DUBAI: US superstar Beyonce on Saturday performed her first full-length concert in four years during a private event to celebrate the opening of Atlantis The Royal in Dubai.
The superstar requested that all phones be stowed away and photography was strictly prohibited, but Arab News was on hand as she performed some off her fan favorite songs including “At Last” and "Flaws and All" while VIP attendees cheered and sang along with the star.
She also performed alongside "America's Got Talent" winners the Mayyas, a dance troupe from Lebanon.
The backdrop of her show was the “School of Athens” painting by Italian Renaissance artist Raphael.
Kendall Jenner was spotted at the event. (Getty Images)
The invite-only concert was attended by A-list celebrities, including US model and reality TV star Kendall Jenner, British singer Liam Payne, Beyonce’s rapper husband Jay Z, Emirati-Yemeni singer Balqees Fathi, US model Olivia Culpo, Indian actor Aamir Khan, British actress Michelle Keegan and the “Emily In Paris” star Ashley Park.
'Black Panther' star Letitia Wright was at the event. (Getty Images)
Australian actress Rebel Wilson was also in the well-heeled crowd.
US reality television personality Jonathan Cheban, influencer Hofit Golan, “Dubai Bling” star Farhana Bodi, Egyptian actress Enjy Kiwan, the “Real Housewives of Dubai” star Caroline Stanbury, Lebanese influencer and entrepreneur Karen Wazen and more also attended the eventful event, which kick started on Friday.
For the first day, Jenner wore a green Victoria Beckham dress that Palestinian Dutch supermodel Bella Hadid debuted on the runway. The dress, from the designer’s spring 2023 ready-to-wear collection, featured flouncy sleeves and was clinched to her waist.
US singer Halle Bailey was spotted on the blue carpet. (Getty Images)
After Beyonce’s concert, guests were treated to a fireworks show and an afterparty that was headlined by music supergroup Swedish House Mafia.
Although the multiple-day event was private, fans got their fair share of coverage on social media as celebrities took to Instagram to share pictures and Instagram Stories from the blue carpet, the gala dinner, Beyonce’s show and the afterparty.
Surging 43 storeys high and spanning 406,000 square meters, Atlantis The Royal is a landmark due to its modern architecture. The mega-structure is 500-metre-long and 178-metre-tall.
Influencer Alanoud Badr attended the show. (Getty Images)
The resort is located on the outer crescent of The Palm Island – a location which allows the building to have two different types of waterfront views: towards either the Arabian Gulf or the sheltered lagoon of the Palm Island and the Dubai skyline.
Spread across six towers, the ultra-luxury resort has 795 rooms, 17 celebrity-run restaurants and bars, the world’s largest jellyfish aquarium and a water fountain show that breathes fire and a collection of celebrity chef restaurants.
In November, Grammy award-winning Dutch DJ Tiesto joined forces with Canadian singer-songwriter Tate McRae and Dubai’s Atlantis The Royal resort to create a new single, “10:35.”
“10:35” was inspired by and “encapsulates the essence, energy and electricity of Atlantis The Royal,” a press release said.
When shown the resort’s architectural plans, Tiesto was reportedly drawn to the duality of the daytime experience of luxury compared with the nighttime’s excitement. This juxtaposition fueled the idea for the time when day turns to night — hence, “10:35.”
