The Big Ones
The big three Yasalam acts are being saved for the three nights of the F1 Grand Prix weekend, once again only open to F1 ticket holders. Here’s the low-down on this year’s A-listers
Prince
Who? While physically about the size of your average 12-year-old boy, figuratively speaking, stars don’t come much bigger than this man. He’s been releasing records for the past five decades and, from Grammys to Oscars, he’s won just about every entertainment award you care to mention. Then there are the stats – more than 100 million records sold worldwide, 10 platinum albums…the list goes on. But perhaps the greatest appeal is the fact that you needn’t be able to tell your ‘Purple Rain’ from your ‘Raspberry Beret’ to enjoy the man in the flesh – his famously domineering stage presence is enough to ensure his sell-out
arena tours have become the stuff of legend. It’ll be his first appearance in the Middle East, but given that he conquered London’s O2 Arena for 21 continuous nights and bossed the coveted half-time show at the Superbowl in 2007, we imagine a night at Yas Arena ought to be a walk in the park for the diminutive legend. As long as his famously raunchy behaviour doesn’t land him in jail en route to the venue, of course…
When? November 14.
Kanye West
Who? Remember the chap who made a colossal tool of himself at last year’s MTV Video Music Awards by bursting on stage to grab the microphone from a terrified Taylor Swift? The one who insists on wearing Venetian blinds on his face? Yeah, him. He’s coming. Luckily, what he lacks in the way of social grace and practical eyewear, the American hip-hopper makes up for in chart-storming, roof-raising hits. And yes, we know Yas Arena is an open-air venue, but expect wild scenes all the same when the likes of ‘Gold Digger’ and ‘Stronger’ kick in. He’s also famed for collaborating with some of the biggest names in music, so we wouldn’t be shocked to see him joined on stage by a celebrity chum or two…
When? November 12.
Linkin Park
Who? Only the most high-profile rap-rock outfit currently doing their thing on the face of this very earth. We’ve known Chester Bennington and the boys were on the bill for about a month now, but still – the nu-metallers’ Abu Dhabi debut could be the surprise hit of the year, with foundation-rattling, angst-ridden anthems ‘Crawling’, ‘Papercut’ and ‘Somewhere I Belong’ perfectly suited to the scale of the occasion. It remains to be seen whether motorsport fans take to the band’s youth-orientated sound, but you can guarantee there’ll be at least one tattooed nut pogoing around and shouting along to every word. Which, even if you loathe commercially orientated rock music, ought to make for a memorable evening in itself.
When? November 13.
Off the track
It’s not all big beats and tasty riffs at Yasalam – here’s what else is going on….
Oct 28 – Nov 14 Get gnarly
Professional extreme sports stars Petr Kraus and Julian Dupont show off their raddest skills on mountain and motocross bikes, while you stand aghast and secretly hope they do themselves an injury. They’ll be doing their thing in the Corniche’s specially erected F1 Fan Zone for the duration of the festival.
Oct 28 – Nov 2 Catch a free movie
Escape the over air-conditioned darkness of the capital’s cinemas and head down to the public beach to catch a movie in considerably balmier conditions, as part of the returning Cinema by the Sea programme.
Slumdog Millionaire (Oct 31) and The Italian Job (Nov 1) are the biggies.
Nov 5 – Samba in the street
Hundreds of costumed dancers are set to bring a carnival atmosphere to the capital, with a Brazilian parade kicking off a weekend of Latin-themed celebrations, which also include a beach-side screening of the penultimate F1 Grand Prix of 2010 live from Sao Paolo.
Oct 12-13 Own the track
The city’s students are being offered the chance to follow in the footsteps of racing’s greatest champions, via a series of free talks being held at Yas Marina Circuit. Some of motorsport’s big names are involved, including Hispania Racing F1 driver Karun Chandok, Richard Cregan (CEO of Yas Marina Circuit) and more.
Best of the rest
No ticket required – simply head along to the Corniche’s Beats on the Beach on the advertised dates.
Chipmunk
The grimey 19-year-old British rapper who beat Jay-Z and Yasalam headliner Kanye West to a MOBO Award last year. Already has a UK number one single and number two album under his bling-laden belt.
Sean Paul
Reggae star who’s collaborated with anyone who’s anyone, from Snoop Dogg to Yasalam 2009 show-stealer Beyoncé. The Jamaican-born singer regularly commands huge audiences, so get down early to claim your spot.
Sophie Ellis Bextor
She’s back with new album Straight to the Heart next month, after a few years in the wilderness, so anticipate new material mixed in with classics such as ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’. Still easy on the eye at 31, too.
Kelis
Arguably peaked in 2004 with MTV Europe and Grammy nominated hit ‘Milkshake’. Latest album Flesh Tone, released earlier this year failed to trouble the UK and American charts, despite getting a
good reception from critics.
Fares Karam
Contemporary Lebanese performer able to draw a crowd of Middle-Eastern admirers simply by yawning. As well as having a huge local fanbase, he’s also toured South America, Australia and the USA. Excellent atmosphere guaranteed.
Yasalam runs from October 12 – November 14 with various events at Yas Arena, the Corniche and more. Keep your eyes on Time Out in the coming weeks for more details on the big artists and supporting cultural events and activities.
