OFFLIMITS Music Festival 2026 in Abu Dhabi has been cancelled, with organisers confirming that all tickets will be automatically refunded. The festival was due to take place at Etihad Park on Yas Island on November 21, after originally being scheduled for 4 April 2026.
The announcement was made on 18 August 2026, with organisers saying OFFLIMITS will return to Abu Dhabi in 2027. Shakira, the Jonas Brothers, Ne-Yo and Biffy Clyro had been announced as headliners for this year’s festival.
OFFLIMITS Abu Dhabi 2026 cancelled
Organisers confirmed the cancellation through the festival’s social media channels and website.
“OFFLIMITS 2026 has been cancelled. All tickets will be automatically refunded through the original ticketing platform they were purchased from.”
Ticket holders will receive further information about their refunds directly from the platform where they bought their tickets. OFFLIMITS said its team would support the process where required.
The festival did not provide a reason for the cancellation.
Organisers also confirmed plans to bring the festival back to Abu Dhabi next year.
“We look forward to bringing the OFFLIMITS community together again in 2027.”
No 2027 date, lineup or venue details have been announced.
Shakira and major international acts were due in Abu Dhabi
The cancelled 2026 edition was set to feature a major international lineup, led by Shakira, the Jonas Brothers, Ne-Yo and Biffy Clyro.
Shakira was due to bring her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour to Abu Dhabi, marking her first UAE concert since she performed at what was then du Arena in 2011.
The planned appearance would have formed part of Shakira’s wider run of Middle East dates. She remains scheduled to perform at Stadium 974 in Doha on 18 November and at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt on 28 November.
Her previously scheduled concert at Ayla in Aqaba, Jordan, was also postponed, with a new date yet to be announced.
There has been no confirmation of whether Shakira will perform a standalone concert in the UAE following the cancellation of OFFLIMITS.
When was OFFLIMITS Abu Dhabi supposed to take place?
OFFLIMITS 2026 was originally scheduled for 4 April at Etihad Park on Yas Island.
The festival was subsequently moved to 21 November as part of wider changes to the UAE’s events calendar.
The cancellation means the second edition of OFFLIMITS will not take place in 2026.
OFFLIMITS launched in Abu Dhabi in 2025
OFFLIMITS made its Abu Dhabi debut at Etihad Park in April 2025.
Ed Sheeran headlined the inaugural festival, which also featured OneRepublic, Faithless, Kaiser Chiefs and Artbat.
The festival was designed around a multi-genre format rather than focusing on one style of music. Its lineup brought pop, rock, R&B and electronic music together across the same event.
The 2026 edition was intended to build on that format with an even broader international lineup.
What happens to OFFLIMITS tickets?
All tickets for OFFLIMITS 2026 will be refunded automatically through the original ticketing platform.
Ticket holders do not need to purchase replacement tickets or submit a separate refund request unless their original ticketing provider contacts them with additional instructions.
Organisers said further information would be sent directly to ticket holders by the relevant ticketing platform.
The festival has not announced a new date for 2027, so fans should wait for an official announcement before making new travel or accommodation arrangements.
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