Stormzy announced as Dubai 7s headliner on December 1

Award-winning British rapper will perform a day after competing in a padel tennis tournament

Stormzy is one of the most popular rappers in the UK. Photo: Dubai 7s

Stormzy is set to perform at the Emirates Dubai 7s in December.

Organisers have announced that the British rapper and singer-songwriter will headline the final night of the three-day sport and music festival, closing out the annual event on Sunday, December 1. Stormzy will also participate with friends in a padel tennis tournament open to the public on Saturday, November 30.

“Stormzy is one of the biggest names in music and we couldn’t think of anyone better to close our biggest festival to date,” said Emirates Dubai 7s festival director Mathew Tait.

His headline performance on the Sunday will mark the artist's return to a UAE stage for the first time since his 2021 appearance at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after-race concert.

The Mercury Music Prize-winning rapper is one of the most popular hip-hop artists from the UK, with each of his three albums topping the charts in his home country.

While it has been several years since his last performance in the UAE, where he has performed numerous times over the last decade, he has continued to reference the country in his music. In 2022, the song Mel Made Me Do It, named after his stylist and friend Melissa Holdbrook-Akposoe, included several references to Dubai.

“My nephews can’t believe that Spider-Man’s my bro. Shout Tom, that’s my guy, on top ‘til we die, and yeah I skip through the world, hop scotch to Dubai,” Stormzy rapped in the song.

Tickets for the Emirates Dubai 7s are on sale now.