Mariah Carey's Christmastime: Dates, Tickets & Venue (Abu Dhabi)

One December night on Yas Bay

The show is a single night, and the date is fixed. Mariah Carey brings her ChristmasTime show to Etihad Arena on December 12, 2026, under the Yasalam Classics banner. Yasalam is Yas Island’s season of headline events, so the concert lands in the island’s busiest stretch of the year.

The set is built around the 1994 Merry Christmas album. That record gave the world “All I Want for Christmas Is You”, the song that climbs back up the charts every December. Her earlier Christmas tours mixed that festive material with her own long run of hits. No setlist or support acts are part of what we know about this date, so treat any you see online with caution.

Inside Etihad Arena

The building is new and built for exactly this kind of show. Etihad Arena opened in 2021 and is the largest indoor venue in Abu Dhabi, holding around 18,000 people. The exterior faces the water, wrapped in a pale, scale-like facade that is lit after dark.

Inside it is fully air-conditioned, which matters less in December than in summer. Seating rises in tiers around a floor that can be standing or seated depending on the show. Ticket details for this night sit with the Yasalam Classics programme and the arena.

Reaching Yas Island

Most people come by road. The arena is about 15–20 minutes from Zayed International Airport and roughly 30 minutes from downtown Abu Dhabi along the E10 and E12. From Dubai, the drive down the E11 usually takes about 75 minutes without traffic.

• Taxi or ride-hail: Abu Dhabi’s metered taxis, Uber and Careem all serve Yas Bay.
• Driving: parking is spread around the Yas Bay Waterfront. Abu Dhabi’s Darb toll gates apply to cars at peak hours.
• Staying on the island: the hotels around Yas Marina and Yas Bay put the arena within a short walk or ride.

After a sold-out arena show, the queue for cars and taxis at the kerb is usually the slowest part of the night. Plenty of fans walk to the waterfront for dinner and leave once the roads clear.

Concert night, the Abu Dhabi way

Locals treat the evening as dinner plus a show. The Yas Bay Waterfront and Pier 71 restaurants are steps from the arena doors, and many attendees eat there beforehand. Yas Mall, Ferrari World and Yas Marina Circuit are all a short drive away on the same island.

• Payment: cards and contactless payments are accepted almost everywhere, from taxis to food stalls.
• Dress: December evenings by the water are mild, often in the low 20s °C. Smart-casual outfits are the norm, and a light layer helps against the arena air-conditioning.
• Conduct: the UAE expects modest public behaviour. Alcohol is served only at licensed venues, and public drunkenness can bring real legal trouble.
• Photos: phones are standard at arena gigs. Professional cameras with detachable lenses are usually not allowed at major arena shows.

Fans tend to come dressed for the season: Santa hats, red sequins and the odd full Mariah tribute look. A Christmas show on a waterfront in the Gulf is half the fun, so dressing up fits right in.