Rod Stewart, the ruler of the desert

The 2025 concert year has come to an end – Sir Rod Stewart looks back on a very intense but also very successful twelve months.
Once again, the British singer invited his fans to dance yesterday evening – in Abu Dhabi, the metropolis of 2 million people on the Persian Gulf. Shortly before the start of the two-hour concert, the organiser announced: ‘We are almost sold out.’ Except for a few empty seats, the Etihad Arena, which can hold up to 18,000 spectators for concerts, was sold out.
At the beginning of the year, Stewart announced that he wanted to play 80 concerts in the year he celebrates his 80th birthday. And this goal was achieved, with every single show apparently bringing so much joy and fun that several dates have already been announced for next year. His band celebrated this milestone with a proud post on social media channels. ‘We made it! 80 concerts, 20 countries,’ the backing girls announced. A true milestone for everyone involved.

And Rod Stewart once again delivered the full programme at the end of the year. From ‘Infatuation’ to ‘Tonight I'm Yours’ to ‘Twistin' The Night Away’ – the first few minutes set the tone for a ‘confident, generous performance’, as the news portal ‘The National News’ called it. Sir Rod didn't allow himself or the audience a break until the blues hit ‘Rolling and Tumbling’; it was only during ‘The First Cut Is The Deepest’ and ‘Tonight's The Night’ that the fans, who were ‘dancing in the aisles and singing along fervently,’ (The National News), but immediately afterwards, the show continued in full force with ‘Forever Young’, ‘Baby Jane’ and ‘Young Turks’.
In Abu Dhabi, Stewart also strung together hit after hit, from ‘People Get Ready’ and ‘Have I Told You Lately’ to ‘Da Ya Think I'm Sexy’ – this time, all the security staff remained calm – and the grand finale with “Sailing”, which ‘turned the arena into a single choir’ (The National News), and ‘Love Train’. Rod announced the last song of the evening as ‘a song by the O'Jays’, which was a fitting conclusion because the world needed peace.