Shakira, Christina Aguilera concerts in Abu Dhabi cancelled amid ongoing Iran war
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November’s Offlimits music festival featuring Shakira (left) has been cancelled, as well as Christina Aguilera’s scheduled Sept 25 concert.
PHOTOS: REUTERS
- The Offlimits music festival featuring Shakira and Christina Aguilera's concert in Abu Dhabi were cancelled amid ongoing Iran-UAE tensions.
- The UAE suspended all trade and financial dealings with Iran after Iranian missile attacks on Emirati ships.
- Organisers plan to refund tickets and aim to resume the Offlimits festival in 2027, highlighting the impact on tourism and cultural events.
AI generated
DUBAI – Entertainment organisers have announced the cancellation of a UAE concert by US singer Christina Aguilera and a festival featuring Shakira in Abu Dhabi, amid the ongoing Middle East war.
Iran has pressed attacks on Emirati ships in recent weeks, after a ceasefire fell apart in July.
The United Arab Emirates on Aug 18 said it was suspending all trade and financial dealings with Iran after reporting an Iranian missile attack directed at its ships.
Against this backdrop, the organisers of the Offlimits music festival, scheduled for November with Shakira as the headline act, announced on Aug 18 that the festival was cancelled, vowing to refund tickets.
“We look forward to bringing the Offlimits community together again in 2027,” a message on the festival website read, without stating the reason behind the cancellation.
Separately, ticket sales website Ticketmaster said Christina Aguilera’s scheduled Sept 25 concert had also been cancelled, without providing a new date, Emirati media reported.
Both the Offlimits festival and the Aguilera concert had been scheduled for April before being postponed.
Gulf countries – including the UAE, long seen as a haven of security in a turbulent region – have been struggling to recover from the impact of repeated Iranian strikes.
Tourism and cultural activities have taken a hit, even as the scale and intensity of Iranian attacks on the UAE have declined. AFP