Kuwaiti artist Zahed Sultan is hosting a pretty cool music festival at the end of this month featuring a bunch of international musicians including one of my favorites, Bei Ru. Bei Ru is a very talented Lebanese Armenian musician based out of LA and I’ve been listening to his music ever since his debut album “Little Armenia“.
I’ll be posting more on this event next week but for now if you’re interested in booking tickets (there is a limited quantity) here is the [Link]
32 replies on “The Kuwait Rising Music Festival”
20 KD? This is the goddamn problem with these local concerts here in Kuwait. Relatively obscure artists (Omar Offendum and Bei Ru are huge in some circles but still) are brought over to this country by people with inflated egos who charge inflated prices. Last concert I went to was Kurt Vile’s, who is much bigger than all these guys combined, and I paid $22. This is absurd.
how much a ticket for Kurt Vile concert would cost if the seating are similar to this festival?
I don’t see your point. Yes KD20 is more expensive than the $22 you paid for your ticket but so what? I paid KD25 for my Foo Fighters concert ticket and KD200 for my Bob Dylan ticket but it doesn’t matter since in neither of those cases were the concerts held in Kuwait.
Kuwait doesn’t have the necessary logistics and infrastructure to hold large concerts with cheap tickets so smaller concerts are held with higher ticket prices.
Secondly the costs of tickets varies from country to country depending on the purchasing power. The KD25 tickets I paid for Foo Fighters in Cape Town was the most expensive ticket for that event and I was right down in front of the stage in the Golden Circle. But when I watched Foo Fighters in New York I paid KD30 for middle of nowhere balcony seats. They were nosebleed seats and it’s not because we were suckers but because holding a concert in New York is more expensive and the people have a higher purchasing power than those in Cape Town.
It just seems as though everything here is for an elitist audience including art exhibitions. Art exhibitions, in every country I can fathom, are accessible for people of all walks of life. I’ve just been to the Kochi Biennale, the largest art exhibition in all of India, and I saw college students there, tourists, very well-to-do people, everyone. I go to an art show here and it’s less of an art show and more of a socialite gathering.
I think the price is there to deter the “rif-raf” because some people here do not want to be seen with them. This is just my take on the situation and I’m sure others will agree.
I’m not sure what art exhibitions you’ve been going to in Kuwait but all the ones I’ve been to have been for free. The “socialite gatherings” usually take place on the opening night, if that’s not your scene skip that then and head to the exhibits any other day.
Finally regarding the rif-raf, this is Kuwait, even if the ticket prices were KD100 that would still be accessible by the “rif-raf”
Hahahaha. I see where you’re getting at. Exactly, what constitutes as riff-raff? Because to me, the riff-raff would be those who are calling others riff-raff. You’re right.
So you do agree with me on the art exhibitions, isn’t that ridiculous? I am not going to schlep to the exhibition the next day just to avoid a bunch of Arab Kris Jenners.
I just find it wrong paying that much for an alternate music festival. Remember most alternative artists are struggling artists, a lot of their fans are also so high ticket prices don’t make any sense. If you think thats fine then cool.
Everything is overcharged in Kuwait, not just concert tickets. They’re raising the prices of everything, this is starting to get unfair.
The traders should be held accountable.
You said it bro.
It’s not logistics or infrastructure, it’s them hiking prices simply because they can. The inarguably biggest Bollywood singer, Arijit Singh, held a concert here a few months ago in Arabi Stadium. This man has sold tens of millions of records across South Asia & Britain & I paid a measly KD 30 for fourth row seats. It’s not Kuwait that’s the problem, it’s holier-than-thou organizers.
Dude wtf? So your whole argument here was about how you find KD20 a ripoff but you’re fine paying a “measly” KD30 for Arijit?
I wouldnt want to watch Arijit if they paid me KD30 but i would pay KD30 to watch Bei Ru alone without even the other 4 acts.
Your issue is you dont think those acts at Kuwait Rising are worth paying KD20 for and thats fine. But thats a completey different argument from acccusing the organizers as ripping you off.
not the traders. it’s the purchase power of us
we all know u can’t afford it, so live with it..
@vampire First off, Twilight is over. Secondly, of course someone like you would say that. It all boils down to money with people here. It’s not the money, it’s the principle which clearly you have none. I’ll use the example of food, the most I’ve paid for a dish like Gobi Rogan Josh (Kashmiri Cauliflower) is KD 3. I CAN afford a KD 7 Gobi Rogan Josh but I refuse to pay that much as a matter of principle. You clearly have none. An alternative independent music festival does not cost that much. These festivals don’t. I don’t even think the Pitchfork music festival costs that much (and that’s the largest indie music festival in the world mind you).
Why stop at KD 20? Why not make it KD40?
Don’t take out your frustrations on others. Have a nice weekend.
+1
Everyone is entitled to their opinion.
Aren’t you being elitist complaining that the “wrong sorts” of people are going to art shows
I am intolerant of those who are intolerant. That’s not a bad thing.
If you’re into jazz, head to dubai in February. Sting and Lindsey Stirling for like Kd 30.
Please explain how Sting or Lindsey Stirling are jazz.
Beats me. This is something the organizers should answer.
https://www.dubaijazzfest.com/
Nowhere near as much seeing as I also saw one of the biggest bands in the history of pop music, Duran Duran,that same year with great seats for $83 at the Rose Garden Stadium (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moda_Center). But that’s Duran Duran. Again, these artists, wonderful as may be, do not have the same drawing power as Duran Duran or even Kurt Vile.
This is just another case of we-can-charge-you-however-much-you-want-knowing-you’re-a-sucker. It’s an epidemic over here.
I wouldn’t pay KD 20 to watch Bei Ru and I most certainly wouldn’t pay KD 30 (for cryin’ out loud!!!) to watch Arjit Singh but would I pay KD 50 or KD 75 to watch Eric Clapton, Roger Waters, Sting or George Michael? Oh yes I would. Perhaps I’d even go higher for Bocelli. What I’m getting at is it’s all matter of personal preference. If you think your favourite artiste is worth that much then go pay and attend what you like but it’s unfair to criticise the organisers for charging too much as, just like you, they are placing a specific value on their artiste of preference, hence even organising an event with them in it.
Alright.
I’ll be there 🙂
Tell me how Offendum did, been a fat if his for years.
Hahaha fan of^
Kuwait Trail mix-
Let me clear something. At the end of the day the organizers and artists decided that in order to hold such an event in kuwait ( mark is absolutely right logistically kuwait is a tough country to organize musical events and any other entertainment events especially if the talent is flown in from abroad) it is worth their time and effort to charge a KD 20 ticket price. You have no right to claim someone is ripping you of because you have no idea what their costs are on the back end. All you can do is either buy a ticket and enjoy the show, don’t buy a ticket because it’s too pricy ( and respect the organizers efforts by not claiming they are ripping anyone of), or try to organize a similar event and see if you can really charge lower prices while still making it worth your time and effort ( in this case I wouldn’t mind hearing your criticism I would actually applaud you). But realistically now Anything you say is just pure ignorance, and selfish in my opinion.
Kuwait is not logistically difficult – Bollywood musicians do music concerts in Kuwait every week and the prices are always cheap or moderate.
Are Bollywood superstars not like everyone else?
But yes, Kuwait Trail Mix shouldn’t claim he’s being ripped off by you guys, perhaps your prices are reasonable.
Everyone in Kuwait is being ripped off all the time due to the LACK of regulation on prices.
Alright.
Just to clarify, the only reason why I’m answering you all with a tepid “Alright” is because I seldom engage in pathetic arguments with complete strangers online. It’s a complete waste of time, it reminds me of those idiots who quarrel on YouTube over the age-old question “who’s better, Madonna or Mariah Carey?”
This is what you all look like. https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/duty_calls.png
The only person I agreed to have a back and forth with on here was Mark and that’s only because I’ve sat down & had a one-on-one with him (Side note: he’s a very sweet person).