It is a regular Friday morning. The pace feels a little slower than usual — most of your tasks are wrapped up, and you allow yourself a short walk to the café nearby. You can finally relax a little: order your favourite matcha and scroll through a few updates. And one of the sites you inevitably check is Coca-Cola Arena’s. Who is coming to Dubai this Saturday? Or next Sunday? Maybe it is one of your favourite artists!

For you, it is a five-minute check. But behind that simple listing are people who have been building the programme for months — sometimes years — in advance. Negotiating fees, dealing with demanding riders, and sitting on late-night Zoom calls that stretch well beyond office hours. I spoke to one: Lawrence Harradine, The Associate Director, Content & Brand at Coca-Cola Arena.

Born in Sharjah and having witnessed Dubai’s transformation first-hand, Lawrence has over a decade of experience in the region’s entertainment industry — and nearly twice that across the global music scene. We spoke about current trends, the realities of his role, and a few personal details too, including the most memorable concert of his life.

— For those who might not be familiar with your role, what do you do at Coca-Cola Arena?

— At the arena, I oversee content and brand. A large part of that role is programming, which is really the main reason we are speaking today. That means overseeing the arena’s calendar and everything that comes in from a content perspective. All the shows you see listed — across music and live entertainment — are delivered through the work of our team to ensure they happen.

— What has been the most memorable concert you have attended in your life?

— My most memorable concert was The Prodigy at a small venue called Razzmatazz in Barcelona, when I was about 15 years old. I had just moved from Dubai to Barcelona at the time, and being in that environment — seeing the crowd and the people — was a real eye-opener for me, especially coming from the streets of Jumeirah.

It was an extremely intimate show, and although I have seen The Prodigy many times since, that one really stayed with me. I think it is one of the reasons why I later found my way into the entertainment industry.

— And at Coca-Cola Arena — do you have a favourite show?

— That is a great question. I don’t like to pick favourites, so the most diplomatic answer I can give is that the best show is always the last one that happened at the arena.

— When you aren't working, how do you unwind? And would you ever choose to relax by going to a concert?

— I do a few different things. Sport is very important to me — I play sports three, four, sometimes five times a week. That includes tennis, squash, padel, golf, and football. I think staying healthy is a big part of staying sane.

I also go to a lot of concerts — partly because I am genuinely a huge music fan, but also for work. A lot of it is market research. You can’t learn everything from Google, videos or links online — you have to be there, experiencing what fans experience. It is about understanding what they enjoy, what they don’t, what has been done well and what could be done differently. Whenever there is an opportunity to see a live show, I make a point of being there in person.

— What has been the most challenging moment in your Coca-Cola Arena career? Perhaps an artist who didn’t arrive on time — or refused to go on stage at the very last minute?

— It is difficult to go into specifics about particular artists, but situations like this do happen. There are times when a show is meant to start in 30 minutes and the artist is still refusing to leave the hotel. Sometimes they arrive 90 minutes after the scheduled start time, or they are already in the building but choose to stay in their dressing room and don’t want to go on stage for one reason or another.

Artists often have very high demands and can be highly sensitive — and for good reason. They create incredible art, and much of that comes from the emotions they bring to the stage. Our role is to keep them as happy and comfortable as possible, and to create an environment where they feel ready to perform.

When situations like this arise, we focus on resolving them as quickly as possible. That means staying in constant communication, working with presenters, or asking opening acts to play longer if needed. Ultimately, everything comes back to the ticket buyer. We want to make sure they are having a good experience and don’t feel messed around — for example, expecting a show at 9:30 and suddenly it is 11:30 with nothing happening.

— What is the most demanding or unusual artist rider you have encountered?

— We have had some strange requests. One artist once asked for a dog to be stationed outside his dressing room, which was very unusual. Another asked for underpants — and I still don’t quite understand why they needed underpants for those few hours.

That said, most riders are actually quite normal. It is usually drinks, food, catering in the room, or specific items of clothing. Artists can be very particular about brands, and sometimes those brands are difficult to find in the UAE. Almost every show has at least one obscure brand request, and our job is to find something as close as possible so the artist feels comfortable enough to perform.

— How far in advance do major bookings usually happen?

— It really depends on the show. Sometimes we are planning 18 months ahead, and other times it can be as little as two to three months — it is very show-specific. Compared to the Western world, where planning often happens two to two-and-a-half years in advance, this region tends to work later; it is a bit more last-minute.

That said, the rule is fairly simple: the bigger the show, the earlier it is planned. For example, Pitbull, who was performing this Sunday, has been in the works for the past 18 months. The earlier we can plan, the happier we are as a venue — although nothing is ever fully guaranteed.

— And what is the shortest lead time you are comfortable with to ensure a show runs properly?

— Our rule of thumb is that ticket sales must go live at least 30 days before the show — that is non-negotiable. It gives us enough time to properly market and promote the event, and to sell as many tickets as possible.

That also means conversations with artists, agents, and managers need to start at least two months earlier. Contract negotiations, payments, and finalising agreements all take time, and that process usually runs over several weeks.

— How do you approach negotiations to make sure you are getting the right deal, especially when demand can change month to month?

— The world of artist fees and agents is very tricky. There are no rate cards — you don’t contact an artist and receive a neat price list saying, “This is what I cost and this is how long I will perform.”

Fees change from city to city for many reasons. An artist might not want to perform in this region, or it could be a one-off show rather than part of a tour. Timing plays a huge role too. An artist might cost half the price before releasing an album, and then suddenly become far more expensive if it takes off. Or the opposite can happen — an album is released, doesn’t perform well, and the fee comes down.

It is very much the Wild West. There are no fixed fees and no set rules. In the end, it comes down to what the buyer is willing to pay and what the seller is willing to accept. Nothing is ever set in stone.

— What trends are you seeing right now in terms of popular artists and genres?

— Among Gen Z audiences, K-pop and Afrobeats are gaining serious global traction. Both genres are growing fast worldwide. While K-pop hasn’t quite broken through here in the same way it has elsewhere, interest among younger audiences is clearly building. For Gen Z, music is no longer regional — it is fully global.

We see that reflected directly in our programming. Just a few weeks ago, we hosted Davido — one of the biggest Afrobeats artists in the world — at the arena, and the show was a great success.

— With such a diverse population in the UAE, how do you balance different ages, cultures, and nationalities when planning your schedule?

— To be honest, we just don’t pigeonhole ourselves into a single genre or audience. We look at everything. In any given month, we might have South Asian content, Filipino artists, Arabic shows — including Khaliji, Lebanese, and Egyptian — alongside various Western artists.

Even within Indian programming, you will see South Indian shows, Bollywood shows, and Punjabi shows. It is incredibly important for us to cater to all audiences in the UAE.

What makes this place unique is that we can have four shows in one week, and every single one will attract a completely different audience. For example, we had a Filipino artist called Cup of Joe, who is a huge act within the Filipino community. The very next day, we hosted a Russian band called Leningrad. If you asked the Leningrad audience who Cup of Joe was, they would have no idea — and vice versa.

That is the reality of music here. I always say you can have one of the biggest Indian artists in the world walking down the streets of France and nobody recognises them, but the same artist walks through Mumbai and can’t go 30 seconds without being mobbed. That contrast is what makes programming here so interesting.

— How do you decide whether an artist will resonate with a specific audience?

— We work very closely with promoters who are experts in their respective regions. We have strong Russian, Indian, and Arabic promoters, and they bring their local knowledge to the table.

Alongside that, we look at a huge amount of data — Google Trends, YouTube charts, Spotify popularity, and other analytics. We analyse all of this to understand whether a show is likely to sell. Its complex, and you never fully know until tickets go on sale, but we try to gather as much information as possible to feel confident in our decisions.

— Have there been any shows that genuinely surprised you in terms of audience response?

— Yes — there are two that really stand out. One is CAS which sold out last January. The second is LANY — an american pop rock band, happening next January, and it is already sold out.

Both shows exceeded our expectations. Not only did they sell out, but they did so very quickly — within a matter of weeks. It is always rewarding when you think a show will do well and it ends up performing far beyond expectations.

— Are there any local artists you are keeping an eye on?

— Rather than naming future hopes, I prefer highlighting artists we have already had in the building. For example, we had Point of View opening for Deep Purple, and the response was fantastic. We saw on social media that people who hadn’t been familiar with them before started following them and engaging with their music after the show.

We also had DJ Don’t Touch My Hair opening for Davido, where she played a one-hour set that really set the tone for the night. More recently, DJ Kenrick performed ahead of the Timbaland show. We have also had DJ Jack Sleeman, Celine D opening for Macy Gray, and several others.

These are artists who came in, made their presence felt, and really caught people’s attention. Hopefully, some of them will return one day — not as opening acts, but as headliners.

— How important is Coca-Cola Arena’s role in supporting local artists?

— It is very important to us. We consistently want to give local acts the opportunity to perform on stage in front of thousands of people. Sometimes there are restrictions from the main artists themselves, but whenever we have the chance to put someone on stage, we really want to take it.

You never know who might be in the audience — it could be a talent agency or someone able to open another door. It can create a snowball effect, where one performance leads to something much bigger.

— How can local artists best prepare themselves for these opportunities?

— Social media is absolutely key. Artists need to put themselves out there and not be shy — that means knocking on doors via Instagram, LinkedIn, or whatever platforms are available.

There is so much noise online that the only real way to cut through is consistency: posting regularly and clearly showing what you can do. In this industry, you have to be confident and a little loud — you can’t afford to sit back. Of course, there is always an element of luck, but the more you put yourself out there, the better your chances.

— If you could switch jobs with anyone at the arena for one day, who would it be — and why?

— Probably someone in finance — a neat nine-to-five where you arrive at 8:59 am and leave at 5:01 pm. I am joking, of course. Our hours are long and weekends are very much part of the job, but it is incredibly exciting.

Just this week alone, we have had Maroon 5 for a corporate event, I was in Riyadh for MDLBEAST and Soundstorm on a venue site visit, on Friday Dubai Basketball were playing Bayern Munich, Saturday was Franz Ferdinand, and we wrapped up on Sunday with Pitbull. It is hectic — but it is a great kind of hectic.

— I love the passion you speak about your job with! I imagine there will be a lot of people who would want the same position after reading this interview.

— I always say we get the best 90 minutes of someone’s week. It is a Friday night, from 9:30 to 11 pm — their favourite artist is on stage, and people have been waiting for that moment for months, ever since they bought the ticket.

We don’t see people on a Monday morning, stuck in traffic and dreading the week ahead. We see them at their happiest. Not many industries let you work on something for months and then actually see the result of that effort, live, right in front of you. When that happens, you can’t help but think, wow — this is pretty special.