Kings of Leon replace Zara Larsson at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix concerts
The American band co-headlines the opening After-Race Concert with Lewis Capaldi at Etihad Live on 3 December. Entry is for Grand Prix ticket holders only.
Kings of Leon will open the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix After-Race Concerts this December, replacing the Swedish singer Zara Larsson. The band shares the first night, Thursday 3 December, with the Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi at Etihad Live on Yas Island.
Ethara, the company that runs the race weekend, confirmed that Larsson, announced as a headliner in February, is "no longer able to perform", The National reported on 28 October. No reason was given. Gulf News and What's On reported the change the same day.
For the band it is a return to where its Middle East story began. Kings of Leon played the very first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2009 and came back to the UAE in 2014 for a show at Atlantis, The Palm. The group, the Followill brothers Caleb, Nathan and Jared with their cousin Matthew, formed in Nashville in 1999 and has won four Grammys, including Record of the Year for Use Somebody. Their tenth studio album, O My Beloved, is due on 6 November, a month before the show, and is the first they have produced entirely themselves. The lead single is My Whole World.
The rest of the concert week is unchanged. Jennifer Lopez and Alex Warren play on Friday 4 December, Imagine Dragons on Saturday 5 December, and The Chainsmokers and The Script close the series on race day, Sunday 6 December. Andrea Bocelli sings at Etihad Arena on 2 December as part of the wider programme, and Anyma plays the official after-party. The race at Yas Marina Circuit is the last round of the 2026 Formula 1 season and runs from 3 to 6 December.
The concerts are not sold as stand-alone tickets. Access to the After-Race Concerts is only for Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ticket holders, so anyone who wants to see Kings of Leon needs a race ticket that covers Thursday 3 December. If you already hold one, nothing changes: the night simply has a new headliner. Ticket types and prices are on the Grand Prix's official ticket site, and the organisers have not said what time the band will go on stage.