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Mariah Carey to perform Christmas concert at Abu Dhabi's Etihad Arena on 12 December

Mariah Carey will perform her Christmas show at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, on 12 December 2026, with tickets from Dh249.

3 outlets · 0L · 2C · 1R First reported Account updated

Updated (version 2). New coverage since the last version from Arab News.

Image: The National
Image: Arab News
Image: Gulf News

1 / 3

The story, neutrally told

Centre · 2Mariah Carey will perform a Christmas concert at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, on 12 December 2026. Centre · 2The show is billed as Mariah Carey's Christmastime, and tickets start at Dh249. Centre · 1The National says the programme is expected to include All I Want for Christmas Is You, Santa Baby and Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).

Mixed · 2Gulf News and Arab News report that the concert is organised by Theory Eleven Entertainment in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and Miral. Centre · 1It will be Carey's second Abu Dhabi appearance this year, after the Saadiyat Nights concert in February; Carey also played the outdoor concert series in January 2024 and has performed in Dubai in 2004, 2017 and 2019. Right · 1Arab News likewise says Carey has performed in the UAE capital twice, in January 2024 and February 2026, and cites other hits including Hero, Fantasy and We Belong Together.

Mixed · 2All three outlets tie the show to Carey's association with Christmas through All I Want for Christmas Is You, released in 1994 on the album Merry Christmas; The National adds that it first reached No 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2019. Centre · 3All three describe Carey as a five-time Grammy winner; The National cites 19 No 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, and Gulf News and Arab News note a 2022 Songwriters Hall of Fame induction. Centre · 1The National places the concert in a busy Yas Island December: Andrea Bocelli on 2 December, the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from 3 to 6 December with after-race concerts by Lewis Capaldi, Imagine Dragons, The Chainsmokers and The Script, and film concerts from 18 to 20 December.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.

Left0 outlets

No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.

Centre2 outlets

Framing
Both UAE-based outlets run a straightforward event announcement: date, venue, ticket price and Carey's festive reputation.
For example
“Tickets for the Saturday concert are already on sale, with prices starting at Dh249.” — The National
“Tickets for the concert start at Dh249” — Gulf News

Right1 outlet

Framing
Arab News runs a short lifestyle announcement centred on Carey's 'Queen of Christmas' image and her place in Abu Dhabi's festive calendar.
Emphasis
Career span of more than three decades, her hits and the organisers; it gives her UAE-capital performances as January 2024 and February 2026.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not give ticket prices, the programme or other December events on Yas Island.
Charged language
“Queen of Christmas”“festive cheer”
For example
“Mariah Carey is set to bring festive cheer to Abu Dhabi with a concert at Etihad Arena on Yas Island on Dec. 12.” — Arab News
“Carey, widely known as the “Queen of Christmas,” has become synonymous with the holiday season” — Arab News

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