The Police drummer Stewart Copeland to headline climate change concert during Cop28

As world leaders bang the drum about climate change, the musician will do the same at Dubai Opera

Stewart Copeland and Ricky Kej won a Grammy in 2021 for the joint album Divine Tides. Reuters

Classic arias and hits from The Police will feature in two environment-themed shows at Dubai Opera during Cop28.

With the two-week international summit taking place at Expo City Dubai from November 30, the unofficial gigs will take inspiration from some of the discussions at the conference.

On December 6, The Police's drummer Stewart Copeland will headline the Resonance Climate Concert featuring Grammy Award-winning Indian composer Ricky Kej and the all-female Firdaus Orchestra.

Described as a "musical tribute to our blue planet", the event is likely to feature a rousing rotation of The Police's biggest hits, including Roxanne, Don't Stand So Close to Me and Message in a Bottle. It will also include an appearance by Indian-American singer Anuradha Juju.

“All of us are transient guardians of this blue marble we call home; join us in chorus in resonance to restore our beautiful planet,” Kej says.

Copeland and Kej won a Grammy in 2021 for Divine Tides, a joint instrumental world music album inspired by Indian spirituality.

December 1 will also mark the UAE debut of Milan's Orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala for an event titled A Concert for Tomorrow.

Featuring soprano Aida Garifullina and tenor Piero Pretti, the repertoire will feature celebratory works from opera including Rigoletto, La Boheme and La Traviata, which has lyrical messages about our common humanity.

The concerts come as heads of state, government officials, leaders of global industrial sectors, private sector representatives and climate experts meet at Cop28.

The two-week event is expected to be attended by about 70,000, with halting, coping with and paying for climate change all set to be discussed.

The day-by-day schedule, which was revealed by organisers in Brussels, includes seven themed days as well as a meeting of world leaders.

More information about the concerts is available at dubaiopera.com