Some of the biggest stars in the world of entertainment are already vying for centre stage at this year’s Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix post-race concerts, which organisers hope will have some semblance of post-Covid-19 normality, after falling victim to the virus last year.
In the 10 years previously that the music extravaganza has been held, the UAE capital has welcomed the likes of Beyonce, Aerosmith, Prince, Kylie Minogue, The Who, Paul McCartney and Eminem.
And despite the continued uncertainty surrounding the return of events, John Lickrish, CEO of Flash Entertainment, told Arabian Business the demand from stars to perform at the F1 end-of-season grand finale is definitely there.
He said: “I’ve already had enquiries from very big artists for the F1 this year. They’re actually reaching out to us. That’s a first, we’re usually the ones chasing them. I was quite surprised to be picking up the phone and talking to people about a few potentials.”
Lickrish did say, however, that for the return of regular events, enticing the AAA stars would be “difficult”, given that they have other revenue streams open to them other than touring.
“The artists and travelling crew I think they’re the ones who are going to be the hardest ones to convince because they are exposing themselves to potential risks at airports and hotels, at the shows and in cars. There are so many more areas they can come in contact,” he said.
Although he admitted that would open the door for others. “I think the artists below that AAA category are going to feel more pressure to come on and do shows and hopefully they’ll get more exposure than they usually would because of the appetite that’s been building,” he added.
Lickrish conceded last year was a “disaster” for the industry and, particularly for Flash, with the company coming off the back of a hugely successful 2018/19, which saw them host the F1, annual Yasalam programme, the FIFA Club World Cup, the visit of the Pope to Abu Dhabi, Mubadala Tennis Championships, the Asian Cup and Special Olympics.
John Lickrish, CEO of Flash Entertainment.
“We had built up a fairly robust plan of events. We were expecting to have a really strong year off the back of the previous one, which was our highest ever in revenue,” he said.
However, the Canadian remained optimistic that the light at the end of the tunnel was burning brighter. Abu Dhabi has already hosted three editions of UFC Fight Island to great acclaim, while UAE health authorities have administered more than seven million Covid-19 vaccine doses across the country.
He said: “Like polio, like measles and these other transmissible diseases, we’ll see this one be there but at very low amounts and that will bring us back to normality and I think you’ll see a massive uptick in people attending events and just wanting to get out there, which is good.”
And he believed that could be as soon as before the summer months, with potential community events kicking off a gradual return.
He explained: “I want to be positive and I think the rate of vaccinations that I’m seeing, with that amount of vaccines coming in and the UAE being second, I think that will probably go to number one, and I’m hoping to get some domestic events, just to get people out, start socialising and get back to some sort of community engagement where we’re all getting together, I think that’s important for any society.
“If that happens locally then I think we’ll definitely be trying to engage with our partners in tourism, the Department of Culture & Tourism Abu Dhabi, or the Department of Community Development, even with our shareholders, the EAA (Executive Affairs Authority) and Miral and a few of our other corporate sponsors to do something.
“If it’s early enough we can go outdoors, if it’s not then we will be doing a lot more stuff inside. Hopefully the new arena in the summer, it would be great to see some events coming in there. It’s all up to what’s happening in Europe and the UK, in particular.”
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