Michael McIntyre to make Abu Dhabi debut at Etihad Arena in July

British comedian Michael McIntyre will perform a one-off show in Abu Dhabi this summer, marking his debut in the UAE capital.

The show, set to take place on July 16 at the newly opened Etihad Arena, will mark the beginning of live events returning to Yas Island.

McIntyre is one of the world's most recognisable comedians, selling out 250 tour dates around the world with his most recent Big World Tour. His headline Netflix special, released last year, was one of the most-watched comedy shows on the streaming service in 2020.

British comedian Michael McIntyre will be the first act to play at Yas Island's Etihad Arena. Courtesy GME Events

McIntyre is also a television presenter in the UK, hosting prime time entertainment programme Michael McIntyre's Big Show, on BBC One.

“I can’t wait to perform my Greatest Hits show at the Etihad Arena, Yas Island in July. This will be my first time in Abu Dhabi and I am excited to be the first performer announced to play this venue!” McIntyre says.

Precautionary measures will be in place at the venue, including thermal scanners, social distancing, limited capacities and contactless payment. Face masks must be worn at all times.

Tickets for the show are now on sale, starting at Dh195. Tickets will be available to purchase in groups of twos, threes and fours only. Packages are also available for those travelling to Abu Dhabi. These include event tickets and hotel stays.

More information and tickets can be found at www.etihadarena.ae

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Basquiat in Abu Dhabi

One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.

The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier.

It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.

“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October

Karwaan

Producer: Ronnie Screwvala

Director: Akarsh Khurana

Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar

Rating: 4/5

Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015

- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France

While you're here

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FIGHT%20CARD

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If you go

The flights

There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.

The trip

Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.

The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.