Dubai Metro Music Festival returns with live shows across five stations

Twenty local and international artists will entertain commuters daily for seven days

Dubai Metro Music Festival is back, featuring performances at five metro stations for seven days. All photos: Antonie Robertson / The National

The festival will highlight 20 local and international artists spanning several genres.

Launched in 2019 by the Roads and Transport Authority and Brand Dubai, the event was not held for the past two years owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

French musician Christophe Servas, who travels the world as Fils de Flute, plays at Mall of the Emirates Metro station.

Servas's unique performance includes the use of everyday objects as musical instruments, including a watering can, a drain pump and an axe.

Commuters catch a performance by Christophe Servas at Mall of the Emirates station.

Over seven days, the 20 artists will perform on rotation at the five stations.

Brand Dubai said Dubai Metro Music Festival was designed to encourage interaction between musicians and public audiences and foster a sense of creative community in the city.

This year's event covers five stations on the Red Line: Expo 2020 Dubai, Jebel Ali, Mall of the Emirates, BurJuman and Union.

Travellers will be able to catch a roster of performers daily from 4pm to 10pm until March 22.

Christophe Servas performs at the Mall of the Emirates station.

Since Wednesday, commuters on the Dubai Metro have been treated to musical performances by 20 local and international artists spanning several genres, as part of the Dubai Metro Music Festival. The event was launched in 2019 by the Roads and Transport Authority and Brand Dubai to "spread the message of harmony and tolerance through music". This year's event covers five stations on the Red Line: Expo 2020 Dubai, Jebel Ali, Mall of the Emirates, BurJuman and Union.

Travellers will be able to catch a roster of performers daily from 4pm to 10pm until March 22.

On the first night, on Wednesday, performers included Filipino beatboxer Neil Llanes, Colombian saxophonist Ariel Duque, better known as Ariel Saxo, drummer Maitha Almansoori and oud players Mohamed Hosny and Mohamed Morsi, who entertained commuters at Union station.

At BurJuman, artists included handpan player Anas Alhalabi, saxophonist Monique, guitarist Keith Perena and Indonesian musician Manshur Praditya, who plays the angklung, an instrument made out of bamboo tubes.

Scroll through the gallery above for pictures from the Dubai Metro Music Festival 2022.

At Mall of the Emirates station, travellers stopped to enjoy a performance by French artist Christophe Servas who's been travelling the world as Fils de Flute. Servas's unique performance includes the use of everyday objects as musical instruments, utilising everything from a watering can to a drain pump and an axe.

Performers also entertained passengers in Jebel Ali and Expo 2020 stations. Over the next six days, the artists will perform on a rotation basis at the five stations.

Brand Dubai, the creative arm of the Government of Dubai, said Dubai Metro Music Festival "was designed to encourage interaction between musicians and public audiences and foster a sense of creative community in the city".

“The first day of the event evoked a very positive response from the public, with many people thronging to the metro stations to watch the captivating performances. The huge response from the audience is testament to the festival’s appeal as an event that goes beyond cultural barriers to touch people’s hearts and minds and the power of music to communicate to people in a universal language," said Shaima Al Suwaidi, city branding manager at Brand Dubai.

Dubai Metro Music Festival is part of a series of events during the Dubai Art Season in February and March. Other events include the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, which took place last month; Art Dubai, which concluded last week, and the ongoing World Art Dubai and Sikka Art and Design Festival.