Saadiyat Nights

Saadiyat Nights is an open-air musical event series taking place over the course of three months at a specially constructed open-air venue on Saadiyat Island, United Arab Emirates. Mariah Carey was the festival's first ever performer on January 6, 2024.

Critical response

Saeed Saeed for The National wrote that Carey "has the hits for all seasons," while praising "concert cues from the golden era of Las Vegas acts," adding that "there were hints of Liza Minnelli in her wide-eyed, off-kilter banter and, in certain songs, a steely conviction evoking the likes of Barbra Streisand." Saeed also praised the inclusion of "Nevertheless I'm in Love With You," stating that "the added vocal raspiness in the sumptuous cover of the 1931 [Jack] Denny hit [...] was also appealing, and a good omen should Carey join the likes of Rod Stewart and Seal in recording songs from the great American songbook." Saeed, however, noted how "certain high notes were left to the backing singers and the crowd," but assured "the vulnerability and emotion were all her own."

Set list

1. "It's Like That" (With elements from "Sucker MC's" and "Here We Go" by Run-DMC)
2. "Emotions"
3. "Shake It Off"
4. "Touch My Body"
5. "#Beautiful" (With Daniel Moore II)
6. "Obsessed"
7. "I'm That Chick" (With extended outro)
8. "Sweetheart" (Jazz version, dance break)
9. "Nevertheless I'm in Love With You"
10. "Love Takes Time"
11. "Don't Forget About Us"
12. "One Sweet Day" (With Daniel Moore II and Trey Lorenz, with extended outro)
13. "Loverboy" (Band introductions)
14. "Fantasy" (Bad Boy Fantasy)
15. "Always Be My Baby" / "Dreamlover" / "Honey / Heartbreaker" (Mashup) / "A No No" / "It's a Wrap" / "I Know What You Want" / "My All" / "Make It Happen" / "Fly Like a Bird"
16. "We Belong Together" (With elements from "Mimi's Late Night's Valentine's Mix")
17. "Hero"
18. "Hero Reprise" (Outro)

Personnel

Band

• Musical Director, Piano — Daniel Moore II
• Drums — Joshua Foster
• Bass — Lance Tolbert
• Keyboards — Derrieux Edgecombe
• Background Vocals — Trey Lorenz, Takeytha Johnson & Sherry McGhee

Trivia

• This show marked the first performance of "Don't Forget About Us" since the concert at King Abdullah Economic City in January 2019.
• Similarly to the private show at Carbone Beach in October 2023, Carey performed the "Superclean" version of "Obsessed," with the words "weed" and "E" censored out. Plus, the lyrics of the song were changed for this show as well: Carey sang "Lyin' that you're texin' me" instead of "Lyin' that you're sexin' me," possibly to conform to the country's standards of modesty.