Abu Dhabi: Everything you need to know about this weekend's BRED festival

A festival goer cannot live on BRED alone…

The inaugural BRED Abu Dhabi festival kicks off later this week in what will hopefully become an annual fixture for the capital.

It’s all taking place at the Yas Bay Waterfront at a purpose-built BRED Arena between Wednesday April 26 and Sunday April 30, 2023. Individual day tickets are priced from Dhs50; Concert Tickets are available from Dhs195; opening party tickets are charged at Dhs150; closing party from Dhs175; and Festival Passes — which get you to all the day time activities, the concerts and the opening/closing parties — are available from Dhs495.

Billed as the region’s first ever “neo-culture festival”, BRED will “showcase the influence and impact of urban culture on music, fashion, gaming, sports and art” via the medium of showing off exclusive streetwear, bespoke art, street food, musical performances, live street art expositions, movie screenings, futsal demos, workshops, masterclasses and a swish lil basketball showdown.

The beats

And the music artist line-up really does look like the best thing since, ahem, sliced BRED — the first headliner name drop included  2 Chainz, Dave East and Armani White already feature. Then, last week, a second wave of artists follwed with 6LACK (pronounced black), Giggs and Big Sean. Also on the bill are Balti, Ahmed Santa, El Rass, Tagne, Freek and The Synaptik.

The eats

Neo-culture also demonstrates its art through food — BRED will provide a platform and a spotlight for some of the region’s cult home grown culinary legends.

Confirmed as serving up eats for the people and the music of the streets are — Sweet Chick; Paperboy; Hypebeans; Librae Bakery; Meltsmiths; Lento; Not So Guilty; Mattar Farm; Ugly Noodles; Marmellata; La Carnita; Flave Burger; Cairo Box; Mamarama;Fomo Burgers; Gonuts; Karak Inc Eatery; Maiz Tacos; Minus Eighteen; Fifth Flavor; Milky Ice Cream; Churros Cone Cafe; To The Moon And Back; and Al Safadi.

And, as teased in the headline, the iconic Pakistani restaurant from Dubai’s Satwa — Ravi. Highlights from the menu include their Peshwari chicken, spiced mutton, kebabs, biriyanis and big servings of brain.

The streets

It’s not the restaurant’s first neo-culture rodeo (there’s a phrase we never thought we’d say), they were of course one half of a collaborative artist that put some of the freshest trainers of 2022.

The Ravi X Addidas shoes were a footwear phenomenon in the region, with the limited run selling out quicker than a Ravi’s kerbside delivery.