The Backstreet Boys will make their debut performance in Abu Dhabi in May. The popular US boyband — who have been going strong for 30 years — will perform at Etihad Arena on May 7. Ticket prices will be revealed soon and will go on sale on Ticketmaster on Friday at noon. The concert will mark their return to the region; their last performance was in Saudi Arabia in 2019 on the back of their well-received album <i>DNA. </i>It was their first in the kingdom. The time spent in between has been marked with triumph and tragedy. In 2021, the group topped the US charts with the festive album <i>A Very Backstreet Christmas</i>, while last year they mourned the death of <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/music-stage/2022/11/07/nick-carter-remembers-his-baby-brother-aaron-carter/" target="_blank">Aaron Carter</a><i>,</i> the singer and brother of group member Nick Carter. Days after his death, the Backstreet Boys paid tribute to Carter in a concert in London. “Tonight, we’ve got a little bit of heavy hearts cause we lost one of our family members yesterday and we just wanted to find a moment in our show to recognise him," said singer Kevin Richardson on stage. Formed in 1993, the five-piece remain one of the planet's biggest boybands, and they also command a dedicated fan base in the Arab world. During their last trip to the UAE, they headlined a sold-out edition of the Blended festival, which had more than 10,000 fans singing along to hits such as <i>Larger than Life</i> and <i>Everybody</i>. <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/music/backstreet-boys-pitch-perfect-in-dubai-1.723707">In her review</a>, <i>The National</i>'s Backstreet Boys superfan Sofia Barbarani hailed their performance for keeping it vintage, writing: "Over the space of an hour and a half, the boys danced like it was 1993, like they were still five teenagers rehearsing dance moves in an Orlando warehouse." However, on that occasion, the normally swift footwork of Carter eluded him and he slipped and landed on his back during the second song of the night, prompting “a chorus of concerned sighs from the largely-female audience". The Abu Dhabi show marks the continuation of the DNA World Tour with a sturdy 30-song set list featuring tracks from the album as well as the greatest hits. <i>More information is available www.ticketmaster.ae</i>
