Everything you need to know about Unite with Tomorrowland Dubai

We’ve broken down the festival that will take place in Dubai Festival City’s Arena this Saturday, July 29, to help you navigate your way through one of the biggest dance festivals of the year.

The experience
Nicolas Vandenabeele of Envie Events, tell us just what the 8,000 very lucky ticket holders can expect on Saturday…
“They will have live footage for three hours from Belgium, where KSHMR, Armin van Buuren, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike will make sure people will get the musical vibes all the way from Boom.
“Then there’s the syncing, so what the crowd is seeing in Belgium will be replicated at the same moment in Dubai – the lighting, the dry ice, the pyrotechnics, like I said. So I’m sure this experience will have the same magical atmosphere.”

The headliner
We grab a quick chat with headliner Martin Solveig…

You know and love Dubai. What’s it like to be here again?
It’s always a pleasure to be back in Dubai. It’s such a crazy buzzing city with so many things going on! It is impossible to be bored there. You’re known for some crazy dance moves.

Anything special lined up?
For that you’ve got to check my #MondayDance every Monday on my Instagram!

What’s been your favourite clubbing experience here?
Well, Zero Gravity is both a club and a restaurant also and bar and beach/pool? All that sounds pretty great!

What can the Dubai crowd expect from you?
As usual, I’d say a really fresh, pop, fun, exciting show. Plus, new music is around the corner, as well as another season of my Pacha Ibiza residency, so Dubai can definitely expect to hear stuff that hasn’t been showcased.

You’re always on the road. What’s your cure for jetlag?
I wish I had one… Being really excited about the next gig helps, though!

Local talent
Mark Pickup of local act Arcade 82 looks forward to their big day out…

So, what time will you be on and for how long?
We are opening the event at 2pm I believe and will be performing live for one hour.

How do these things come about for a local artist? Were you asked or do you pitch?
Ha! Well, it’s typically we do a bit of both: you hustle a bit but also get incoming enquiries. But in this case, Nicolas from Envie saw us open for The Chemical Brothers in front of 18,000 people at the du Arena, so as a result of that he said we were a natural selection to be on the lineup for Unite with Tomorrowland.

What will your set be?
We are booked to perform our own music and do our thing, so we will play all our latest releases, all live with synths, electric drums, sampling pads, live vocals, etc. We’re very much a live act… this isn’t a DJ set.

Where do you think this event sits in terms of major dance events in Dubai’s history?
The Tomorrowland brand is the biggest festival in the world right now, so coming to Dubai under the Unite umbrella is massive for the region. It’s an honour to be the only artists representing the local scene at their inaugural event.

After you’re done playing, who are you most looking forward to hearing yourself?
Absolutely hands down Franky Rizardo. We are both big fans of his music and are looking forward to catching up with him.

The full lineup
The DJs and acts that will be performing live at Unite with Tomorrowland Dubai

Martin Solveig
The French DJ, singer, songwriter and record producer has produced songs like “Do It Right” and “Places” that have been topping charts worldwide. He was ranked number 29 on DJ Mag’s list in 2011.

Franky Rizardo
One of Europe’s emerging names. After playing at some of Netherland’s hottest festivals and clubs, Franky has now started his own label, LTF Records, to launch his own music and to support other emerging artists.

Siege
This Belgian artist has remixed the likes of Charlie XCX, Romanthony and Rudimental. His release “Crunk” made it to the Beatport top 10, and also spent five weeks in the House Chart top 10.

Robert Falcon
After signing his first record with Spinnin’ Records there has been no looking back for Robert Falcon. With support from the biggest names like Like Mike & Dimitri Vegas and a record on number 11 on Beatport’s top 100.

Mikael Weermets
Named as “the next big thing” by Tiësto in 2014, Mikael has won many accolades for his forward thinking DJ sets and also secured top positions at the Beatport charts numerous times.

Tom Swoon
The DJ and producer has been making a mark in the electronic music scene and has been ranked at number 56 on the Top 100 DJs list. His latest single “Pheonix” was streamed three million times on Spotify. A name to be reckoned with.

Ferreck Dawn
Ferreck has been an active DJ and producer for almost 15 years now and has had his production released on well-known labels like Spinnin’ Records, Toolroom, D:vision and Material Records.

Barry Fore
His sets have been played in many festivals like Voodoo Dubai, City Parade and Sensation. His record collection contains soulful house, groove, electro and techno.

Arcade 82
Dubai’s own duo Arcade 82 have become regulars on the local circuit and were selected by the Red Bull Music Academy to open for the Chemical Brothers last year.

Unite with Tomorrowland
When: Saturday, July 29
Where: Dubai Festival City Arena
Contact: website