Yasalam 2015: Superstar Performers Revealed for Festival's Sensational Seventh Year

ABU DHABI, UAE, September 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Worldwide music star Enrique Iglesias, global chart-toppers Florence + The Machine and iconic British band blur are revealed as part of the Yasalam After-Race Concert line up exclusive to race ticket holders 

Arabic night announced earlier returns on the first night of the race with star-studded singing and music sensations at du Arena: DJ Said Mrad and Hamza, Fares Karam, Aryam and Cheb Khaled 

Volkswagen Beats on the Beach: International and regional superstars Faithless, J.Cole, Wael Kfoury, Bamboo, Fayez Al Sayeed and Arwa, to excite crowds Live on the Corniche alongside local favourites throughout the race weekend 

2015 brings a host of fresh activities across the capital for the biggest event of the year #Yasalam2015 

The lights have turned green and Abu Dhabi is racing to the pinnacle of global entertainment once again as FLASH Entertainment reveals the thrilling programme of events for Yasalam 2015 - the largest city-wide entertainment festival and musical experience run by any international race host city.

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Now in its seventh year, the Yasalam festival, produced and orchestrated by FLASH Entertainment, is set to deliver seven weeks of music, entertainment, health, community and UAE culture celebrations. With a stellar line up of top acts set to perform in the capital again this year, the festival's evolution will see even more exhilarating performances and unforgettable memories for fans in 2015.

Race weekend attendees will be treated to four electrifying days of world-class entertainment at the du Arena as Enrique Iglesias, Florence + the Machine and blur join the line-up for Friday, November 27, Saturday, November 28, and Sunday, November 29.

As a special exclusive, FLASH Entertainment broke news of the Yasalam headline acts to all music fans first on the all new ThinkFlash App. The interactive home for the latest in entertainment provides everything there is to know about FLASH events, exclusive content, special discounts and free giveaways right at their fingertips.

Yasalam - After Race Concerts 

Renowned for his powerful vocals and mesmerizing on-stage displays, Enrique Iglesias (#EnriqueAtF1) will exhilarate the du Arena on Friday, November 27 with scintillating pop and dance anthems, such as Do You Know and Tonight. As one of the world's best-selling Latin artists he has sold over 137 million albums to date and, more than a decade after his debut, continues to reign claiming public titles such as "The King of 2014" and "The Crowd Pleaser".

On Saturday 28 November, Florence + The Machine (#FlorenceAtF1) will fill the du Arena with awe-inspiring vocals and powerful rhythms. Florence and her band have hit the music scene with a raw and exciting sound that pulls in fans from across all genres. Previous studio albums have gone platinum and their third studio album 'How Big How Blue How Beautiful' was released in June to universal acclaim, hitting the number 1 spot on several album charts. The band is sure to make the crowd cheers reverberate across the du Arena with anthems like the new hit Ship to Wreck, Dog Days Are Over, What Kind of Man and the new hit single Queen of Peace as well as signature tunes You've Got the Love and Shake It Out.

On 29 November, the After-Race Concerts will bring a grand finale to the racing weekend. One of the most successful British bands of the last two decades, blur (#BlurAtF1) are back with their UK No, 1 album 'The Magic Whip' and will take the stage in the du Arena on Sunday night. Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree have won a total of five BRIT Awards and were twice nominated for the Mercury Music Award. Announcing their arrival with debut album 'Leisure' in 1991 and follow up release 'Modern Life Is Rubbish' (1993), blur revolutionised the sound of English popular music. Five successive UK #1 albums followed - with Parklife (1994) and The Great Escape (1995) helping to propel the band to mass popularity around the world with tracks like  'Parklife', 'Girls & Boys', 'Country House' and of course 'Song 2'.

Warming the crowd up ahead of the pop legends, newcomer Barns Courtney will be the opening act for blur and get the chance to share his fresh, eclectic mix that's sure to start the final night off right.

As announced earlier Arabic night kickstarts the 7th annual Yasalam After-Race Concerts at the du Arena, on Yas Island on Thursday, November 26. DJ Said Mrad - the guru of Arabian electronic dance music, Fares Karam - traditional Lebanese and Dabke star, Aryam - the Emirati songstress and Cheb Khaled - world music icon and pioneer, who propelled Arabic music onto the global scene will entertain race attendees and fans.

FLASH Entertainment continues its commitment to providing a 360-degree entertainment experience with the return of The Village before and after the race concerts end at du Arena. Delectable food, local cutting-edge bands, DJs and performances by the winners of the Emerging Talent Competition and several activities will be open ahead of the concerts to keep the energy straight from the track.  

Commenting on Yasalam's history of exhilarating experiences, John Lickrish, CEO, FLASH Entertainment, organizers of Yasalam, said:

"We're now in the seventh adrenaline-packed year of YASALAM and no two years have ever been the same. We talk to the fans, find out what they want, and deliver more - creating unique experiences and unforgettable memories. That's why we're pleased to once again bring the much-loved Yasalam programme but this time with even greater levels of entertainment thanks to our newest aspect that showcases homegrown UAE talent, the Emerging Talent Competition (#YasalamETC)."

"From fun with the family on the Corniche to dancing with friends and global superstars at du Arena on race weekend, seven weeks of Yasalam action bring the city to life for each and every one of us."

Yasalam - Live at the Corniche 

FLASH Entertainment brings the most diverse line-up of major acts to perform live in the heart of the city. On Thursday November 26 at the Abu Dhabi Corniche Prince of Philippine rock Bamboo will get the party started alongside Emirati talent Fayez Al Saeed - as part of the UAE's biggest free music festival, Volkswagen Beats on The Beach. (#BeatsOnTheBeach #BOTB2015)

Grammy-nominated rapper J.Cole will be joined by the Lebanese king of romance, Wael Kfoury, as well as UAE star Omar Al Marzooqi to set the sand dance in motion on Friday, November 27.

Bringing the party home in style, Saturday, November 28 will feature superstars Faithless in a very special show, along with an abundance of regional talent with songstress Arwa and the queen of Arabic hip-hop, Malikah.

Local talent from across the Emirates, including multi-instrumentalist Tim Hassall and his band 'Bridge Incident' and rockers Point of View will make their Beats debut alongside the winner of the inaugural Emerging Talent Competition.

With more artists to be revealed in the upcoming weeks, fans will have the ultimate choice of entertainment throughout the weekend.

Ahead of the track festivities, the Abu Dhabi Corniche will be lit up with family fun before the concerts with the return of the much-loved F1 FanZone™, creative crowd-pleaser Urban Art Zone and the Opening Parade, where youngest fans can show off their design talent as they walk the Abu Dhabi Corniche boardwalk to officially kick-off the festival on November 19^th.

FLASH's commitment to placing Abu Dhabi at the forefront of the music industry reaches a new level with the introduction of the Emerging Talent Competition. A landmark new opportunity for local music performers and bands in the UAE, the competition is now open for applicants until October 3^rd with shortlisted bands to be chosen under the guidance of industry jury of: FLASH Entertainment Vice President of Operations Lee Charteris, music producer Reiner Erlings and regional star Jay Wud. Winners will be crowned in a spectacular finale on the Corniche on November 21^st and will go on to perform at Volkswagen Beats on the Beach 2015, The Village in the du Arena over race weekend and secure a resident spot at future FLASH Entertainment concerts.

Building on community engagement themed by competitive motorsport, Yasalam once again brings together the community for fun and fitness with the third annual Get Driver Fit (#GDF2015) programme, brought to you by Daman's ActiveLife (#ActiveLiveByDaman). Launched on September 8^th, the free classes take place across the city from October 6^th to November 19^th, and the seven-week programme will culminate in the ultimate test with the Obstacle Course Challenge on the Abu Dhabi Corniche from November 19^th to 22^nd, as well as new features at the festival including a Muscle Beach and Fitness Zone for daily drop-in beach workouts.

Yasalam - Live on Yas Island 

The pulse continues on Yas Island as FLASH once again brings fans an up close experience at Live at Yas Mall (#YasMallStudio). Throughout the race weekend, Yas Mall will be home to unforgettable moments and the pulse of the festival action, as Yasalam After-Race Concerts and Volkswagen Beats on the Beach artists drop by at the Yas Mall Studio where fans can see their favourite artist being interviewed and offering select performances in the middle of the bustling mall.

For the third year, Flash will create an entertaining and inspiring space at the Plaza for all to enjoy. The Plaza will offer the chance for adults and children to relax, eat and drink, watch entertainment or experience cultural and interactive activities in a festival style atmosphere.

The Pit Stop Plaza will be a hub of information and activity, information on Yasalam, the Formula 1 and all the activities available on Yas Island and across the city. Operating from the 26^th - 29^th November across each evening.

Y1 Access 

Race ticket holders will have access to the After-Race Concerts on the same date of the purchased race ticket.  FLASH's love for its fans extend beyond the race heat as all race ticket holders will receive a unique package of value-added benefits called Y1 Access - which include 2 complimentary invitations to the Thursday After-Race Concert, 2 Friends Friday invitations for the first 15,000 UAE-based race ticket buyers, and selected After-Race Concert Golden Circle upgrades. Race ticket holders can also benefit from a 20% discount on General Admission tickets, plus discounts offered on selected FLASH events until February 2016.  

All race ticket purchasers will receive a pair of complimentary invitations to the first night Yasalam After-Race Concert on Thursday November 26 featuring Arabic music stars DJ Said Mrad, Fares Karam, Aryam, Cheb Khaled and Hamza. An invitation does not guarantee entry and is subject to availability. A pair of complimentary invitations will also be made available to the first 15,000 UAE-based race ticket buyers to Enrique Iglesias' After-Race Concert on Friday November 27.

For race tickets call 800 YAS (927), visit http://www.yasmarinacircuit.com or go to Virgin Megastores and Etihad Airways Shops across the UAE.

Stay on the pulse of this concert season with FLASH Entertainment's ThinkFlash App. Providing fans ease of access to information about all FLASH events, exclusive content, special discounts and free giveaways right at their fingertips, the beta version of the app is now available on iOS and Android.

Visit http://www.yasalam.ae for further information.

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https://www.facebook.com/YasalamAE

NOTES TO EDITORS: 

ABOUT YASALAM 

Yasalam is the largest citywide free entertainment programme by any race host city, blending motorsport with a multitude of music, film and community events. Launched as part of the inaugural race in 2009, the programme of activities and events has attracted over a million attendees and seen more than 150 performing artists, including 20 multi-award winning international and regional superstars.

ABOUT Y1 ACCESS 

Once again this year, Y1 Access provides race ticket holders with a unique package of value-added benefits and exclusive ticket discounts off FLASH events until February 2016, these include:

• Selected Golden Circle After-Race Concert upgrades.
• A pair of complimentary invitations to all race ticket holders for the first night After-Race Concert on Thursday November 26.
• A pair of complimentary invitations to the first 15,000 UAE-based race ticket buyers to the After-Race Concert on Friday November 27. 
• 20% discount on General Admission tickets for selected FLASH events until February 2016. Race ticket holders will receive an email from Yas Marina Circuit with an exclusive password and more details on how to claim their discount
• Full Terms and Conditions Apply. For further information on the programme, and the benefits and privileges of Y1 Access, please visit http://www.yasalam.ae and http://www.thinkflash.ae

ABOUT FLASH ENTERTAINMENT 

Based in Abu Dhabi, FLASH Entertainment (#ThinkFLASH) is the region's premier live events company, with a proven track record in delivering world-class events from movie premieres and classical shows to international sports events and megastar music concerts. FLASH offers comprehensive event management solutions from concepts and designs through to coordinating every stage of production. The company is committed to providing the region with diverse entertainment programmes, grass roots creativity and stimulating the local economy and events' industry.

Since 2008, FLASH has diversified its business portfolio developing entertainment that has seen close to 6.4 million fans through the doors. Partnering with leading international sports and entertainment organizations such as Live Nation, Cream and UFC, the company is well on its way to achieve its mission of growing from the region's premier live events company, to a globally recognized peerless entertainment organization. FLASH owns a 10% stake in UFC and manages a multi-million-dirham portfolio of assets including the du Arena and du Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. For more information visit http://www.thinkflash.ae or email [email protected]

ABOUT YAS MARINA CIRCUIT  

Yas Marina Circuit is the United Arab Emirates' most exciting sporting and entertainment venue.  Located on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, the circuit is the home of the annual Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (#AbuDhabiGP). With motorsport as its pulse and an extensive year-round programme of professional and grassroots motorsport events and experiences like Drag and Track Nights, the circuit has also emerged as a thriving hub of entertainment and community events in the UAE. As the region's most dynamic and technologically advanced facility, the circuit is also a leading MICE venue, regularly hosting a diverse range of corporate meetings, conferences and events. Whether you want to experience the thrill of karting, driving an Aston Martin GT4 over 200km/hour on an F1 circuit, work towards your racing license at the Yas Racing School, get fit at Train Yas, or simply catch up with friends over burgers and shakes at Yas Central, there's something for everyone at Yas Marina Circuit.

ABOUT du ARENA 

Now this is entertainment as it should be! The du Arena is the place to be in the UAE for world class live entertainment. Having hosted more than 70 artists since opening in 2009 (under the name of Yas Arena), its stage has been graced by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, Beyonce, Linkin Park, Kings of Leon, Aerosmith, Guns 'n' Roses, Shakira, Snoop Dogg, Janet Jackson, Madonna, Eminem, Paul McCartney, David Guetta, Metallica and regional superstar Amr Diab. More recently it has hosted: JAY Z, Justin Timberlake, Black Sabbath, and Macklemore Ryan Lewis. This premiere, award-winning venue has entertained more than 6.4 million people.

Offering an unrivalled live music experience synonymous with duLive!, the du Arena is located on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi - the region's leading entertainment and leisure destination. It is the largest outdoor concert venue in the Middle East, with the shortest queuing times in the region, free parking for over 5,000 cars, rapid transport links to downtown Abu Dhabi and Dubai and easy, walking-distance access to a host of world-class hotels, restaurants and leisure facilities across Yas Island. 

ABOUT du Live!: 

Launched in 2011 as the entertainment arm of du, the Middle East's fastest-growing telecommunications company, du Live! (#duLive) has since been associated with some of the finest entertainment to come to the region. With two premium venues, the du Forum and du Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi in partnership with FLASH Entertainment, du Live! is committed to bringing high quality, regionally-relevant and family-orientated live acts to the UAE.

du Live! intends to emphasize the image of the UAE as the ultimate entertainment destination in the region, firmly establishing the nation on the world stage as a hub for live entertainment that caters to tastes as varied as the multicultural fabric that makes up the local community.

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SOURCE Flash Entertainment