IMS Dubai 2025, the Global Music Festival, and Echoes of the Sand: A Transformative Week for Music, Culture & Innovation

Music Transformative Week

The conclusion of IMS Dubai 2025, in tandem with the Global Music Festival 2025 and its Global Music Summit, as well as Echoes of the Sand at Tomorrowland’s Terra Solis, marks a landmark moment in the region’s musical and cultural landscape. Over the course of the week, leaders, artists, innovators, and fans converged in Dubai to celebrate electronic music across industry summits, immersive festivals, and forward-looking conversations.

IMS Dubai 2025: Key Highlights

IMS Dubai 2025 reaffirmed Dubai’s rising prominence as a global hub for electronic music, innovation, and culture. The second edition of the summit welcomed a diverse line-up of industry heavyweights, and opened space for progressive dialogue about the future of the music business.

• Speakers & Hosts: The event was co-hosted by Pete Tong and UK-Saudi DJ/presenter Nooriyah. Keynote and featured speakers included HUGEL, Nicole Moudaber, and the duo Bedouin — alongside regional and global talents such as Egypt’s house artist Misty, the Lebanese-British producer Rolbac, and international DJ & Producer Nikka Lorak the COO & Co-Founder of the Global Music Festival.

• Industry & Tech Visionaries: Music executives and tech-business leaders participated, including representatives from ADDMIND, Beatport, Meta, and independent promoters as well as Raphael Aflalo the CEO of My Love affair agency and Co-Founder of DJaayz by Cathy Guetta which won the 2025 IMS Accelerator and will showcase at IMS Ibiza 2026.

• Core Themes & Panels: IMS Dubai addressed a broad spectrum of topics shaping contemporary music from the role of AI in music production and the rise of diaspora identity, to grassroots festival culture, regional music economies (e.g. in Lebanon), and the interplay between music, fashion, and identity.

• New Initiatives: The summit saw the launch of the “MENA Women in Music” mentorship programme powered by Little Pink Book led by Roberta Hicky; BeatPort’s EMEA Director, aimed at spotlighting and empowering female talent across the region.

• Tech & Finance Room: A dedicated “Finance & Technology” track explored web3, gaming, investment, production innovations and the growing interconnection between music and digital/business infrastructure.

• Grassroots & Culture Focus: A recurring insight was the reaffirmation that the heart of the region’s musical evolution remains at the grassroots rooftops, DIY parties, local clubs, and emerging collectives not just headline stages.

• Evenings & Networking: Beyond panels and talks, attendees enjoyed live DJ sets, showcases and networking floors hosted by Mixmag UAE and Kiss FM. A winner of the IMS DJ Search also earned a scholarship from the Pete Tong DJ Academy, gaining full access to its professional programmes.

IMS Dubai 2025 has emerged not only as a celebration of electronic music, but as a platform for education, growth, representation and industry-wide transformation.

Global Music Festival 2025 & Global Music Summit: Bringing Music, Culture & Sustainability into Dialogue

From 11–16 November 2025, Global Music Festival, organised by GPI Global Partners Investments, brought together artists, business leaders, creatives and activists blending electronic music with art, culture, sustainability, and social impact.

Global Music Summit (Industry-Focused 11–13 Nov)

• Focus: Vertical-specific industry panels dedicated to the intersections of artistry, cultural economy, and sustainable development exploring how music and culture can contribute to sustainable future and societal change.

• Speakers & Thought Leaders: Included influential music producers and executives, cultural curators, ESG advocates, and innovators, founders, creative directors, and industry executives shaping tomorrow’s music landscape such as:

• Jerry Ropero the Multi Platinum DJ & producer and entrepreneur; named The King of Latin House Music. Jerry spoke at function1 summit on AI in Music, as well as his emphasizing on zero alcohol culture.

• Interviews by Gordon Einstein with the Global Music Festival and Summit artists and speakers at Birdies DXB and Feng House promoted by Bonuz, the fandom engagement app.

A panel discussion at Dubai Tech Tuesdays featuring

• Diana Dalo the president of Dalo Enterprises, and former personal events manager of the legend Michael Jackson and former US president and head of M&A at Free Dolphin Entertainment and Stone Canyon Productions respectively

• Alexandra Busheva the CEO of StagePixel, Senior Producer with DXB Live, and former executive with Broadway Entertainment Group and former UCLA Dancing Coach. Alexandra announced DXB Live’s hosting the 35th anniversary of the Ministry Of Sound in Dubai in the end of January 2026

• The panel was led by Ahmed Refaie the CEO of GPI and was followed by the after party of Emirates Fashion Week with a live music performance by DJ & Producer Nikka Lorak on the runway, as well as the announcement of her new radio show Between Flights.

Global Music Festival (11 - 16 Nov)

Artists & Performers

• Opening Night & Parties: The festival kicked off with a high-profile party at Belcanto Terrace, Dubai Opera dubbed “Dubai Tech Tuesdays No.71 ft NIKKA LORAK” and promoting Yoona AI, DXB Police Ops Game, DJaayz by Cathy Guetta, and My Love Affair. The party also served as a prelude to IMS Dubai, drawing crossover between both events.

• A plethora of Jazz singers and musicians by Italian Events Lab at Villa Cinar for the exclusive and private Cinar Jazz Night following the Dubai Tech Tuesdays party at Dubai Opera’s Belcanto Terrace which featured Wim Hoste for an opening performance of the night.

• The world premiere of Jerry Ropero's Coracao Party at O Beach Dubai served as the closing party of the Global Music Festival with Dj Michelle Grant in the opening, and DJ Nikka Lorak in the closing of the party

• The Global Music Festival after party at VNYL HI-FI by The Variant and ART Capital featured DarMAU and Techila & Mexcal followed by a VIP casual dinner the next day hosted at Villa Murphy by Marco Polo Experience Magazine.

• Sustainability & Climate Focus: The festival strongly aligned with the global movement for climate awareness. Through partnerships with environmental initiatives like the Climate Institute and the Global Panorama Project, Global Music Festival highlighted how music, art and culture can play powerful roles in climate action and cultural preservation which was emphasised and highlighted by The Green Initiative of NZPR the leading music and entertainment PR agency.

• Cultural & Social Commentary: Sessions and interviews such as Dubai Tech Tuesdays’ Global Music Summit panel on festivals & touring, Gordon Einstein’s interviews with the Global Music Festival’s artists and speakers emphasized music’s role in shaping identity, community values, and broader cultural conversations.

Global Music Festival 2025 succeeded in proving that music can be more than entertainment: a force for connection, culture, sustainability and shared global consciousness.

Echoes of the Sand: Desert Escape, Wellness & Music at Tomorrowland’s Terra Solis

As Dubai’s first 72-hour desert festival, Echoes of the Sand offered a unique convergence of music, wellness, and immersive creative experiences all under the stars and against the backdrop of golden dunes.

• Dates & Location: 20–23 November 2025 at Terra Solis, the desert destination by Tomorrowland in Dubai.

DJ Dianella at Terra Solis @_dianella_

• Music Line-Up & Headliners: The festival featured top-tier performances from international and regional artists. Headliners included Claptone (opening night), Nicky Romero, and Kevin de Vries. Also lined up was the OG DJ David Vendetta who conducted an interview through Switch Entertainment with the Global Music Festival’s Co-Founder and COO DJ & Producer Nikka Lorak before his performance which was preceded by the rising DJ & Singer Dianella.

• Wellness & Daytime Offerings: Beyond night-time DJ sets, attendees indulged in a holistic desert experience early morning yoga, meditation, sound healing, breathwork, cold plunges, pool parties, and immersive art installations.

• A New Festival Paradigm: Echoes of the Sand blended nightlife energy with conscious living offering festival-goers not just music and dance, but renewal, connection, and a deeper engagement with environment and self.

Significance & Forward Outlook

The convergence of IMS Dubai 2025, Global Music Festival 2025, and Echoes of the Sand within a single week in Dubai represents more than a series of events; it signals a shift in how music, culture, business and environment interrelate.

• Regional Growth & Global Integration: Dubai is asserting itself as a global node for electronic music, bridging the Middle East, North Africa and global markets; offering local talent exposure, global collaborations, and international industry recognition.

• Culture Meets Consciousness: With events that combine music with sustainability, wellness, climate awareness and cultural identity, the region is embracing a holistic, values-driven model for music culture.

• New Opportunities & Inclusion: Mentorship programmes (like MENA Women in Music), grassroots culture support, and cross-sector dialogues (tech, fashion, finance) create new pathways for underrepresented voices, innovators, and creatives.

• A Blueprint for Future Festivals: The success of these events sets a strong precedent for future festivals and summits in Dubai and the wider region not just as entertainment spectacles, but as meaningful cultural, economic, and social platforms.