There's a line-up switch at this year's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Kings of Leon will now headline the Thursday After-Race Concert on 3 December, stepping in for Zara Larsson, who has pulled out. The Tennessee rock band share the opening night with Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi in a double bill at Yas Marina Circuit.
The timing is handy for fans. The band's tenth studio album, O My Beloved, is due out on 6 November, so the set list should lean heavily on fresh material alongside picks from a back catalogue that now spans ten records. It's a rare chance to hear the new songs live within weeks of release.
The Thursday show is just the start. The 2026 race weekend runs from 3 to 6 December and closes out the Formula 1 World Championship season, with a heavy-hitting concert each night: Alex Warren and Jennifer Lopez take Friday, Imagine Dragons headline Saturday, and The Chainsmokers team up with The Script for Sunday's finale.
The wider Yasalam programme stretches beyond the After-Race Concerts too. Andrea Bocelli opens the week on Wednesday 2 December with the first-ever Yasalam Classics, Anyma brings his ÆDEN show to the Official After-Party on 4 December, and DJs Black Coffee, CamelPhat and Shimza play three days at the 16/360 venue.
Organisers are talking it up. F1 chief Stefano Domenicali says preparations for the season finale are on track, while Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism points out that the emirate has hosted the race since 2009 and uses the weekend to pull in visitors from around the world.
For travellers, this is one of the rare events where a full F1 weekend and a four-night festival-scale concert line-up come as one ticket. If you were on the fence about a December trip to the UAE capital, the music alone now arguably justifies the flight — and you might catch the moment a world championship is decided live.
First reported by What's On Dubai.
