Coldplay to play New Year's Eve concert in Abu Dhabi, UAE (now confirmed)

Coldplay will headline New Year's eve gig in Abu Dhabi and also kick off the Volvo Ocean Race, which commences on December 31st

This New Year Eve just got even more exciting as Coldplay have been pencilled in to ring in the festivities in Abu Dhabi, reports from the Middle East are saying today (now confirmed via the official site). Coldplay will kick-start the UEA's historic hosting of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011/12 , followed by a concert that will certainly run to a packed house if their previous capital outing is anything to go by. [Full discussion on this new show is at the Coldplay Live forum now (thanks Skuze23, Mimixxx & _Tash)]

Presented by Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), and Flash Entertainment, Coldplay will perform live on December 31st at a unique venue adjacent to the purpose-built Volvo Ocean Race Destination Village on the Corniche Breakwater. Having last played to 20,000 fans in Abu Dhabi in 2009, the British band is relishing a return to the UAE capital to play for their tens of thousands of fans from across the region and beyond.

John Lickrish, Managing Director of Flash Entertainment, said in a statement: "In 2009, Coldplay stunned Abu Dhabi with a phenomenal performance that left us in awe. They are a simply stunning live act with a global fan base of millions, rightfully hailed as one of the biggest bands on the planet. We all know and love their catalogue of hits, but with a hot new album to perform this year, Coldplay live in Abu Dhabi is going to be one of the most memorable New Year’s Eve you’ve ever seen."

Meanwhile, the Volvo Ocean Race will run from December 31, 2011 till January 17. Said Mubarak Al Muhairi, Director General, ADTA: "We promised a destination hosting like no other when we began our Volvo Ocean Race campaign and the confirmation of Coldplay’s New Year’s Eve concert signals our intention to live up to that commitment. With customised travel packages for both the concert and race, we are confident that Abu Dhabi will again raise the bar as a destination of distinction for international sporting events."

Photos from Coldplay's last concert in Abu Dhabi in 2009: