A lowdown of what’s on hand at this year’s RedFestDXB.
Thursday
The Veronicas
The Aussie pop twins are back with the luscious new single In My Blood. Expect plenty of energy as they deliver their infectious hits You Ruin Me and Cruel
• 6.40pm
Thursday
Daya
Soulful American singer Daya, who released last year's debut album just weeks before her 18th birthday, is a ferocious talent who scored a recent Grammy nomination as the voice of The Chainsmokers's smash hit, Don't Let Me Down.
• 7.30pm
Thursday
Sean Paul
Fresh from a headline slot at Abu Dhabi's Beats on the Beach in November, perennial UAE favourite Sean Paul returns to top the opening-night bill. With 15 years in the game, and hits with Beyoncé (Baby Boy), Rihanna (Break it Off), Sia (Cheap Thrills) and, most recently, Clean Bandit (Rockabye), the Jamaican hitmaker had plenty to share.
• 8.30pm
Thursday
G-Eazy
Making his UAE debut after years in the underground, California-born rapper G-Eazy burst into the public consciousness with 2015's multi-platinum smash Me, Myself & I, a duet with Bebe Rexha.
• 9.30pm
Friday
Alessia Cara
A childhood YouTube sensation, Cara hit the big time when she signed to the iconic Def Jam Records for 2015's debut album Know-It-All, which was propelled by single Here, as well as last year's follow-up smashes Wild Things and Scars to Your Beautiful.
• 6.30pm
Friday
Tove Lo
A welcome sense of reflection and perspective will come from unlikely Swedish star Tove Lo, dubbed the "saddest girl in Sweden", who balances intimate autobiographical lyrics with irresistible melodic ear worms. Recent set lists suggest we can expect a closing crescendo of breakout hit Habits (Stay High).
• 7.40pm
Friday
Mike Posner
As well as writing hit tracks for Justin Bieber (Boyfriend) and Maroon 5 (Sugar), Mike Posner has made a name for himself as a solo artists with the smash hit I Took a Pill in Ibiza and Cooler Than Me.
• 8.40pm
Friday
Demi Lovato
Body-NoIndent: Former child-star Demi Lovato is taking this year off from work – but even the relentless media glare could not put the pop princess off the chance to headline RedFest's second day. Expect hits including Made in the USA, Let It Go and Heart Attack to battle the sound of hyperventilating teenagers.
• 9.40pm
Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
Bloomsbury Academic
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
Director: Kushan Nandy
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami
Three stars
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
Brief scores:
Toss: Kerala Knights, opted to fielf
Pakhtoons 109-5 (10 ov)
Fletcher 32; Lamichhane 3-17
Kerala Knights 110-2 (7.5 ov)
Morgan 46 not out, Stirling 40
The Intruder
Director: Deon Taylor
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Michael Ealy, Meagan Good
One star
