BBC Worldwide's highly acclaimed Blue Planet in Concert is to open the Abu Dhabi stopover of the 2014/15 Volvo Ocean Race on December 12th, marking the show's Arabian premiere.
Having previously played to sell-out audiences in the USA, Europe, the Far East and Australia, Blue Planet in Concert combines spectacular, specially cut high definition footage from the award winning TV series – The Blue Planet – with the emotional and evocative musical score performed by a live orchestra. The show will raise the curtain on the three-week stopover celebrations.
Two 90-minute evening performances of Blue Planet in Concert will be shown on December 12th and 13th on a 10-metre wide screen placed on a purpose-built, floating stage in the waters off Abu Dhabi's stunning Corniche and will be accompanied by a 78-piece orchestra led by a celebrity guest conductor.
"The skyline of Abu Dhabi and the surrounding marine environment will provide a superb and appropriate backdrop to the spectacular scenes featured in Blue Planet in Concert. We hope that the proven mix of breath-taking footage combined with beautiful and evocative live orchestral music will help to set the tone for the stopover celebrations to follow," said Mat Way, Commercial Director of Live Events at BBC Worldwide.
Hosted by Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), the stopover festival will take place in a 30,000 square metre, purpose-built Volvo Ocean Race Destination Village on the Corniche Breakwater, packed with edutainment and entertainment highlighting Abu Dhabi's union with the sea and its maritime heritage. There will be dhow racing, pearl diving showcases, traditional sea-faring song performances, ocean conservation exhibitions and activities such as beach clean-ups and turtle conservation talks.
"The stopover is a tremendous international showcase which propels our winter water-sports credentials and marine heritage to the fore among the global sailing community," said Sultan Al Dhaheri, Acting Executive Director - Tourism, TCA Abu Dhabi. "This is when four centuries of maritime heritage will connect with today's greatest ocean adventure in the world's most exciting destination." Up to 200,000 people are expected to visit Abu Dhabi's VOR Destination Village, which will be open to the public from December 12th until January 3rd, when the race fleet departs for its next endurance sailing leg to Sanya, China.
Source: WAM