Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has announced UNIFYD Festival, a new international music festival headlined by playback singers Arijit Singh and Sonu Nigam alongside Punjabi music star Karan Aujla. The inaugural edition will be held in Abu Dhabi on March 20, 2027.
Curated by Shah Rukh Khan himself, the single-day event will take place at Etihad Live on Yas Island in the United Arab Emirates, with the aim of showcasing South Asian musical talent to audiences across the Middle East and beyond.
A multi-stage line-up
The festival is being produced by D'YAVOL Live in collaboration with the entertainment platform District, with Miral and Experience Abu Dhabi also involved in the initiative.
The initial line-up brings together three distinct musical styles — Arijit Singh's contemporary romantic ballads, Sonu Nigam's wide-ranging pop and playback repertoire, and Karan Aujla's Punjabi music and hip-hop. Around 15 artists are expected to join the final line-up across multiple stages, with organisers set to announce additional performers in the coming weeks.
Global ambitions
In a statement published by Rolling Stone, Shah Rukh Khan said he had spent a lifetime telling stories on screen and watching them bring people together, adding that music has the same extraordinary power. He described the festival as a platform to bring leading Indian musical artists together on a grand scale and introduce them to a wider international audience.
The organisers plan to expand the festival format to other international cities after the Abu Dhabi debut, signalling ambitions to establish UNIFYD as a global platform for South Asian music.
Ticket sales begin with an early-access window for Emirates NBD cardholders on October 19, 2026, through the District app, with general ticket sales scheduled to open on October 20.
Sources: Daijiworld: SRK announces music festival featuring Arijit, Sonu and Karan Aujla
Curated by Shah Rukh Khan himself, the single-day event will take place at Etihad Live on Yas Island in the United Arab Emirates, with the aim of showcasing South Asian musical talent to audiences across the Middle East and beyond.
A multi-stage line-up
The festival is being produced by D'YAVOL Live in collaboration with the entertainment platform District, with Miral and Experience Abu Dhabi also involved in the initiative.
The initial line-up brings together three distinct musical styles — Arijit Singh's contemporary romantic ballads, Sonu Nigam's wide-ranging pop and playback repertoire, and Karan Aujla's Punjabi music and hip-hop. Around 15 artists are expected to join the final line-up across multiple stages, with organisers set to announce additional performers in the coming weeks.
Global ambitions
In a statement published by Rolling Stone, Shah Rukh Khan said he had spent a lifetime telling stories on screen and watching them bring people together, adding that music has the same extraordinary power. He described the festival as a platform to bring leading Indian musical artists together on a grand scale and introduce them to a wider international audience.
The organisers plan to expand the festival format to other international cities after the Abu Dhabi debut, signalling ambitions to establish UNIFYD as a global platform for South Asian music.
Ticket sales begin with an early-access window for Emirates NBD cardholders on October 19, 2026, through the District app, with general ticket sales scheduled to open on October 20.
Sources: Daijiworld: SRK announces music festival featuring Arijit, Sonu and Karan Aujla
