Spectacular musical bonanza in store for residents and visitors in Dubai Shopping Festival’s “Journey of Celebrations”

British, Arabic, Indian and Filipino artists, musicians and singers to enthrall crowds at live concerts during DSF’s “Journey of Celebrations”

Welcoming visitors and residents to its “Journey of Celebrations” from 1 January to 1 February 2015, the 20th edition of the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) is promising to be a fantastic treat for music lovers from around the world. It has lined up a spectacular array of musical concerts featuring international and regional singers, musicians and artists, whose music has earned rave reviews not only in their home countries, but also worldwide.

Representing Dubai’s multicultural diversity, the series of concerts ensure a number of memorable experiences for families of all ages and nationalities – offering them the opportunity to not only enjoy their native music but also the melodies and rhythms from other countries.

WNO Orchestra

1 January, Zabeel Park (Free admission)

The 75-member troupe of the Welsh National Opera (WNO) Orchestra from the UK will be the opening event of DSF at Zabeel Park on 1 January starting at 4:30pm. Offering an extravagant welcome for families and visitors, the orchestral performance will feature well-known guest artistes from India, China and the Philippines. Showcasing Dubai’s unique multicultural character through creative programming, the grand spectacle will see Chinese conductor Xian Zhang lead the band, Filipino pianist Cecile Licad create magic with Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and famed Indian Sarod player, Amjad Ali Khan, strike a chord with his enchanting Sarod music. Musical aficionados can expect the orchestra to recreate the charm of timeless classics by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Piazzolla, Bizet, Saint-Saëns, Barroso and Johann Strauss. An additional treats awaits, in the form of Joanna Marsh’s orchestral work ‘Kahayla’ – a musical celebration of the building of the Burj Khalifa and Dubai’s winning spirit. WNO Orchestra is open to the public and is free of charge.

DSF Celebration Nights

8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 29, 30 January, Dubai Media City Amphitheatre

This DSF, Arabic music fans are in for a mega concert series that gives them the opportunity to celebrate with 20 superstars from the region. The biggest concert series of its kind in the region, DSF Celebration Nights will feature famous Arab singers including Mohammad Abdo, Hussan Al Jassmi, Amr Diab, Ahlam, Nancy Ajram, Elissa, Majed Mohandes and many others.

KathNiel Live in Dubai

1 January, Sheikh Rashid Auditorium, Indian High School

Admirers of the popular Filipino on-screen couple Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo – also known as KathNiel – can head to the Indian High School on 1 January and watch their beloved stars perform live for the first time ever.

Arijit Singh Live Concert

15 January, Sheikh Rashid Hall, Dubai World Trade Centre

Bollywood music fans can get ready to be dazzled by the young musical heartthrob of India – the one and only Arijit Singh who is coming to town for his first ever performance with a 50-piece symphony orchestra. A trained classical singer, Arijit has earned an enviable spot in the music industry within a short span of time. His career, which began with a reality show in 2005, reached new heights with the Bollywood blockbuster Aashiqui 2 featuring the ‘Tum Hi Ho’ soundtrack – which is one of the most popular Indian all-time hits. The song also won him the coveted Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer 2014 in addition to a string of several other accolades.

Sonu Nigam in Concert in “THE EPIC EVENT – My Musical Journey”

16 January, Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium

The legendary icon Sonu Nigam – India’s No. 1 singing star who enjoys phenomenal international following, is heading to Dubai this DSF with his 50-member troupe of co-singers, musicians and artists to leave audiences completely awe-inspired with his incredible singing and performance during a four-hour non-stop Bollywood musical extravaganza “THE EPIC EVENT – My Musical Journey”.

Zakir Hussain’s Nirvana 2015

31 January, Hall 6 – Dubai World Trade Centre

The legend Ustad Zakir Hussain is back in Dubai to enrich the DSF experience for visitors and residents. The multi award-winning table maestro is set to dazzle audiences with a musical extravaganza of percussion and melody featuring some of the biggest artists from the industry. The concert brings to life a diverse mélange of instrumental Indian music with Celtic/World music. The maestro will be accompanied on stage by countrymen, Rakesh Chaurasia - an award winning composer and flautist, who plays the Bansuri, an Indian bamboo flute, Ganesh Rajgopalan, a Violinist, Vocalist, Composer and Teacher, and Navin Sharma, a renowned percussionist. They will be joined by Celtic artistes, Charlie McKerron, from Scotland, Patsy Reid, a popular traditional fiddle player in the UK, Jean Michel Veillon – a musician of French origin and Breton culture, Fraser Fifield, one of the patrons of the Wind instruments in the Scottish Music Industry, Francis Kelly and Tony Byrne.

Set to be the biggest in the festival’s history, with an exciting calendar of events in store that celebrate the  key pillars of Shopping, Winning and Entertainment, the 20th edition of DSF offers over 150 citywide events, mega attractions and numerous shopping opportunities and winning options for visitors and residents from around the world.