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28 March 2024

Celebrity summer kicks off the weekend in Dubai

Published
By Bindu Suresh Rai

Who would’ve thought the hot summer months would actually roll out the red carpet for some of the hottest celebrity acts around the globe, but then event organisers continue to surprise us even now.
 
A weekend spectacle has probably never seen so many names fighting for the limelight, with red carpet queen Paris Hilton will share the spotlight with Swedish pop/rock band Roxette, American rapper Busta Rhymes and UK electro-pop act, Hurts.
 
And this is not including the Indian theatre and film personalities that are in town for a unique stage performance.
 
So loosen those wallets and purse strings, because this weekend will prompt you to spend, spend, spend to catch all the big names in action.
 
Paris Hilton at The Monarch

May 19


 
Brace yourself Dubai, as the socialite queen of Hollywood returns to our sunny shores for yet another turn in the limelight.
 
Paris Hilton, who else could it be, is headed back to Dubai to host the Okku Restaurant birthday bash this Thursday, at The Monarch hotel.
 
This invite-only event will certainly see the who’s who of the local celebrities; with Hilton herself expected to make an entrance post midnight, according to our mole at the Sheikh Zayed Road property.
 
For those of you who recall, Hilton first jetted into Dubai back in 2009, when her reality show, “Paris Hilton: My Dubai BFF” saw the part-time singer/actress fly in to find a new ‘Best Friend Forever’.
 
The show’s auditions had seen over 300 girls with starry dreams sign up for auditions, with a large number of expat Arabs, mainly Egyptians and Lebanese, signing on for the show.
 
V-Producers, a branch of Viola Communications, had tied up with the Dubai-based Uniqon Emirates LLC to co-produce the show with Ish Entertainment and Lionsgate Entertainment.
 
However, the show had been embroiled in controversies galore ever since its production two years ago in Dubai, what with a lawsuit by an American woman against the show’s producers for an alleged ‘hostile takeover’ of her life.
 
What finally did result in the delay of over a year in airing it was Lionsgate Television executives claiming producers at Uniqon Emirates had originally signed a written agreement, worth $8 million, to co-produce and distribute Paris Hilton’s Dubai BFF in the Middle East but failed to pay more than $4.7m to cover the production and distribution costs; Lionsgate finally filed a federal suit for breach of contract in Los Angeles on February 2, 2010.
 
Since then, the show has now started to air across the MTV networks in the UK, parts of Europe and Australia.
 
It is still early for us to learn the name of the winner of Dubai BFF and if Hilton indeed has maintained that relationship since the show ended two years ago, with its final episode shot in Los Angeles. But if they are still friends, now is the perfect time figure out who the winner really is, because Hilton is sure to show up with BFF in tow for a few more minutes of fame.
 
Dubai Tango Festival at The Meydan Hotel and the JW Marriott

Runs until May 21


 
The third Dubai Tango Festival (DTF 2011), which runs until Saturday, promises an impressive line-up of international dancers who will be hosting a selection of Tango workshops and performances, as well as ‘Milongas’, and a lavish gala dinner at the JW Marriott hotel on the last day.
 
Held in collaboration with The Embassy of Argentina and Tango Dubai, the festival will feature famous Argentinean Maestros including Horacio Godoy and Karina Colmeiro, Esteban Moreno and Claudia Codega, as well as the famous Facundo Gil Jauregui.
 
The workshops will be available for all three days at The Meydan Hotel from Thursday, and classes are available for beginners through to intermediate and advanced dancers. Private classes are also available on request.
 
“The Tango Festival is a rare opportunity for Tango enthusiasts to be taught by some of the best dancers in the business, and you also get the chance to see them performing live at the gala dinner,” said Eleanor Brodie, Organiser of The Dubai Tango Festival.
 
“The gala dinner will include a cocktail reception, followed by a sumptuous Argentinean buffet and an evening of the most spectacular dancing,” added Brodie.
 
The ‘Milongas’ (Tango dance parties) will also be held every evening from 9pm at the JW Marriott in Deira.
 
Tickets for the gala dinner and performance are priced at Dh350 per person, and include a buffet including a selection of Argentinean beverages. Call: 050 451 6281
 
 
Livin the Music presents Hurts at The Irish Village

May 19


 
Done Events brings one of the hottest new bands to emerge onto the UK music scene.
 
Hurts will perform in the third installment of the Livin’ the Music series on Thursday at The Irish Village.
 
Hailing from Manchester, Hurts are an indie electronic group featuring vocalist Theo Hutchcraft and keyboardist/guitarist Adam Anderson.
 
They burst onto the music scene in 2010, quickly became the UK’s fastest selling new band of 2010, and this year won the award for Best New Band at the NME Awards, an award that has been previously won by Coldplay, Muse, Kings Of Leon, The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys and MGMT.
 
“We are always asked to bring new artists to Dubai but in most cases these new artists won’t have enough of a following to warrant such a Middle East stop,” says Thomas Ovesen, COO of Done Events. “So it’s great to promote a new act that in a really short period of time has accumulated the most amazing reviews with a big following.”
 
Their debut album “Happiness” presents thumping electro-pop songs and entered the UK album charts at number four, with over 25,000 sales.
 
They have sold over 500,000 albums worldwide and the album has been officially certified Gold.
 
Tickets cost Dh225, with doors opening at 7pm and the show starting at 9pm. Call: 04 439 0900
 
One on One theatrical night at Sheikh Rashid Auditorium

May 19


 
One On One is a unique theatrical evening, bringing together 10 of Mumbai’s finest actors, written by eight of the India’s most talented playwrights and directed by seven of our best known directors.
 
These enactments and dialogues in English and Hindi address subjects as varied as the state of India’s bureaucracy, inedible airline food, the politics of road naming ceremonies, the joke of a trial and the experience of living in a big city…stories of modern India that amuse, annoy and concern all.
 
Brought to you by Rangmanch, tickets range between Dh50 and Dh300. Call: 04 331 6488
 
Roxette at Dubai World Trade Centre

May 20

Popular Swedish band Roxette, known for hits such as “The Look”, “It Must’ve Been Love”, “Joyride” and many more, are set to hit the town on Friday, in what promises to be a sold out performance.
 
The duo, comprising Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson, have embarked on a world tour, after the release of their eighth Roxette album, “Charm School”.
 
The new album features 12 songs, which the band says on its official website “is a style that’s best described as updated classic Roxette, from the initial power pop fireworks of “Way Out” to the bittersweet closer “Sitting On Top Of The World””.
 
With nearly 70 million albums sold worldwide, the pop group will step back into the spotlight a decade after their last studio album “Room Service”.
 
The duo never officially split but pursued solo careers post 2002, when Fredriksson was diagnosed with brain tumour, which was successfully removed.
 
Rumours started of a Roxette reunion when in a BBC interview in 2009, Gessle said the couple had talked about it but it was up to Fredriksson.
 
Later that year, Roxette reunited on stage to perform “It Must Have Been Love” and “The Look” during Gessle’s “Party Crasher” tour in Amsterdam. And before the fans knew it, Roxette made a comeback as headliners during the “Night of the Proms” tour in Holland, Belgium and Germany.
 
On their website, Gessle said: “By then we started to think ahead and plan for the possibility of making a new album – an album that captured everything that’s good about Roxette while still looking ahead.”
 
He added: “For me the starting point has always been to write songs for Marie’s voice. She got this ability to make you believe every word she sings, and that’s why she brings the stories to life. As a songwriter that’s an incredible gift to be a part of.”
 
To join their Joyride, grab your tickets, which range between Dh300 and Dh1,250. Doors open at 7pm, with show kicking off shortly after. Call: 04 447 3863
 
Busta Rhymes at Chi@The Lodge

May 20


 
The most idiosyncratic personality in rap world, Busta Rhymes is set to clash with Roxette, as both acts are performing in Dubai on the same night. Who did the planning, we wonder?
 
Born in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, in 1972 of Jamaican heritage (a definite influence on his rapping style), Busta moved to Long Island in 1983 and, at Uniondale High School, met up with MCs Charlie Brown, Dinco D, and Cut Monitor Milo.
 
Inspired by fellow Long Islanders Public Enemy and Eric B & Rakim, the foursome united as Leaders of the New School in 1990 and signed a deal with Elektra Records right out of the gate, when Busta was only 17 years old.
 
Much respected in the hip-hop underground for their Afrocentric philosophy and tough rapping styles, Leaders of the New School debuted in 1991 with “Future Without a Past”, but released only one more album, 1993’s “T.I.M.E.”, before breaking up the following year.
 
Busta finally broke out with a 1996 solo hit single, “Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check,” and there has been no looking back for him since.
 
The talented artist will be performing at Chi Garden, with DJ Dany Neville warming up. Doors open at 9pm, with tickets ranging from Dh175 to Dh250. Call: 050 957 7142