MAC Global

06/12/2023

🎫 The first ever live concert of Tubular Bells was performed at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall on 25 June 1973.

The composer, Mike Oldfield, was convinced that the music would not come off well in a live setting, and refused to do it.

Desperate to prevent Oldfield pulling out of the performance, Oldfield’s record label boss - Richard Branson - offered to give Oldfield his Bentley car, which he had bought from George Harrison.

The concert went ahead and was well received, leaving Oldfield “stunned”.

Oldfield went on to tour Tubular Bells around the world.

🎫 Tickets for the full, live Tubular Bells experience at Dubai Opera are available now. Link in bio.

🔔 Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells
📍 Dubai Opera
🗓️ Friday 12 January 2024
🎫 Dubaiopera.com

06/12/2023

05/12/2023

In February 2023, we brought André Rieu & his Johann Strauss concert to Bahrain and what a treat it was!

And here’s some exciting news … in March 2024, MAC Global in association with Abu Dhabi Culture will be presenting an André Rieu concert at Etihad Arena. Book your tickets today to ensure great seats.

If you want to see one of his amazing shows, search for André’s Bahrain concert on YouTube.

[Video via ]

* André Rieu & his Johann Strauss Orchestra
* Etihad Arena
* Saturday 9 March 2024
* Tickets from AED 225

04/12/2023

MAC Global works closely with venues across the UAE, the wider Middle East and beyond.

One of our favourite venues and one that we have worked with since it opened on 31 August 2016 is Dubai Opera.

Over the years we’ve presented many shows and performances there including: Jake Bugg, James Morrison, Björn Again, Passenger, Feeder, Steps, Rufus Wainwright, The Bootleg Beatles, The Joker Live In Concert, Ronnie Scott’s Giants of Jazz, Haçienda Classical and many, many more.

This coming January 2024 we’ll present a 50th anniversary celebration of Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells. Tickets are now available!

Here are some facts and stats about Dubai Opera.

>SWIPE for images <

▪️ Opened: 31 August 2016
▪️ Seating capacities: 2,000 (out of which 900 can be modified)
▪️ 31 exclusive boxes that can host up to 184 guests
▪️ The 5,000kg chandelier is adorned with 2,900 LEDs
▪️There are an additional 600 other LED installed at various locations in the venue.

❓ How many times have you visited Dubai Opera?

02/12/2023

🤣

01/12/2023

Continuing a theme… on this day in MAC Global history (1 December 2016), Dubai party-goers were celebrating the National Day holiday with DJ Snake as he took to the decks at Sheikh Rashid Hall at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

For those that don’t know, DJ Snake is the stage name of French music producer and DJ, William Sami Étienne Grigahcine.

DJ Snake was one of the producers for Lady Gaga’s album “Born This Way” which earned him a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year in February 2012.

30/11/2023

On this day in music history - 30 November 1973, Mike Oldfield and his musician friends were in a studio at BBC Television Centre to record Tubular Bells Part One ‘as live’ for the BBC arts programme ‘2nd House’.

The performance was transmitted on BBC2 on 5 January 1974.

The arrangement included a new part for oboe, played by Soft Machine's Karl Jenkins, and accompanied on-screen visuals of tubular steel sculptures and sequences from the film Reflections, both created by artist William Pye.

Tickets for the full, live Tubular Bells experience at Dubai Opera are available now.

🔔 Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells
📍 Dubai Opera
🗓️ Friday 12 January 2024
🎫 Dubaiopera.com

27/11/2023

On this day in MAC Global history (27 November 2018), we were presenting British rock band, Feeder at Dubai Opera.

Following the obvious peak of their success by playing the Dubai gig (!), Feeder went on to win two Kerrang! Awards (in 2001 & 2003) and were inducted into Kerrang!’s Hall of Fame in August 2019.

21/11/2023

A dream comes true as the Oscar-winning actor’s 1964 classical composition is heard again, decades after it was first written.

20/11/2023

On this day in MAC Global history (20 November 2019), we presented English singer-songwriter Michael David Rosenberg aka Passenger at Dubai Opera.

▪️ We’ve brought him to Dubai Opera on two occasions: 20 November 2019 and 4 December 2020.

▪️ In 2012, he released the song “Let Her Go”, which topped the charts in 16 countries and accumulated more than 3.3 billion views on YouTube.

▪️ He has gone on to release thirteen studio albums and 17 singles.

👊 MAC Global >> bringing the biggest names in entertainment to the Middle East.

17/11/2023

ON SALE NOW!

Get ready for an unforgettable night of classical enchantment with André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra.

Tickets available at www.etihadarena.ae

Yas Island Abu Dhabi Calendar Visit Abu Dhabi Yas Bay Etihad Arena MAC Global

16/11/2023

🚨CONCERT ANNOUNCEMENT🚨

🎻 MAC Global in association with Abu Dhabi Culture presents:
André Rieu & his Johann Strauss Orchestra.

🎻 André Rieu, world-renowned Dutch violinist and conductor, is set to captivate audiences in Abu Dhabi on Saturday 9 March as part of his 2024 world tour.

🎻 Audiences can expect to be transported into a world of enchanting melodies as André Rieu leads his Johann Strauss Orchestra, choir and many international soloists in a repertoire that spans classical masterpieces, waltzes, show tunes and songs from film, opera and musicals.

🎻 André Rieu, one of the world’s most popular musicians, has sold 40 million albums and is known for his high-energy, romantic and joyful performances.

🎻 His concerts are a hit with audiences of all ages and backgrounds. This upcoming concert promises to be no different, with André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra set to bring their signature style to Abu Dhabi.

🎻 André Rieu & his Johan Strauss Orchestra
📍 Etihad Arena
🗓️ Saturday 9 March 2024
🎫 Tickets from AED 225 [link in bio]

14/11/2023

On this day in music history - 14 November 1952 - the very first UK Singles Chart was published.

🎉 Happy Anniversary!

In 1952, Percy Dickins, one of the founders of the New Musical Express decided to produce a chart based on UK record sales.

📈 Dickins compiled the chart by telephoning 20 record shops across the country every week and tallying up their biggest-selling singles.

The first ever Top 12 (which was actually a Top 15 given that sales of the Number 7, Number 8, and Number 11 singles were tied) was published in the New Musical Express on 14 November 1952.

🇺🇸 American crooner Al Martino took the inaugural Official Singles Chart Number 1 with his song 'Here In My Heart'. He held onto the top spot for nine consecutive weeks.

🇬🇧 The UK is obsessed with 'The Charts', with many people knowing exactly what was Number 1 on the day that they were born.

🎉 What’s your birthday Number 1? Tell us in the comments below ⬇️
📝

08/11/2023

“Good Grief”! It’s already seven days since we experienced the pure “Joy” of Bastille’s only Dubai concert at the Coca-Cola Arena.

We danced into “Oblivion” until “Quarter Past Midnight” and they “Shut Off The Lights”. Well, we are “Nocturnal Creatures” after all.

The highlight “Of The Night” was when Dan jumped into the crowd and danced with the audience (“Daniel In The Den”). It really gave us “Goosebumps”.

Although we lost “Laura Palmer” at “4am”, we didn’t “Run Into Trouble” and there’s no “Bad Blood” between us - it was just one of “Those Nights” and we could not have been “Happier” to “Get Home”.

📷 Here are some of our favourite photos courtesy of Jeffrey Pabroquez to “Remind Me” of a great night.

* 17 Bastille song titles 😂

02/11/2023

On this day in MAC Global history [2 November 2022] we were featured across multiple B2B publications as we announced our deal to join the Sony Music Masterworks family - a division of Sony Music Entertainment (SME).

And what a year it’s been! We have produced multiple concerts in Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia and three of the seven Emirates - Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.

Tiësto, Basement Jaxx, George Ezra, John Newman, Chase & Status, André Rieu, Seal, Björn Again, Razorlight, A1 & 911, Andy C, Boney M, Bastille, Sarah Brightman, Alfie Boe, Michael Ball, Vittorio Grigolo; British comedian Jason Manford, plus Star Wars and Harry Potter live orchestral concerts all feature in the past year’s portfolio.

Here’s to the next year … we've already booked some amazing concerts to announce in 2024.

Email [email protected] to be among the first to receive the news.

⭐️

Photo: (L-R): Josh Lerman, Rob McIntosh, Mark Cavell, Dan Goldberg, Ollie Rosenblatt

01/11/2023

⚡️ It’s 51 days since we first announced that British indie pop phenomenon, Bastille, will perform in Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena.

⏰ The day is finally here and we can’t wait for tonight’s gig: Pinch, punch first of the month!

👉 Here’s a Bastille recap:

4 UK top ten singles
4 UK top ten albums
4 Brit Awards nominations
1 Brit Award win
1 Grammy nomination
11 million record sales worldwide.

👉 To date, Bastille, have released four albums - all with massive international success.

▪️ Bad Blood (2013) - UK Number 1
▪️ Wild World (2016) - UK Number 1
▪️ Doom Days (2019) - UK Number 4
▪️ Give Me the Future (2022) - UK Number 1

👉 Here’s a list of MAC Global’s favourite Bastille tracks (in no particular order):

▪️ Pompeii
▪️ Of The Night
▪️ Good Grief
▪️ Happier (with Marshmello)
▪️ Flaws
▪️ Things We Lost In The Fire
▪️ Laura Palmer
▪️ I Know You (with Craig David)

🙌 See you tonight.

🇬🇧 Bastille
🗓 Wednesday 1 November 2023
📍 Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai
🎫 Ticket link in bio.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

29/10/2023

On this day in MAC Global history (29 October 2022), we were living it up at Dubai’s Wanderlust Brunch at the JW Marriott Marquis.

We booked English electronic music duo, Basement Jaxx, to play at the brunch date and it turned into a very BIG gig!

Were you there?

[Edited from original video posted on J.w.marriott Marquis in 2022]

26/10/2023

You might not cry often – but when you do, do it for the right reasons...

25/10/2023

On this day in music history (25 October 2019), English indie pop band Bastille and Canadian singer-songwriter Alessia Cara released the single; "Another Place".

It was the fifth track to be released from Bastille's third studio album, “Doom Days”.

Fingers crossed that they play it in Dubai on 1 November.

🇬🇧 Bastille
🗓 Wednesday 1 November 2023
📍 Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai
🎫 Ticket link in bio.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

20/10/2023

On this day in MAC Global history (20 October 2018), we were at the races!

🏇 The QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot Racecourse in the UK to be precise.

We were brought it to produce the entire after party experience, including full event production, plus booking the talent to perform.

Ella Eyre and Jax Jones were our headline acts.

It was a spectacular party at one of the top racing meetings of the year and a great conclusion to the flat racing season in the UK.

19/10/2023

On this day in MAC Global history (2019), Dan and Rob* were in Saudi Arabia with the footballing icon, Thierry Henry.

The former Arsenal striker and French international headlined the Tanween Season 2019 at Ithra - King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture - in Dhahran with an intimate Q&A discussion followed by a meet and greet experience.

As part of the discussions, Thierry revealed that he has always admired Muhammad Ali as the greatest; Messi is his current favourite football player and winning the World Cup was the most memorable moment in his career.

MAC Global was directly responsible for negotiating the talent deal and also the logistical aspects of bringing the leading sportsman to the region.

[* Spot Dan and Rob in the vid]

17/10/2023

Did you see the viral videos of U2 opening the Las Vegas Sphere, the US$2.3 billion venture billed as “the entertainment venue of the future”?

At 366 ft (111 meters) high and 516 ft (157 meters) wide, Sphere, the cavernous bowl-shaped theatre, is the world’s largest spherical structure containing [reportedly] the world’s largest and highest-resolution LED screen (268 million video pixels).

“What a fancy pad,” said Bono to the 18,000 attendees on the opening night. He’s not wrong.

We know of a plot of UAE desert between Dubai and Abu Dhabi that could perhaps be used for a “Sphere #2”!

Bigger, taller, wider, better!

12/10/2023

MAC Global is known for bringing the biggest names in entertainment to the Middle East - and beyond.

So far this year, we have hosted events in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Bahrain, Oman and KSA.

We’ll be adding The Arena Kuwait to this list soon, so watch this space.

We’re looking forward to working with the team at this fantastic new venue. Check out their promotional showreel.

The Arena Kuwait is the largest indoor multipurpose venue in Kuwait.

▪️ Opened: March 2022
▪️ Seating capacities: 1,200-5,800
▪️ 20-metre floor to ceiling
▪️ 300 tonne rigging grid

[Showreel courtesy: The Arena Kuwait ]

11/10/2023

Dubai-based Scottish singer-songwriter, Greg Pearson, has been confirmed to open the show for Bastille’s Dubai gig at Coca-Cola Arena on 1 November 2023.

- Greg Pearson
Tickets via Coca-Cola-Arena.com

08/10/2023

What a banging night with Project 174 at P7 Arena, Media One Hotel on Friday 6 October 2023.

Drum & Bass all night long with killer sets from:

* ANDY C & Tonn Piper
* Jaguar Skills
* Motion
* Yeomans
* Whitley Ruchea - DJ
* Berts
* Dan Greenpeace
… and even a surprise drop in from
PAV4N

❓ Who do you want to see next?

06/10/2023

We’re hours away from launching drum & bass club night: Project 174 featuring Andy C & Jaguar Skills

See you there!

* Project 174
* 6 October 2023
* P7 Arena, Media One,
* Tickets from AED200
macglobal.com/tickets

06/10/2023

On this day in music history (6 October 1949), Boney M’s original male singer and dancer, Bobby Farrell was born.

And for the fact fans out there, Bobby died on the same day (30 December) and in the same town (St Petersburg) as Rasputin - the subject of one of Boney M’s biggest hits.

Sadly Bobby, the eccentric frontman, died of heart failure aged 61, just hours after a Boney M performance in 2010

Grigori Rasputin on the other hand who, said the lyrics in Boney M's song, was the 'lover of the Russian Queen' - was just 47 in 1916 when his body was recovered from Neva River. He had drowned after being poisoned, shot four times, badly beaten, and thrown in the river. Ouch!

🕺🏻 Bobby’s legacy lives on and a reincarnated version is playing in the UAE this weekend.

💃🏻 Grab your feather boa and dance like Bobby. It’s what he would’ve wanted!

🎫 Ticket link in bio.

🇬🇧 Sheyla Bonnick’s BONEY M Experience

🗓 Friday 6 October 2023
📍 Mövenpick JBR, Dubai

🗓 Saturday 7 October 2023
📍 Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Abu Dhabi

⭐️⭐️⭐️

05/10/2023

💥 We’re just hours away from launching the ultimate Drum n Bass night in the United Arab Emirates.

Stand back: Project 174 is about to create the scene.

🔥 The full line-up has been announced:

👉 8pm-10pm: Exclusive pre-party with Jaguar Skills and Dan Greenpeace playing old skool vinyl only sets.

👉 10pm-3am: The Main Event headlined by the one and only ANDY C with sets by Whitley Ruchea, Berts, Yeomans, Motion and a second appearance of the evening by Mr Jaguar Skills.

⚠️ Tickets available online - link in bio - and on the door.

🇬🇧 Project 174
🗓️ 6 October 2023
📍 P7 Arena, Media One, Dubai
🎫 Pre-party tickets cost AED450 and include entry to the main event from 10pm.
🎫 Main event tickets start at AED200. Kick-off at 10pm.

04/10/2023

🙌 “GET YER ‘ANDS UP IN THE AIR!” - do what Tonn Piper says!

We’re on the countdown for the biggest DnB night in Dubai featuring ANDY C, Jaguar Skills, Motion, Yeomans & Whitley Ruchea - DJ.

Where you gonna be on Friday?

⭐️

🇬🇧 Project 174 featuring. Andy C
🗓 Friday 6 October 2023
📍 P7 Arena, Media One Hotel
🎫 Pre-party tickets are AED450 and include entry to the main event from 10pm >>> https://www.macglobal.com/tickets/

💥

01/10/2023

💿 On this day in music history (1 October 1982), Sony released the first ever CD player - the CDP-101.

💿 The cost of this new piece of music kit was ¥168,000.

💿 ABBA’s “The Visitors” is credited as the first CD album to be manufactured for commercial release and a further 50 albums were added to the schedule to coincide with the release of the new CD player.

30/09/2023

💥 Bastille have unveiled a new reworked version of ‘Pompeii’, in collaboration with the legendary film composer Hans Zimmer and featuring soaring instrumentation courtesy of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

>> SWIPE for some stills from the video shoot.

▪️ Titled ‘Pompeii MMXXIII’, the new version came about when Bastille frontman Dan Smith was working in a recording studio with Zimmer on other projects.

▪️ “Having the opportunity to work with the living legend that is Hans Zimmer, and his brilliant team, has been an absolute dream” said Bastille’s Dan Smith.

▪️ Of his contribution to the updated version, Hans Zimmer has said: “It’s been proven time and time again that a beautiful, crafted song by a great band can have many lives and Pompeii is a shining example of this.”

▪️ ‘Pompeii’ was originally included on Bastille’s chart-topping debut album ‘Bad Blood’ (released a decade ago); and it remains in the Top 50 most streamed songs of all time in the UK, with over 3.5 billion streams.

💥 Can’t wait to hear this song in Dubai on 1 November 2023 🤩

🇬🇧 Bastille
🗓 Wednesday 1 November 2023
📍 Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai
🎫 Ticket link in bio.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

29/09/2023

28/09/2023

“Wild World” is the second studio album by English indie pop band, Bastille.

📈 Released on 9 September 2016, the album spent two weeks in the No. 1 position of the UK Albums Chart (this week in 2016) and was certified ‘Gold’ for 227,836 UK sales.

📷 The album cover photograph was taken at 30 Park Place in Downtown, New York City.

📣 Don’t forget to buy your tickets for Bastille’s Dubai concert!

🇬🇧 Bastille
🗓 Wednesday 1 November 2023
📍 Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai
🎫 Ticket link in bio.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

27/09/2023

💥 On this day in dance music history (27 September 2012), Jaguar Skills was enjoying a three week run in the Top 40 of the UK Dance Albums Chart.

▪️ Released on Ministry of Sound (MOSCD301) and first entering the Dance Albums Chart on 8 September 2012, “Jaguar Skills & His Amazing Friends Vol. 1” peaked at a very respectable No. 2.

▪️ The 2x CD album package included an “action packed comic booklet” with the tracks on CD1 corresponding to a certain section of the comic.

▪️ CD2 consisted of four mash-up mini mixes by four of Jaguar Skills “amazing friends”; Calvertron, Murkage, Doorly and DJ@War.

⚡️ Back in 2012 that’s all we needed to blow our speakers!

⭐️

🇬🇧 Project 174 featuring. Andy C & Jaguar Skills
🗓 Friday 6 October 2023
📍 P7 Arena, Media One Hotel
🎫 Ticket link in bio / Platinumlist.net / OnMyGuestlust.cuz

💥

26/09/2023

🪩 Sheyla Bonnick - a long-time touring vocalist with 70s supergroup, BONEY M - is bringing her band to the UAE next month.

Two of Boney M's biggest hits were "Rivers of Babylon" and "Brown Girl In The Ring".

📦 Let's open the music archive to discover more ...

▪️ In April / May 1978, "Rivers of Babylon", a cover of a track by The Melodians, became (at the time) the second biggest-selling single of all time in the UK.

▪️ In July 1978, following ten weeks in the UK Top Ten (five of them at No. 1), "Rivers of Babylon" slipped to No. 18 and then to No. 20.

▪️ As "Rivers of Babylon" began dropping down the Singles Chart, radio stations flipped the vinyl single and started playing the B-side; "Brown Girl In The Ring".

▪️ Such extensive radio airplay resulted in a happy chart reversal, with the single climbing back up the charts, re-entering the Top Ten, where it would spend an additional nine weeks, peaking at No. 2 in September 1978.

▪️ In total, the single spent six months in the UK Top 40, including 19 weeks in the Top 10.

▪️ The single went on to sell more than two million copies (2,032,656 to be precise); was the second single to sell more than two million copies in UK chart history; is one of only seven songs to have sold over 2 million copies and remains the sixth best-selling single of all time in the UK.

❓ And what else?

▪️ Boney M is the only artist to appear twice in the UK Top 12 best-selling singles of all time, with "Rivers of Babylon" in seventh place and "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord" at No. 11 with 1.8 million sales.

▪️ They are also one of only six artists to sell a million copies with two singles in the same year!

🤪 Exhausted now!

🎫 Ticket via Platinumlist.net

🇬🇧 Sheyla Bonnick’s BONEY M Experience

🗓 Friday 6 October 2023
📍 Mövenpick JBR, Dubai

🗓 Saturday 7 October 2023
📍 Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Abu Dhabi

⭐️⭐️⭐️

25/09/2023

🚨 JUST ANNOUNCED 🚨

The almighty British DJ - Jaguar Skills - has been added to Project 174’s exclusive pre-party line-up on 6 October 2023.

DnB, Grime, Bassline, Jungle … Jag smashes them all.

Got your tickets yet? Don't leave it to chance by rocking up on the day. Guarantee your entry - book tickets now.

💥
🇬🇧 Project 174
🗓️ 6 October 2023
📍 P7 Arena, Media One, Dubai
🎫 Pre-party tickets are AED450 and include entry to the main event from 10pm. Link in bio.

20/09/2023