UNIFYD debuts on Saturday, 20 March 2027 at Etihad Live, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
Arijit Singh, Karan Aujla and Sonu Nigam are the first confirmed performers.
Shah Rukh Khan curates a programme featuring more than 15 artists across multiple stages.
Arijit Singh, Karan Aujla and Sonu Nigam lead the first edition on Yas Island in March 2027.
Bollywood ballads, Punjabi hits, and some of Indian music’s most familiar voices are heading to Yas Island. Curated by Shah Rukh Khan, UNIFYD Music Festival will debut at Etihad Live in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, 20 March 2027, with Arijit Singh, Karan Aujla and Sonu Nigam confirmed for the inaugural edition.
The one-day UNIFYD festival will feature more than 15 artists across multiple stages, with a programme centred on Indian music and culture.
Arijit Singh has helped define the sound of modern Hindi film romance. His breakthrough came with “Tum Hi Ho” from Aashiqui 2 in 2013, followed by a catalogue that includes “Channa Mereya” and “Kesariya”. The two-time National Film Award winner has made emotional storytelling his signature, with a repertoire of love songs and heartbreak ballads that has established him as one of Bollywood’s most recognisable voices.
Punjabi singer, rapper and songwriter Karan Aujla adds a different dimension to the bill. Having started his career as a lyricist, he has become a leading figure in Punjabi music’s international rise, with tracks including “Softly”, “Wavy” and his Bollywood crossover hit “Tauba Tauba”. His reach was recognised in 2024 when he became the first artist of Punjabi descent to win the JUNO Fan Choice Award.
Sonu Nigam’s special set draws on a career stretching back to the early 1990s. From “Sandese Aate Hain” to “Kal Ho Naa Ho” and “Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin”, his catalogue traces several eras of Hindi cinema. Beyond film soundtracks, albums such as Deewana and his time hosting Sa Re Ga Ma helped establish him as a star in his own right. Organisers are billing UNIFYD as his first music festival appearance.
Khan will shape the festival’s artistic direction and creative vision, extending his connection with audiences beyond the cinema screen. Speaking about UNIFYD, he said: “I’ve spent a lifetime telling stories on screen and watching them bring people together. Music has that same extraordinary power. UNIFYD, produced by D’YAVOL Live along with District, will unite India’s most incredible artists on a shared stage for the first time. The festival promises to be a true spectacle in terms of its scale, energy, and grandeur.”
Abu Dhabi is the starting point for a wider rollout, with plans to take UNIFYD into other cities and international markets. The inaugural edition aims to gather audiences from India, the Middle East and the wider South Asian diaspora, with different generations of Indian music represented on the same bill.
Tickets for UNIFYD Music Festival Abu Dhabi will be sold exclusively through the District app. Emirates NBD cardholders can access the presale from 9.30am on Monday, 19 October until 9.30am on Tuesday, 20 October 2026. General sale follows at 10.30am on Tuesday, 20 October 2026.
Where: UNIFYD Music Festival, Etihad Live, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
When: Saturday, 20 March 2027
Contact: @unifyd.festival