Faithless, Toploader and Björn Again: our beach nights at JBR this season

Three nights on the sand at JBR have gone straight into our diary. SYNTHONY’s live orchestra and Faithless Sound System with Sister Bliss on Saturday 21 November, Toploader headlining a full day of live music the next afternoon, and Björn Again, the original Australian ABBA show, on Friday 11 December. All three play Bla Bla by McGettigan’s, the beach venue on The Beach at JBR, and we are planning to be at every one of them.

SYNTHONY and Faithless, Saturday 21 November

This is the night we are most looking forward to. SYNTHONY puts a live orchestra on stage with DJs, vocalists and big screen visuals, and rebuilds dance anthems by the likes of Avicii, Calvin Harris, Swedish House Mafia and Eric Prydz as orchestral arrangements. It has filled arenas and festivals from Australia and Mexico to Singapore, Europe and the United States.

The second half of the bill is the reason it sits at the top of our list. Faithless Sound System is the three piece live version of Faithless, led by co founder Sister Bliss with vocalists Amelia and Lily. Expect Insomnia and We Come 1, the records that defined a generation of British club music, played by one of the people who wrote them.

Doors open at 6pm. Super Early Bird general admission was AED 299 and regular tickets are AED 399, through Platinumlist and McGettigan’s own site. Entry is strictly 21 and over.

Toploader’s Big Day Out, Sunday 22 November

The following day, Bla Bla turns its Pyramid Stage over to McGettigan’s Big Day Out from midday until 11pm. The headliner is Toploader, the East Sussex band whose version of Dancing in the Moonlight has never really left British radio, with Faux Asis, an Oasis tribute, in support. Local performers, a live barbecue station and roaming entertainment fill the hours before the main set. Early Bird general admission is AED 99, general admission AED 199, and a brunch and festival package is AED 499.

Björn Again, Friday 11 December

We have a soft spot for this one. Björn Again was created in 1988 by Rod Stephen, has been based in London since 1992, and has now played more than 5,900 shows in 79 countries. Along the way it has performed at Buckingham Palace and opened for Nirvana at Reading Festival. The night promises Dancing Queen, Waterloo and Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!, with 70s disco DJs and dancers before the concert and a disco and disco house after party until 3am. Doors open at 7.30pm and the band is on at 9.30pm. Early Bird tickets are AED 199 and regular tickets AED 299.

Dinner with the drone show

From 2 December 2026 to 17 January 2027, the Dubai Shopping Festival Drone Show lights up the sky over JBR, and Bla Bla is running a dedicated dining experience to watch it from the beach. It is a three course set menu at AED 250 per person, food only, served daily from 6pm to 10pm, with shows expected at 8pm and 10pm. Pre booking through SevenRooms or the Bla Bla website is recommended, and this is the table we will be reserving for a quiet midweek evening.

Before the big nights

The season starts sooner. On Saturday 14 November, Ibiza duo Switch Disco play their monthly sunset residency at Bla Bla from 5pm to 8pm (AED 299), after the venue’s Pool Brunch from midday (AED 499). Teachers and cabin crew with valid ID get 25 per cent off both packages.

In Abu Dhabi, Belfast Brunch Co makes its capital debut at McGettigan’s Reem Mall on Friday 20 November, a three hour night brunch from 7pm to 10pm with a premium package at AED 299, before moving to McGettigan’s JLT the next day. And for the DP World Tour Championship weekend, from 12 to 15 November, showing a tournament pass at McGettigan’s Bla Bla JBR, JLT, Souk Madinat, Ibn Battuta Gate, DWTC and Deira earns a complimentary drink per person per day, on selected drinks.

Who is behind it

All of this comes from Vision Hospitality, the Dubai group led by founder and chief executive Dennis McGettigan. Its portfolio includes McGettigan’s, Goose and Gander, 19 Sixty Four by McGettigan’s, McG’s and Bla Bla by McGettigan’s, a beachfront venue with 21 bars, a nightclub, a beach club and a restaurant. The group has built its name on live music and big sporting nights, and this season’s line up is made for anyone who grew up on British dance and guitar music.

The details

• SYNTHONY and Faithless Sound System: Saturday 21 November, Bla Bla by McGettigan’s, doors 6pm, from AED 299, 21 and over
• McGettigan’s Big Day Out with Toploader: Sunday 22 November, Pyramid Stage, 12pm to 11pm, from AED 99
• Björn Again: Friday 11 December, doors 7.30pm, concert 9.30pm, from AED 199
• DSF Drone Show Dining: 2 December 2026 to 17 January 2027, daily 6pm to 10pm, AED 250 per person
• Belfast Brunch Co, Abu Dhabi: Friday 20 November, McGettigan’s Reem Mall, 7pm to 10pm, AED 299
• Tickets and bookings: Platinumlist and blabladubai.ae

Imagery courtesy of McGettigan’s.