Updated 9 November 2026
If you’re buying a ticket for one artist on a shared bill, find out what the published time describes. It could be when the gates open, when the first performance starts or when your act goes on. At Vinyl Souk, the room and day matter as much as the hour. At Bla Bla, the venue confirms which act follows which. At SAMAA, arriving early can affect where you sit even if your artist plays later.
| Event | Confirmed timing | What to verify for your artist |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl Souk Mini Festival, 14–15 Nov | Plaza doors at 4 pm. Saturday Evolve at 6:15 pm and DJ Venus at 8 pm, in separate rooms | Individual Plaza set times |
| SYNTHONY x Faithless Sound System, 21 Nov | Doors at 6 pm. SYNTHONY before Faithless Sound System | Both start times and final admission |
| SAMAA Festival, 5–6 Dec | Gates at 3 pm, first performance at 4 pm, approximate finish 10:30 pm | The individual slot and when to claim your seat |
Vinyl Souk · Match the artist to the right room and date
The Mini Festival takes over 25hours Hotel One Central on 14 and 15 November. On the paid Plaza Mainstage, Abri & The Everlasting and a Nightmares On Wax DJ set are on Saturday. NOON, The Wanton Bishops and Tarek Yamani are on Sunday. The venue has a separate programme at Nomad Day Bar, plus screenings and other sessions at Cinema Akil in 25hours. If two people send links to different listings, compare the room before assuming you’re looking at the same ticket. The festival’s Abri announcement establishes Saturday and the Plaza. The event’s overall window gives no individual time for his set. Vinyl Souk programme by room and day · Abri’s festival announcement
Platinumlist lists 4 pm Plaza doors. The selector checked on 7 November showed AED 157.50 for one day and AED 183.75 for the early-bird two-day pass, per person. The Plaza is 21+ and requires valid original photo ID. Its published one-day pass can be used on either Saturday or Sunday once, even if the confirmation displays a particular date. Follow the artist’s published day and check the pass terms in your own order. A Nomad RSVP is a separate admission. The seller says re-entry to ticketed areas depends on wristband and security procedures, and it excludes refunds for missed performances. Plaza tickets and one-day pass terms
On Saturday, Evolve has a 6:15 pm start at Cinema Akil in 25hours. The organiser describes a spoken-word and live audiovisual set and lists 70 seats with a separate free RSVP. The earlier Words on Repeat workshop in the same room starts at 5:15 pm and has its own RSVP. If Evolve is your priority, sign up for that session and check how the room clears and admits the next audience. An older Cinema Akil post identifies the hotel screening space. Use the festival grid for Saturday’s sessions. Cinema Akil sessions and RSVP · Cinema Akil at 25hours archive
Decide which room anchors your plan
If you only want Abri and Nightmares On Wax, both are on Saturday’s Mainstage bill and a one-day pass covers that date. If you want Abri on Saturday and NOON on Sunday, the two-day early-bird pass is AED 26.25 more per person than the one-day pass at the checked prices. For two people, that’s AED 315 for one day or AED 367.50 for both days before any fees. Check the live price again if you’re waiting for set times. Live Vinyl Souk Plaza passes · Festival room and day listings
On Saturday, DJ Venus starts at 8 pm at Nomad Day Bar. If you also want Evolve, the two published starts are one hour and 45 minutes apart. That includes Evolve’s performance, leaving the cinema room and checking in at Nomad. Use the Saturday Nomad RSVP and ask when Evolve will finish before planning to catch the beginning of Venus’s set. If the finish is still unpublished, choose which one you would stay for and tell friends where to meet you if the rooms are full. The organiser asks guests to come early and give their name at the door. Saturday room schedule and RSVP
If the second set you want is Nightmares On Wax, the Saturday billing tells you the day and the Plaza stage. You need the individual set time to see whether it fits around Evolve or DJ Venus. If you enter the Plaza first, check the wristband procedure before leaving for a free room. A wristband helps with ticketed re-entry under the seller’s rules, while the free room has a separate capacity check. Nomad’s November café post shows the pre-set stop, with service during the festival worth checking. Festival age and access rules · Nomad’s November café post
If you’re travelling by Metro, the hotel directs guests to World Trade Centre station on the Red Line. Send the room name as well as the hotel pin, especially if friends have booked different Souk Lab sessions. Someone meeting you at Cinema Akil should give the name on the RSVP for the specific session. If you arrive together for the Plaza instead, leave time for the ticket and ID check. The hotel publishes parking terms for restaurant visitors. Ask whether a festival ticket qualifies before planning to use that parking offer. 25hours Hotel location and parking · Vinyl Souk room access
Bla Bla · The running order is confirmed before the individual times
On Saturday 21 November, SYNTHONY opens the two-act programme at Bla Bla’s Beach Club at The Beach, JBR. Its orchestra, DJ and vocalists reinterpret dance tracks live. Faithless Sound System featuring Sister Bliss follows. The venue gives 6 pm doors and the seller’s selector shows a 6–11 pm event window. The first time is the start of admission. The final time gives a planning bracket for the evening. Read the sequence as one performance following the other and use the latest running order for the start of each. Bla Bla’s running order and event window · Bla Bla’s event announcement
If you’re going for the orchestra, plan to be inside before the first performance. If Sister Bliss is your main draw and you want to eat first, ask when her set is expected and when admission closes. A late slot and a late entry cutoff are separate details. The seller lists 21+ and no re-entry, so finish any outside dinner and meet friends before scanning in. Authorised ticket and entry terms
The live selector showed AED 295 Super Early Bird, AED 395 Phase 1 and AED 595 VIP Standing, each per person. Two tickets would be AED 590, AED 790 or AED 1,190 respectively before any fees. The VIP product details name Golden Circle access. Everyone in the group still needs to be comfortable standing. If you mainly want to watch the orchestra, think about whether you want a broad view of the players or access to the closer area. Compare the arrival conditions and category terms before buying. Bla Bla live selector and VIP details
This is an evening where the handover is part of the draw. The orchestra, DJ and vocalists bring a full live arrangement to dance tracks, and Sister Bliss brings the Faithless catalogue to the same crowd afterwards. The venue names Insomnia and We Come 1 in its preview. If the group splits between the two acts, arrive together for the earlier one and treat the later set as a continuation of the night. With no re-entry and no confirmed artist start times, a plan built around a quick exit and return is hard to time. Bla Bla programme and sequence · Seller entry rules
For the taxi, Bla Bla gives The Beach, JBR, beside the Sheraton as the landmark. Its venue FAQ lists ramps and a lift, so ask which entrance and viewing area work for the concert if someone needs a step-free route. Clarify that before choosing Golden Circle. Bla Bla directions and venue access
SAMAA · Leave time for two entrances and a seat
SAMAA at Zabeel Park Amphitheatre lists 3 pm gates, 4 pm first performance and an approximate 10:30 pm finish on both days. The organiser’s Salman Ali post places him on Saturday 5 December. The ticket seller puts Piyush Mishra on the same day and Ustad Shujaat Khan on Sunday 6 December. The Sunday finale is still to be announced in the seller’s programme. For someone coming to see one performer, the day is established. The individual start is still missing, so use the 4 pm first performance to decide how early you can be inside if you want to cover the whole programme. SAMAA seller schedule and line-up · SAMAA’s Salman Ali announcement
Use the gate on your ticket instructions
The ticket seller directs guests to Gates 1, 2 or 3 and names Max Metro Station as the nearest stop. Co-organiser Culture Atlas lists Gate 5 and a 3–11 pm event window. Its page still describes the line-up as unannounced, while the seller gives the actual bill and ticket instructions. Start with the seller’s directions and use any newer event instructions on your ticket. Give friends the gate number as well as the amphitheatre pin, particularly if one person is coming by Metro and another is getting dropped off. Seller access and timing · Culture Atlas event listing
Your festival QR is checked inside the park, and park entry and parking are separate from the festival ticket. Build in time to enter the park, reach the amphitheatre and go through event security. If you only get to the park gate at 4 pm, the first performance can already be starting while you’re still on the way to your zone. If the first set matters, plan to be through both entrances and seated before that time. Ask the organiser which gate and route are easiest for anyone who needs to avoid steps. SAMAA park admission, security and festival access
Decide how long you can stay in the zone
A ticket buys a zone with first-come, first-served seating. The Bahaar zone uses the amphitheatre steps, while Gold and Platinum are in the main bowl. For four friends who want adjacent places, plan to arrive around gates if you can. If two can only come after work, agree whether you’d sit apart for the act rather than assuming the first two can hold seats. A more expensive zone changes where you can sit. Ask the organiser how it handles seat holding and what happens when part of the group arrives later. SAMAA zone and seating rules
The bazaar opens with the gates and the festival allows re-entry with a valid wristband. Ask whether your zone seat will still be available if you leave it for food. If you’re going for Salman Ali and his time is still unpublished, use the bazaar before the first performance if you can arrive early enough. If you expect to take a meal break later, wait for the running order and allow time to get back through any checks. At Bla Bla, the seller’s no-re-entry rule makes the equivalent dinner decision earlier, before you scan in. SAMAA wristband and bazaar terms · Bla Bla entry terms
When a fixed arrival or departure decides the ticket
If you can only get to One Central at 7:30 pm on Saturday, you have 30 minutes until DJ Venus starts. At that hour Evolve’s published start has already passed. Go straight to Nomad if Venus is the act you came for, and allow for the capacity check. If you came for a Plaza artist, check that artist’s slot and last admission before choosing the same arrival. At Bla Bla, the order tells you that Faithless Sound System follows SYNTHONY. For a late arrival, get the handover time and the final admission time separately. Vinyl Souk room programme · Bla Bla’s running order
For SAMAA, a 9 pm pickup is earlier than the seller’s approximate 10:30 pm finish. It may work once your artist’s slot is published. If hearing the whole performance is essential, ask for an expected start and finish before paying, or choose a day when the group can keep the full window clear. The co-organiser’s later finish gives another reason to leave room for the walk out before choosing a ride time. Use the latest published timetable and ticket instructions when they appear. SAMAA seller schedule · Co-organiser listing
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