All part of the plan: Will Madonna’s staying power place Abu Dhabi firmly in the global entertainment map?

All part of the plan: Will Madonna’s staying power place Abu Dhabi firmly in the global entertainment map?

The arrival of the Queen of Pop to the UAE capital is one more step towards the UAE capital’s long-term goal of becoming a global entertainment and cultural hub. How much dividends will it pay back?

February 28, 2012 11:47 by Precious de Leon

As if the pomp and hype of the long box office queues wasn’t enough, it looks like Flash Entertainment is doing a great job really making the most out of Madonna’s June tour stop in Abu Dhabi.

After selling out within hours online and in selected Virgin Megastores, Flash Entertainment has just announced this Tuesday that the Queen of Pop will be performing a second and final concert will be held on June 4 at the Yas Arena, Yas Island.

Tickets for the second day will be available on March 5—no doubt another sellout frenzy.

It’ll be interesting to see just how fast these second round of tickets will sell. And, will the June 3 ticket holders sell their tickets and get the second-day tickets instead? (After all, some might argue the finale performance could turn out to be more adreneline-charged?)

Even more interesting perhaps is whether the release of a second concert date will quell some of the unbelievable prices being quoted in online auction sites for these concert tickets. In some instances, as The National reports, tickets that are originally priced at 495AED ($134) were being sold for as much as 5,500AED ($1,497), which is even more expensive than the original prices of the VIP tickets worth 2,295AED ($625).

Aside from overpriced resold tickets, it’ll equally interesting to see the strategy behind the hospitality sector’s ‘concert packages’. A quick check online and some of the Yas Hotels are already showing rooms fully booked on the night of the concert. So if you’re planning to stay at overnight, going for the hotel packages may be your only choice—hopefully this doesn’t mean you’re stuck with paying for a higher ticket tier.

Flash Entertainment tells Kipp the logistics of the concert (parking, shuttle buses, etc) and complete hotel packages are yet to be finalised.

FYI, here are a list of hotels that will be offering special Madonna concert packages:
- Intercontinental Abu Dhabi,
- select Rotana Group of Hotels
- Vision Suite Apartments.
- Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi,
- The Crowne Plaza,
- Radisson Blu,
- Centro Yas Island,
- Park Inn
- Yas Island Rotana.

Additionally, with record breaking numbers expected for this now 2-day gig, the world will be watching Flash Entertainment’s every organizing move. To say the least, Madonna’s tour stop (right after a concert in Tel Aviv) will bring more than 15 minutes of spotlight on the UAE capital.

Of course it’s not the first time Flash Entertainment brings a big name to its stage—we even hear Elton John will be in Yas Island in March.

But with Abu Dhabi making strategic investments in collaborating with global entertainment companies, including Image Nation’s collaboration in Hollywood movies and TDIC’s bid for sustainable cultural infrastructure, will the Queen of Pop’s stamp of approval create a permanent space for Abu Dhabi in the world’s entertainment map?

Are you trying to get tickets and are stunned by the astronomical prices from auction sites and resellers? Having difficulty booking hotels? Don’t care for the Queen of Pop at all? Or maybe you don’t think the Madonna concert helps Abu Dhabi in its Vision 2030 at all? Leave your comments and thoughts below or on our Facebook page, Twitter (@Kipp_Report). You can also email us at editor@kippreport.com.