Etihad Arena — Abu Dhabi, UAE

Etihad Arena is an indoor arena on the Yas Bay Waterfront of Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, designed by the architecture firm HOK. While it was being built it carried the working name Yas Bay Arena; in January 2020 the naming rights went to Etihad Airways, and the building took the airline's name. The design had already won the 2018 MENA Green Building Award for sustainable building design of the year.

The opening was set for March 2020 but was pushed back by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the arena opened its doors in 2021. It holds up to 18,000 people. Since then the programme has ranged widely: the NBA played its first games in the UAE here in October 2022, a WBA light heavyweight title fight took place in November 2022, and Guns N' Roses played the hall in June 2023. On 24 January 2027 it hosts Ludovico Einaudi together with the UAE National Orchestra.

The arena stands at the heart of Yas Island, on the Yas Bay waterfront, and the area has a waterfront boardwalk. Yas Bay is an entertainment district of Yas Island, and the venue's own visitor page says there are plenty of options in its neighbourhood, so arriving early and spending some time by the water before a late-evening concert is an easy choice.

Yas Island itself is one of Abu Dhabi's main leisure destinations. Elsewhere on the island are the Ferrari World, Yas Waterworld, Warner Bros. World and SeaWorld theme parks, the Yas Marina Circuit motor-racing track, Yas Mall and Yas Beach. For a visitor this means the concert does not have to be the only reason for the trip: the island offers enough for a full day before the music starts.

By road, Etihad Arena is about 7 minutes from Abu Dhabi International Airport, according to the venue, and Yas Island is around 25 minutes from the city of Abu Dhabi. Visitors coming from Dubai should count on roughly 75 minutes from Dubai's airport, the figure given by the island's own travel guide; the actual time depends on where you start and on traffic.

The island's travel guide lists public taxis, public buses, the ART tram, robotaxis and Etihad Rail among the ways to reach and get around Yas Island, and the free Yas Express shuttles take guests to the island's attractions. For a concert that starts at 21:00 and runs to around midnight, booking the ride back in advance saves a long wait at the end of the night.

Driving is also an option: the venue says that ample parking is available at the arena and in the surrounding area, and that the details for each event are shown on the ticket. Check them before you set out, as arrangements can change from one event to the next.

Entry to Etihad Arena includes a personal search and an item search. Staff may take away any item considered dangerous or prohibited, and the venue publishes a list of prohibited items on its own website, so it is worth reading before you leave. Travelling light makes the security check quicker, especially when a large crowd arrives at the same time.

The arena states that its facilities are designed to be accessible for guests with special needs and reduced mobility. If you or someone in your group needs assistance on the night, contact the venue before the concert so the help can be arranged in advance. The waterfront boardwalk on Yas Bay is a convenient place to meet friends before going in.

January is the coolest month of the year in Abu Dhabi. Daytime highs average about 24.5 °C and nights fall to about 14 °C, so a light jacket for the walk along the waterfront after the concert is useful. Inside the arena the weather plays no part. Several hotels stand on Yas Island itself, among them W Abu Dhabi, Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island and The WB Abu Dhabi, which saves a drive back to the city late at night.

The Ludovico Einaudi concerts page explains how the Abu Dhabi evening with orchestra fits into his 2027 dates, and the Ludovico Einaudi biography covers his albums from Le Onde onwards. Delivery, refunds and ticket transfers are answered on the questions and answers page, and the main page sums up the concert in Abu Dhabi.