David will be performing at the 2008 Skywards Dubai International Jazz Festival on Feb 29, 2008.

Schedule

David Gray - 10pm (headline artist)
Boney James - 8:30pm
Antonia Bennett - 7pm
Paulak - 5:45pm
Eileen Khatchadourian - 4:30pm 

Tickets are on sale now (Online Only) via http://www.boxofficeme.com/MoreInfo.aspx?id=268 and www.itptickets.com, physical tickets will be available as of January 15 from Virgin Megastore outlets, Spinneys, and Hallmark.

Further information about the jazz festival is available from

dubaijazzfest.com

and

timeoutdubai.com

Nice venue in Dubai: Dubai Media City's outdoor amphitheatre (2006). Unfortunatelly I have other appointments this day

What a nice outdoor venue this seems to be...

Here are some press releases in regard to David's performance  in Dubai:

From ArabianBusiness.com today: 

Contemporary rock star David Gray to perform live in Dubai, on the night of February 29th at the Skywards Dubai International Jazz Festival 2008

Posted on

Sunday, 13 January 2008

Industry Sector

Entertainment

Country

United Arab Emirates

 

Press Release Content

 The countdown has begun to the 6th Annual Skywards Dubai International Jazz Festival 2008; the event that is easily going to surpass anything that has been seen or heard in Dubai Media City Amphitheater.

Don't Miss the artist of a very different kind - Pop idol David Gray who is set to appear for the first time at the most popular event in the region "Skywards Dubai International Jazz Festival" organized by Chillout Productions for the 6^th year in a row. Gray's show will be the show-of-attraction for a large audience.

"We try to cater for all music fans in the region, and with the presence of David Gray this year, we can assure that we are attending to the lovers of all types of music and guarantee that the festival will go beyond Jazz" said Anthony Younes, Managing Director of Chillout Productions, the founders and organizers of the Dubai International Jazz Festival.

Following on from the explosion in popularity during 1999, which was a year that witnessed David successful embark in the world of music; Gray has emerged as one of the finest singer-songwriters, capable of some truly emotional power-ballads in the style of tracks like Babylon, his breakthrough success, Sail Away, Please Forgive Me, and The Other Side. His voice is powerfully distinct-raw, passionate and at times affecting.

With "White Ladder", Gray has sold more than six million copies worldwide and became one of the UK's most popular and enduring artists. In Ireland, White Ladder remains the best-selling album of all-time.

He has also won a GQ Award for Best Solo Artist (2002), a Q Award for best single (2001) and has been nominated twice for best male at the Brit Awards. Such accolade is richly deserved, as Gray is fast becoming a national treasure.

Gray continues to write and record at his studio in north London, and expects to have a new album ready for release by fall 2008.

"With the valued support of our sponsors and partners, and the participation of music prodigies like David Gray, we look forward to have the Skywards Dubai International Jazz Festival in 2008 a great success as it has always been throughout the years", added Anthony Younis.

As ever, more news and details about the participating artists on the night of February 29^th are to be announced successively.

Tickets are to be available starting January 15^th, 2008 at all Virgin Megastores, Hallmark, Spinneys and online from beginning of January 2008 on www.boxofficeme.com and www.timeouttickets.com.

Notes and contacts

About Chillout Productions

Chillout Productions, founders, and organizers of the Dubai International Jazz Festival won "What's on" award for "The Best Festival" for two consecutive years 2006 & 2007.

Dubai International Jazz Festival has grown and became an annual entertainment icon in the UAE and the whole region, drawing fans from all across the UAE, GCC and around the world. Attendance in 2006 topped 21,500 and 25,000 in 2007 with an expected attendance of more than 30,000 music lovers for the 2008 edition. Each year, the Festival presents more than 120 artists featuring a diverse and international lineup of legendary Grammy award-winning artists and critically acclaimed jazz and contemporary groups.

Skywards Dubai International Jazz Festival showcases an incredibly diverse array of music styles to gratify the different tastes of large audiences, featuring 12 internationally recognized recording artists and legends of Jazz, Blues, Pop, Rock, R&B, Hip Hop, reggae, ethnic, gospel and Latin Music over a period of three consecutive nights.

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of the Dubai International Jazz Festival is the audience: undoubtedly the classiest crowd of any musical event in our city with more CEOs, Chairmen, MDs and GMs per square foot than any business district in town.

• Gray day at jazz festival

  Sunday 13 Jan, 2008
  
  British pop star David Gray is heading to the UAE next month as part of the Dubai International Jazz Festival. Gray, whose hits include ‘Sail Away’, ‘Please Forgive Me’ and ‘Babylon’, will perform on Friday, February 29.
  “We try to cater for all music fans in the region, and with the presence of David Gray this year, we can ensure that we are attending to the lovers of all types of music and guarantee that the festival will go beyond Jazz,” said Anthony Younes, managing director of Chillout Productions, the organisers of the festival.
  Gray’s best selling album ‘White Ladder’ has sold more than six million copies worldwide. Bee Gee Robin Gibb has already been confirmed for the festival, which is entering its sixth year.

Article printed from 7DAYS General and Local News | Dubai Abu Dhabi | UAE: http://www.7days.ae

URL to article: http://www.7days.ae/en/2008/01/13/gray-day-at-jazz-festival.html

Dave and the boys have been sighted heading to Dubai:

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Well I'll be there and before anyone asks, no I'm not made of money. Decided to go with the girlfriend in lieu of out usual snowboarding holiday - ah the sacrifices I have to make. Flying out from Birmingham at 8-30 tonight and returning Sunday morning so we'll have a couple of days there to look around. The missus is understandably very excited while I'm trying my hardest to keep a lid on it because after all I am:

a. a bloke and

b. British

so it's essential that a certain decorum is maintained.

Only seen David once before at the NEC Arena in Birmingham and was soundly impressed so I think the cost of this trip (£1500 give or take) is well justified. Time will tell whether I would have preferred to go boarding instead, but when all said and done, we can go boarding next year. Might need to watch my step tomorrow though - it is 29th February after all!!!

I'll try and post a bit of a mini review next week and would be interested to know if anyone else from the UK is going over there too.

Hi richyb66,

wow - what a perfect way to spend some time in the sun! Have a great time in Dubai and at the gig especially. That venue looks very nice indeed.

We are looking forward to your review and some pictures.

And a hearty welcome to the board

Rena 

Hi richyb66,

Welcome to the board.

You lucky man, bet you will enjoy much more than snowboarding no contest really.

Hope you both have a lovely weekend, will look forward to your review.

Elysium:

Hi richyb66,

Welcome to the board.

You lucky man, bet you will enjoy much more than snowboarding no contest really.

Hope you both have a lovely weekend, will look forward to your review.

Hi richyb66,

I think you could have both, snowboarding and a David Gray concert in Dubai, 'cause there you will find the largest indoor snow park in the world in Dubai! Have a look!  

 BBC online: Snow comes to the deserts of Dubai

The largest indoor snow park in the world has opened in the Gulf Emirate of Dubai.

Built on what was previously desert sand, the slopes will be covered with manufactured snow all year round.

The centre has green, blue, red and black runs, chairlifts and snow patrols, like any other ski resort.

The area under snow is the equivalent of three football pitches, with runs built inside a giant, slanting metal tube around 25 floors high.

Ski school

A snow park next door has tobogganing, icy bobsleigh runs and a ski school.

Anyone wanting to ski on the main slopes will have to prove their competence before being allowed to do so.

All clothing and equipment is provided in the entrance price of $35, including black, knee-length padded coats for any Arabs who prefer to wear their traditional kandouras to visit the snow - but skiing in the robes will be banned.

The snow is made by shooting water at high pressure into an atmosphere maintained at around freezing point by coolers both below and above the slopes.

Until now Dubai has been a destination for warm beach holidays.

But the ski slope is likely to be most popular, especially for residents, during Dubai's harsh summer when temperatures reach well above 40C.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4491650.stm

And here the website of Ski Dubai:

http://www.skidxb.com/English/default.aspx

Have fun!

Hi there,

I moved all Dubai related reviews and links to videos to this thread in the gigs section where they will be easier to find and get more attention.

Rena