DUBAI // The finals of the hugely popular Western Union Camp Ka Champ take place on Thursday night and will see thousands of people cheering on their favourite performers as they sing their hearts out to Bollywood classics.

The event, now in its eighth year, will be the biggest yet, with auditions held at 18 companies in more than 100 camps across Dubai.

The journey to the final kicked of in August and, since then, a total of 3,200 people registered to take part.

Over the following weeks that number was whittled down to 36 contestants who qualified for the semi-final at the Jiwin staff compound in the Sonapur labour camp.

“Six people will qualify from the semi-final for the final and we are expecting a raucous atmosphere throughout the evening,” said a spokesman for Right Track Advertising, which has organised the competition since its inception.

“We are expecting about 7,000 people, mostly labourers, to attend the event and cheer on their friends.”

More than 3,000 people are expected to be bused in from labour camps across the emirate and further afield to cheer on their colleagues.

“It has grown into a truly fantastic event and I would say it’s on a par with other talent shows,” said the spokesman, who was talking just hours before the competition started.

The winners of the Camp Ka Champ unplugged competition, which was set up to cater for English speakers, also receive their awards at the end of the night.

“That was the first time we had run that event primarily for African and Filipino singers and we expect it’s popularity to grow in the coming years,” said the spokesman.

The main Camp Ka Champ competition is based on a two-man team system and the winners and runners-up on the night are given prizes.

nhanif@thenational.ae