Country Profile: Bahrain

As in an increasing number of Gulf states, the real touring opportunity in oil-rich Bahrain began with the arrival of a modern venue – in this case, the 10,000-cap Beyon Al Dana Amphitheatre, which opened in late 2021.

Carved 15 metres into the rock of the Sakhir Desert and adjoining the Bahrain International Circuit that hosts the island nation’s Formula One, the amphitheatre’s pulling power has proved remarkable.

Driven by an in-house booking team, it has drawn a scarcely credible range of talent in the past year, including Ed Sheeran, André Rieu, Guns N’ Roses, SZA, Calvin Harris, Gabriel Iglesias, and Assi El Hallani – with Metallica, Mo Amer, Mohammed Abdu, Linkin Park, and The Smashing Pumpkins…