What does an Abu Dhabi GP season-finale weekend actually look like?

A season-finale weekend, hour by hour

Abu Dhabi runs a standard 4-day Grand Prix rhythm — Thursday through Sunday — but the season-finale framing changes what each day is actually for. Qualifying starts at 18:00 and the race at 17:00 local time, both building through the afternoon into the twilight-to-night transition, and every night of the weekend carries a real Yasalam concert on the same ticket. That means a full race day here genuinely runs from an afternoon session through to a late-night headline set under the same lights — plan the evening as seriously as the session itself.

Within the four core days, each has a different job. Thursday is the lightest on track commitments and carries the first night's concert (Zara Larsson, Lewis Capaldi) — the natural day for an Abu Dhabi city day trip before the weekend gets busier. Friday and Saturday build through practice and qualifying, each with its own headline act after. Sunday is the race and the closing set — Imagine Dragons headlines Saturday night specifically, with The Chainsmokers and The Script closing out Sunday. If you're flying out via DXB anyway, staying one extra night and adding a Monday Dubai day turns what would otherwise be a rushed same-day departure into a real, unhurried day out.