Pakistani singer Atif Aslam to perform at Dubai World Trade Centre in January

This will be the celebrated musician's first performance since the onset of the pandemic

Atif Aslam will perform in the UAE as part of Dubai Shopping Festival. Courtesy Blu Blood 

For understandable reasons, it's been a relatively quiet year in terms of live concerts around the world. However, it looks like things will certainly be picking up in 2021.

Atif Aslam is set to perform at Dubai World Trade Centre on Friday, January 15. The celebrated Pakistani singer is well known for bridging the cultural gap between Pakistan and India by contributing to Bollywood with hit songs such as Tere Bin and Jeena Jeena. Fans at the concert can expect to hear popular numbers including Woh Lamhe, Tu Jaane Na and O Saathi from the Bollywood film Baaghi 2.

The concert forms part of the annual Dubai Shopping Festival, which will take place from Thursday, December 17, to Saturday, January 30.

“Atif Aslam is a major Bollywood star and his appearance in Dubai is a great addition to the diverse range of entertainment on offer at this year’s Dubai Shopping Festival. Atif’s performance at the Dubai World Trade Centre is sure to be one of the highlights of this year’s DSF and a must-see for fans and music lovers from all over the world,” says Ahmed Al Khaja, chief executive of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment.

The event will also mark Aslam’s first live performance since Covid-19 restrictions came into effect around the world.

The event has been organised by Blu Blood, which was behind Sonu Nigam's social-distancing-friendly concert held in Dubai in August. Safety precautions will be in place for Aslam's concert, including temperature checks and social distancing. The Dubai World Trade Centre's original 4,400 capacity will be reduced to 1,400 available paired seats, while talent and crew will also be following social distancing protocols.

Prices have not yet been announced, but tickets will soon be available on platinumlist.net.

Aslam is not the only star set to perform as part of DSF. British comedian Jack Whitehall will host a show at the Dubai World Trade Centre on Thursday, January 14, as part of the festival, while DJ Alan Walker will perform at Dubai's Coca-Cola Arena on Thursday, January 7.

There will also be a multi-artist closing concert at the Coca-Cola Arena to mark the end of DSF, with acts yet to be announced.