Elyanna’s return to Abu Dhabi marked the end of a year that pushed her forward. She opened 2025 supporting Coldplay at Zayed Sports Stadium, appearing across their four-concert run and joining them again for shows in India, parts of Asia and North America.
Even then, the Palestinian-Chilean singer showed promise, particularly in the Abu Dhabi dates, where she handled the scale of the night with composure.
Her performance on the second day of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after race concerts, ahead of headliner Post Malone, made that progression easy to see.
She stepped on to the Etihad Park stage with a set that moved with more assurance. Anyone who saw her supporting Coldplay in January and then attended her more expansive F1 weekend show on Thursday would have recognised the change.
The set leaned into the depth of her catalogue, moving between nineties Arabic pop, mahraganat, Levant wedding music and folk, all held together by a modern production that kept the night pushing forward.
She began with Tamally Ma’ak before moving into Sokkar. A dabke section appeared early, folded cleanly into the flow. Mamma Eh pushed the tempo upwards and showed one of her vocal patterns, where the power in the verse gives way to a more vulnerable melody. It is a shift she often reaches for, and it works for her.
Ghareeba Alay was one of the night’s clearer musical turns. The song starts as a ballad then pivots when she brings in an earthy dub rhythm.
It points to something that many of her regional peers and elders have not explored enough. She is part of a streaming generation who grew up hearing these styles next to each other, and the mix feels natural to her.
Ya Waylek showed one of the tools she leans on often, with the verse coming in cold and confident, almost cutting, before she shifts into a more vulnerable melody.
A distinct moment came with her use of Coldplay’s Pray. The track belonged to the band in January, where she appeared as a guest. At Etihad Park, she placed it within a medley alongside Ahwak and delivered her verses as if it were her own song.
She ended the set with Ghanini. The sharp choreograph and explosive visuals gave us a hint at what a solo Elyanna arena tour would look like.
In January at Zayed
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