F1 action and live music will ensure a fun-filled weekend across the UAE.
The festive season has well and truly arrived, and the first weekend in December brings memorable meals and unrivalled entertainment experiences. Read on for our picks of the week.
Friday 5 December
See Post Malone headline F1 weekend
If tracks like “Circles,” “Rockstar”, and “Sunflower” are on repeat, you’ll want to be at the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2025 when Post Malone takes to the stage. The chart-topping star is known for blending hip-hop, rock and trap into arena-sized anthems. In 2024, he released his sixth studio album, F-1 Trillion, pivoting into country music and topping the charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom. This year alone, he has appeared on Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department (“Fortnight”) and Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter (“Levii’s Jeans”), and joined Beyoncé at the 2024 NFL Halftime Show. Expect a blockbuster F1 performance packed with hits.
GO: Visit www.abudhabigp.com for more information.
Get the party started with Keinemusik
Abu Dhabi’s social calendar is in full F1 mode, and Keinemusik is the latest heavyweight name to join the line-up. The German electronic collective will turn Yas Gateway Park into a late-night open-air dance floor, with a set built on deep house, techno and global grooves. Their signature Kloud stage concept is designed to pull the crowd into their orbit, pairing hypnotic visuals with an intimate, energy-filled layout that keeps the focus firmly on the music. If you want to start the weekend with a serious dance session, this is the one.
GO: Visit www.livenation.me for more information.
Kick-start the weekend with Idris Elba
A-list actor and DJ Idris Elba is taking over Garden on Yas for a night of high-energy beats under the stars. Bringing serious club credentials to the Yasalam After-Race Concerts, he is known for feel-good house and techno with Afro influences, championed through his 7 Wallace label and festival-ready sets. 2025 has been a standout year for his DJ career, from a Coachella appearance to the global success of “It’s Ours,” his collaboration with ARTBAT and David Guetta that has been lighting up dance floors around the world. Expect a big-room sound, big energy and even bigger vibes.
GO: Visit www.abudhabigp.com for more information.
Saturday 6 December
Headbang to Metallica at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Metalheads, this one is non-negotiable. Metallica are bringing their thunderous live show to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2025 concerts on 6 December. With a catalogue that includes era-defining anthems such as “Fade to Black,” “Master of Puppets”, and “One,” every track lands like a full-scale sonic assault. Multiple Grammy Awards and a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame cement their status as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. The Abu Dhabi date forms part of the M72 World Tour, which has been packing stadiums across North America, Australia and New Zealand. Turn up ready to scream every word.
GO: Visit www.abudhabigp.com for more information.
Hit the sand with Peggy Gou
Pacha Icons is turning up the heat this winter as Peggy Gou takes over Playa Pacha Dubai. The globally acclaimed DJ and producer has become one of dance music’s most in-demand names, gliding between house, techno and disco, often layered with her distinctive Korean vocals. Her breakout moment came with the viral anthem “(It Goes Like) Nanana,” released in June 2023 as the lead single from her debut album I Hear You. Since then, she has owned stages at Coachella, Glastonbury and Tomorrowland, delivering high-energy sets that keep crowds moving from the first track to the last. This beachfront session promises to be a highlight of the season.
GO: Visit www.platinumlist.net for more information.
See Skepta at Soho Garden
Skepta is closing out a landmark year with a late night in Dubai. Fresh from his first Grammy nomination for “Victory Lap” with Fred Again, the UK grime icon is heading to Soho Garden Meydan on Saturday, 6 December for his first-ever solo DJ set in the city, bringing his house-focused Más Tiempo sound to one of Dubai’s biggest nightlife stages. In 2025, he underlined that legacy once again, stepping in for a surprise Glastonbury performance that drew rave reviews, then switching lanes with “Victory Lap,” a bass-heavy collaboration that has taken him all the way to the 2026 Grammy Awards.
GO: Visit https://platinumlist.net for more information.
Sunday 7 December
Experience the thrill of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2025
Taking place at Yas Marina Circuit from 6 to 8 December, the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2025 will mark the season finale. On the track, 20 drivers will race 58 laps, covering a total distance of over 300 kilometres. This year, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri both go into the finale in contention for the title, which will be decided this weekend at the Yas Marina Circuit.
GO: Visit www.yasmarinacircuit.com for more information.
See Katy Perry in the capital
As the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix reaches its final day, Yas Island will be buzzing with racing action, live entertainment and serious star power. On Sunday, 7 December, Katy Perry will light up Etihad Park with a full-scale pop spectacular. Expect a set stacked with hits including “Dark Horse,” “Firework,” “Roar” and “Teenage Dream.” Over her career, the singer has collected Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards, a Guinness World Record and 13 Grammy nominations, cementing her status as a global pop powerhouse. This is your chance to see her perform live in the capital as part of F1’s closing celebrations.
GO: Visit www.formula1.com for more information.
Illuminate your evening at Bluewaters
Round off the weekend with a glow-up at Bluewaters, where futuristic festive décor and immersive light installations set the scene for the season. The island comes alive with live performances, glow jugglers, neon living statues and festive stilt walkers, alongside family-friendly workshops such as neon ornament painting, tie-dye sessions and a glow-in-the-dark cinema. Across the destination, walkways shimmer with patterned light projections and seasonal motifs, while participating outlets roll out limited-time festive menus. To top it all off, the Dubai Drone Show will light up the sky with two dazzling displays at 8pm and 10pm.
GO: Visit www.dubairetail.ae for more information.
