SUCCESSFUL NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL TO BREAK OUT BEYOND DXB
▶ Organisers of Breakout DXB, the first live music festival in Dubai since the pandemic, plan to take the event to other emirates, writes Saeed Saeed
Anew chapter has begun for the UAE’s entertainment industry. The live music scene came roaring back to life this month with Breakout DXB, which took place last Friday and Saturday at Dubai’s Rove Downtown hotel. The festival was the first major music event to be held physically in the UAE amid the pandemic.
Spread across the hotel grounds, festival showcased more than a dozen live music acts, film screenings, art and fashion stalls, food trucks and in-house industry conference the Emirates Music Summit.
Featuring a range of independent UAE musicians, including soul singers Layla Kardan and Hamdan Al Abri, singer-songwriter Ghaliaa and fusion group Noon, the event was held in accordance with government-approved safety precautions. These included paperless entry tickets, numerous and separate entry and exit points and clear floor and wall signage to ensure a one-way flow of human traffic. In the hotel’s car park, where the main festival stage was set, market stalls, seats and couches were placed two metres apart.
Despite the distancing, the joy of seeing live performances again was palpable among the crowd. Nearly 1,000 people, a mixture of resident music lovers and tourists, attended the first day of the festival, a relatively strong showing for a locally produced event.
So with tighter restrictions and the high stakes at play, did Breakout DXB manage to conjure the communal vibe we normally associate with festivals?
“Well, it depends on how we define that,” co-organiser Dan Bolton tells The National. “If you are asking me if there was a vibe, I would definitely say there was and that particularly comes when live music is played. With social distancing at play, the place can look more spacious than normal, but there were quite a few people here.”
For Bolton, holding the event in the first place was a statement of intent. “We want to say that the live events industry is resilient and we
can turn the corner. “So if you were asking me what is success, it is the ability for us to deliver a festival that is both entertaining and safe. And that’s a huge responsibility.”
Breakout DXB was an eclectic affair. It had the entertainment of a music festival, the service of a restaurant, the intimacy of a lounge and the curiosity of a boutique market. “It does feel like a reunion,” says Sarah Gojer, aka DJ Sara G, who performed
on the Saturday. “A lot of us have been away from each other for so long and it has really been tough. Just to be back, in touch and experiencing culture again, it really is a beautiful feeling.”
Such comments are music to the ears of festival co-founder Lobito Brigante. A veteran artist and event organiser in the UAE, he tells The National that the festival was created to rally the spirits of UAE creatives, many of whom suffered professionally in the wake of the pandemic.
“It had an impact on people. We saw them connect with others they hadn’t seen in eight months,” he says. “For me, personally, it was an opportunity to be with the people I love for various reasons and join them and see what happens when we can finally get together.”
While discussions are already under way about future iterations of the event, Brigante says it could return in various forms and in other emirates. “Breakout is a launch pad. You can create these brands and identities, but it is really the substance that matters. What we are doing is really a way to reach out and create other cultural platforms that we can develop,” he says.
“The DXB part of the name is only in this instance, because we plan to take Breakout into other places and we already have interest from other locations. We will definitely explore how we can grow.”
Until then, Brigante hopes the successful staging of the festival can act as a blueprint for other organisers to create safe and entertaining events. “As a festival we wanted to take that first step that people can replicate,” he says.
“Even if people do copycat events, I believe the benefit will be to the artists and culture and to set the template for more things in the future.”
If you are asking me if there was a vibe, I would definitely say there is and that particularly comes when live music is played DAN BOLTON
Co-organiser, Breakout DXB