Coldplay's upcoming Abu Dhabi shows mark an 'astonishing expansion' of the UAE's event scene

Big names, more exclusive events and elevated food and beverage experiences are just some of the things to expect from Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi and the House of Sustainability in Dubai over the coming months.

That's the view of Jessica Koravos, the president of Oak View Group (OVG) International. The American company, which operates stadiums, arenas and other live-event venues across the world, has teamed up with Ethara, a local operator, to manage both spots under the name OVG Middle East. Based in Abu Dhabi, Ethara already manages several prime locations, like Etihad Arena and Yas Marina Circuit in the UAE capital.

“We're all about fantastic events and experiences being delivered to the people,” Koravos tells The National. Speaking about the joint venture, she explains that her team is working on the programming for both Zayed Sports City in the capital and the House of Sustainability (formerly UAE Pavilion) in Dubai Expo City to “elevate the venues to the next level”.

Developing a touring circuit

There been a lot of excitement about Zayed Sports City lately, aided by ticket sales for a record breaking four-days of performances by Coldplay. The demand was unprecedented and is described by Koravos as an “astonishing expansion” of the region's appetite for live events.

“The UAE, and the Middle East in general, is a crucial part of a global touring circuit in a way that it didn't used to be,” she says. “Previously, artists came to the UAE as a one-off. They would play in one venue and then would go.”

Koravos explains that creating venues that can accommodate these artists, often with big production requirements, is important if people want to see more big names perform in the region. “It's really just the beginning, and once you start to see these venues come to life, especially in other neighbouring countries such as Saudi Arabia, you start to have a little bit of a touring circuit,” she says.

“Artists will not have to come all the way to this part of the world for one show – maybe they can play two, three or four stadiums in Abu Dhabi, for example, and then two, three or four more stadiums in Saudi Arabia, which makes it worth it, similar to what happens in Europe.”

Premium experiences

At the moment, adds Koravos, it can be “too expensive for artists to get here, but we're seeing that change”. Four years on, and the aftermath of the pandemic still lingers in the live events space, according to David Powell, the chief strategy officer at Ethara.

“The dynamo effect of the pandemic on the appetite for live experiences cannot be underestimated,” he says. “Coming out of it, people now really value in-person experiences and moments that you just can't miss.”

But the venues, Powell explains, are what really “add to the experience”. This is a huge element of the partnership between OVG and Ethara, and that is going to be a major focus for the venues they will operate in the region.

“The experience starts when you leave your house, and it finishes when you get home. Anything that happens in between can make you decide to never do it again,” says Koravos.

Powell, who has worked on hosting the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with Ethara over the years, says they have learnt so much by organising the high-traffic global event. Last year, for example, elevating its food and beverage offering was a big focus, with the event becoming somewhat of a culinary showcase, swapping the standard festival fare of burgers and pizzas with more high-end dishes expected to find in Michelin-rated venues.

Koravos echoes this, and says that food and beverage “is something that we're very focused on as a group, trying to create a really elevated hospitality experience for people”.

For both Zayed Sports City and the House of Sustainability, she says they want to create “something that you can't get anywhere else” in terms of dining.

“For example, Shaquille O'Neal owns a chain of restaurants in the US that serve the best chicken sandwich you will ever have in your life, called Big Chicken,” she says. “We've got a franchise of it in every one of our arenas in the US, and we've just put the first international Big Chicken branch in our arena in Manchester. We're hoping to persuade Shaq to maybe bring Big Chicken to Zayed Sports City.”

In terms of any further confirmation of how these plans will play out – which artists will be booked next and what an elevated culinary scene might look like – Koravos is keeping precise details under wraps, simply stating that “you've got to watch the space.”