Gig tourism gains momentum in UAE

In recent years, gig tourism or ‘event’ tourism has been gaining momentum in the United Arab Emirates. Concerts of popular artists such as Coldplay, Beyonce and Eminem, sporting events and championships, as well as various award ceremonies attract a huge number of foreign tourists to the UAE.

The interest depends on the particular event. For example, the International Academy of Indian Cinema awards ceremony naturally attracts visitors from India and the Indian diaspora around the world, concerts by regional artists such as Abdelmajid Abdullah attract more viewers from the Gulf, and UFC events attract fans from Russia, the US and European countries.

The sporting events have already proven to be a major draw for tourism in the UAE. The Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix attracts tens of thousands of international visitors each year. In 2023, the event generated more than AED 1.16 billion for the emirate’s economy through visitor spending. In Dubai, the DP World Tour Championship attracts an average of 65,000 spectators, 18,000 of whom are international visitors.

This is all in line with the global travel trend of 2024, fuelled by Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, which spawned the term Swiftonomics – the celebrity influence on rising airfares and hotel prices in cities where concerts are held.

Statista Market Insights forecasts the country’s music events market to reach US$ 140.4 million in 2024, growing at a CAGR of 1.14% to reach US$ 146.9 million by 2028.

The sports events market in the UAE accounts for just over half of the music events market, with revenues reaching US$ 73.78 million in 2024 and is forecast to reach US$ 77 million by 2028.

Source: The National