepped for a September release, Easy Listening Vol. 1 is a 13-track collection of works by regional artists, to be distributed digitally by UK imprint Must Die Records. The group's Kickstarter campaign has a Dh12,000 goal to realise a vinyl issue of the release.
