The Desert Rhythm Festival – Dubai Takes Shape

DUBAI, UAE (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — The Desert Rhythm Festival, a two day music event scheduled for October 26 & 27th, has announced a change of venue.

The event will now be held at Dubai Media City Amphitheatre, part of a purpose-built "tax free" zone within Dubai, constructed to serve as a media hub, providing production and broadcast facilities for all manner of media ventures. Dubai Media City operates under the banner of Dubai Holding Company, an arm of the Government of Dubai (AKA Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum) which owns 99.67 of the firm. Dubai Holding has over 20 firms operating under its auspices, touching on a wide range of business interests, including real estate, hospitality, finance, health care, energy, research, education, entertainment, media, Internet, tourism and biotechnology.

The festival has a capacity of 13,000 and they report 1,000 tickets have been sold already. The lineup features, Helena Papirouzo, Ziggy Marley, Madness, Black Violin with Leanne and Kanye West, Abri, Arash, Joss Stone and Mika. The festival is being Promoted by Center Stage Management, another Dubai-based firm. The firm also promotes The Desert Rock Festival which is pitched as an up-and-coming major festival.

Dubai has been trying to recast itself as a resort destination for the very well-heeled. This may have led to the gentle treatment of R&B producer Dallas Austin, who was detained last year after allegedly being caught with more than 1 gram of cocaine. Dubai has a "zero-tolerance" drug policy but after pleas for leniency from Lionel Richie and Senator Orrin Hatch, he was pardoned and released. – CelebrityAccess Staff Writers