This week on Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews cover the collective struggle of Coldplay fans who tried to buy tickets for the band’s concerts in Abu Dhabi in January.
People queued online for hours hoping to be among the lucky ones to get their hands on a ticket but many found tens or hundreds of thousands already ahead of them. Demand was so high that the concert's organisers decided on not two, but three additional shows, all set to take place in the same week at the Zayed Sports City Stadium.
Meanwhile, October 7 marks a year since the war in Gaza began. Enas and Farah take a moment to recognise some of the most powerful Palestinian voices, from journalists and artists, who are using their platforms to show the world what it’s been like to live through the violence. Among them are Motaz Azaiza, Wael Al-Dahdouh, Hind Khoudary and Bisan Owda, who have all been nominated for this year's Nobel Peace Prize. Writer and journalist Plestia Alaqad has announced she’s releasing a memoir of her experiences, while Owda has won an Emmy for her coverage of the war. They also discuss artist Nabil Anani’s exhibition at Zawyeh Gallery in Dubai; Anani's work paints a picture of a free and peaceful Palestine.
This autumn, our palates are in for a treat as restaurants from all over the world begin opening their doors across the UAE. Farah takes Enas through some of the exciting venues coming to town. They spotlight both high-end and accessible eateries, as well as the culturally diverse experiences they will bring to Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Section 375
Cast: Akshaye Khanna, Richa Chadha, Meera Chopra & Rahul Bhat
Director: Ajay Bahl
Producers: Kumar Mangat Pathak, Abhishek Pathak & SCIPL
Rating: 3.5/5
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
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WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
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MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Manchester United v Barcelona, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
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The Saga Continues
Wu-Tang Clan
(36 Chambers / Entertainment One)