The Corrs Live in Concert: What to Know (Abu Dhabi)

Why this show matters

The Corrs (the Dundalk family act who spent the mid-90s and 2000s stitching Celtic fiddle lines into radio-ready pop-rock (“Breathless,” “What Can I Do,” “Runaway”)) were booked for a one-night-only concert in Abu Dhabi on September 27, 2026. For a band that built its sound on tin whistle, bodhrán and Andrea Corr’s unmistakable vocal, a Gulf arena date is a genuine event rather than a routine tour stop: they don’t pass through the region often, and UAE audiences for shows like this are usually a mix of long-time fans who grew up on those records and expats catching a band they never managed to see live back home.

The venue: Etihad Arena, Yas Island

The show was set for Etihad Arena, the indoor arena on Yas Island that’s become Abu Dhabi’s default home for big-name touring acts since it opened in 2023. It’s a purpose-built, air-conditioned venue (a relief in late September, when outdoor evening temperatures in Abu Dhabi are still firmly in the 30s°C) with tiered seating that gives most tickets a genuinely clear sightline to the stage, unlike some retrofitted convention-hall shows.

Yas Island itself is Abu Dhabi’s entertainment district, so the arena sits within a short drive of Yas Mall, Ferrari World, Warner Bros. World, and a strip of waterfront restaurants and bars that fill up around big shows.

Getting there

Yas Island is roughly a 20–30 minute drive from central Abu Dhabi and about 45–60 minutes from Dubai depending on traffic, which makes an evening trip realistic even for visitors based there. Taxis and ride-hailing apps (Careem, Uber) are the simplest way in from either city; there’s no metro connection to Yas Island, so public transport isn’t really an option for anyone not already staying on the island.

Etihad Arena has dedicated event parking for drivers, though arena nights on Yas regularly back up the access roads in the hour before doors.

What to expect from the setlist

The Corrs’ catalogue spans four decades now, from the breakout Forgiven, Not Forgotten and Talk on Corners era through In Blue and their more recent work, and their sets are typically built around the hits (the singles above, plus staples like “So Young” and “Only When I Sleep”) woven with some of their traditional-Irish instrumental passages. No setlist, start time, or support act was attached to the Abu Dhabi date.

Tickets and timing

Ticket prices, on-sale dates, and exact door and start times were never part of the announcement — just the date, the venue, and the city. Tickets for shows at this arena are generally sold through Etihad Arena’s own ticketing and the Ticketmaster-style regional platforms tied to the promoter, and tiered by seating zone.

This was a single date rather than a multi-night run, the kind of booking that tends to draw both UAE-based fans and travellers timing a trip around it. For arena shows here, start times and support acts are usually settled in the weeks before the date.

How to visit like a local

Abu Dhabi concertgoers at Yas Island arena shows tend to eat on the island rather than rush in: Yas Mall and the Yas Marina waterfront both have an easy 45 minutes to an hour of dinner options within a short taxi ride of the arena, which is why most people are on Yas by early evening.

Payment inside is overwhelmingly card and mobile pay (Apple Pay, Google Pay) rather than cash, and that’s true for merchandise stalls too. Dress is casual-smart. The UAE has no strict dress code for arena concerts, but modest clothing (shoulders and knees covered) is the common default, especially for anyone combining the night with sightseeing elsewhere.

For those not driving, the local habit is to agree a pickup point before the show starts: post-concert demand on Yas Island spikes hard the moment the arena empties, and drivers get scarce fast. These are rarely walk-up nights — most people arrive on Yas with tickets and a ride home already sorted.