Rihanna: The Dubai concert that never was

Published Wednesday, October 03, 2012

By Parag Deulgaonkar and Bindu Suresh Rai

Dubai fans expressed disappointment as Grammy winner Rihanna’s concert was announced and cancelled within a span of 24 hours on the sidelines of the ongoing Cityscape exhibition.

Yesterday, a Meydan official was quoted in the media, as saying that Rihanna’s concert next year at their venue was “imminent”.However, the hospitality group issued a statement earlier today, saying this isn’t the case.

The spokesperson said: “Meydan would like to clarify that the Group is not currently in talks to bring Rihanna to perform at Meydan.

“Meydan, together with our partners, is committed to delivering a series of high profile music and entertainment events, including Atelier Festival on October 19, and to bring world-class acts to audiences in Dubai in the future, across all our upcoming developments.”

Dubai-based fan Graham Stewart said: “This is ridiculous; why make an announcement, only to retract it a day later? I missed her previous gigs and was really looking forward to catching her live performance here.”

Twenty-year-old Anjali Makhija said: “I love Rihanna – her music, her style, her attitude. If Meydan does plan to bring down more celebrities next year, Rihanna should top the list.”

Marwan Bushairi added: “I hope she does come next year for her ‘Diamonds World Tour’. At least she will be a class act compared to that Justin Beiber.”

The singing sensation just announced her world tour three weeks ago, with her concert schedule booked solid between March and May 2013.

Fans are hoping she is pencilled in for October next year.

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