Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Shah Zaman Ali Khan 2026 in Dubai

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Shah Zaman Ali Khan bring the Once Upon a Time World Tour to Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on Saturday 26 December 2026, a father and son sharing the stage for a night of Sufi music, film classics and high-energy qawwali. It is Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s eighth appearance at the arena, which says a lot about how strongly Dubai’s South Asian audiences have taken to him over the years.

Who is Rahat Fateh Ali Khan?

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was born in 1974 in Faisalabad, Pakistan, into one of the most famous families in qawwali. He is the son of Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan, the grandson of Fateh Ali Khan, and the nephew of the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the singer who took qawwali to audiences around the world. Nusrat began training him at around the age of seven, and he gave his first public performance aged nine, on the anniversary of his grandfather’s death.

He spent years singing in his uncle’s ensemble, and that apprenticeship took him well beyond Pakistan. With Nusrat he contributed to the soundtrack of the Hollywood film Dead Man Walking (1995), and he later worked on The Four Feathers (2002) with composer James Horner and on Apocalypto (2006).

The songs audiences will know

His Bollywood career began in 2003 with Mann Ki Lagan from Paap, a Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan composition, and he quickly became one of the most sought-after playback voices in Hindi cinema. Favourites likely to come up on the night include:

• Jiya Dhadak Dhadak Jaye from Kalyug (2005)
• O Re Piya from Aaja Nachle (2007)
• Teri Ore from Singh Is Kinng (2008), a duet with Shreya Ghoshal
• Sajdaa from My Name Is Khan (2010)
• Tere Mast Mast Do Nain from Dabangg (2010)
• Zaroori Tha, from his 2014 album Back 2 Love, which passed a billion views on YouTube
• Afreen Afreen, his Coke Studio Pakistan duet with Momina Mustehsan

The full set list has not been published, but the tour promises his best-known classics alongside spiritual pieces and anthems.

Shah Zaman Ali Khan: the next generation

Shah Zaman Ali Khan, also written Shahzaman, is Rahat’s son and a qawwali singer in his own right. Sharing the stage with his father continues a family tradition in which each generation learns by performing alongside the one before, just as Rahat once did with Nusrat. The concert is pitched as a celebration of that heritage, with Shah Zaman bringing his own voice to a set that moves between soulful Sufi compositions and energetic qawwalis.

What a qawwali night feels like

Qawwali is devotional Sufi music from South Asia, traditionally performed by a lead singer with supporting vocalists, harmonium, tabla and rhythmic hand-clapping. Songs often begin slowly and build, with the lead singer improvising on a line again and again as the rhythm rises and the audience responds. In an arena, that build is the highlight: expect the hall to join in on the refrains and the energy to climb steadily through the evening. The organisers describe a mix of soulful melodies and high-energy qawwalis, so there are quieter romantic moments as well as the big crescendos.

The venue: Coca-Cola Arena

Coca-Cola Arena, in City Walk, opened in 2019 and is Dubai’s largest indoor arena, now the city’s main stage for big touring concerts. Rahat has now played here eight times. A few practical details from the ticket page:

• Time: the event is listed from 8pm to 11pm. Doors time is not stated, so check your ticket.
• Ages: everyone over 12 months needs a ticket, and under-16s must be with an adult aged 18 or over.
• Seating: seats are assigned automatically by best availability, so book your group in a single order to sit together. The Elevate Deck offers lounge seating with fast-track entry, a private two-seater lounger and a private bar.
• Re-entry: not permitted once your ticket has been scanned.
• Tickets: the QR code appears in your account 48 hours before the show, and lost or stolen tickets are not replaced.

The nearest Metro station is Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall on the Red Line, a few minutes’ walk away. By car, take Exit 47 from Sheikh Zayed Road towards Al Safa Street and follow the signs for City Walk.

Who it suits

This is a night for lovers of Sufi music and qawwali, fans of Hindi and Pakistani film songs, and families who grew up with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s recordings and want to share the tradition with younger relatives. If you have seen Rahat at the arena before, the chance to hear father and son together makes this tour different from his earlier Dubai shows.

Plan the rest of your week with our concerts in Dubai guide, things to do in Dubai, things to do in December and things to do this weekend.