Inside FIVE Dubai’s Music Hub, Where the Party Never Stops

Brand power is everything in a luxury hospitality hub like Dubai. For FIVE, they’ve been known for electronic music in a big way. The hotel and resorts company launched their ownFIVE Music in 2021 and took things up a notch by setting up multiple venues on their FIVE Palm Jumeirah property, plus a recording studio on the 16th floor.

Nightlife remains a big draw in Dubai, so it’s not that FIVE hotels are the only ones hosting a ridiculous amount of DJs and artists, but the game of curation remains key. Working with Warner Music Group for their label and seasoned music company Stefan Dabruck Management, FIVE Music has been reflecting the city’s intentions as being an international destination but also bringing in regional stars.

Emirati artist DJ Bliss is among those signed to FIVE Music. The studio remains invite-only but they’re also taking requests on a case by case basis, with dancer-singer and actor Nora Fatehi being one of the recent visitors to what is described as the “highest spec studio in the United Arab Emirates.” Remodeled from a swimming pool on their penthouse, FIVE Palm Jumeirah claims to be the only hotel with a recording studio, although the trend has caught on around the world, including Bali.

Described by studio and hotel staff as a “passion project” of CEO of FIVE Hospitality Aloki Batra, the studio at FIVE Palm Jumeirah has so far brought in the likes of rapper Bia to write and “test” songs, with her collaboration with DJ Bliss “808” releasing via FIVE Music on March 15th. British DJ John Newman, who was performing the weekend we visited, also produced a new track he dropped during his set at The Penthouse. Songwriter camps also bring artists from different parts of the world to the studio, as part of their ongoing collaboration with Warner Music Group.

Once you’re out of the studio, there’s a nonstop party for every time of the day at FIVE Palm Jumeirah. Largely satiating the demands of holidayers and the expat community, you can see Newman pump up the energy amid Co2 cannon blasters going off at Skyline, or a DJ spinning all kinds of Middle Eastern and Indian music-sampling mixes by the pool at Praia. Although not necessarily about electronic music, a big draw remains the fully-packed Naughty Noodles brunch at Maiden Shanghai, where a vocalist walks around and serenades the crowd, even as the mood quickly turns surreal with dancers emerging in outfits ranging from a dragon to a baby panda.  

Later on in the evening, Bohemia at Beach by FIVE brings a carnivalesque atmosphere by the water, as Italian techno artist Stephan Jolk takes over the decks. Amid flamboyant dancers and women who bring you drinks by dancing to your table, fireworks in hand, nothing is meant to be lowkey about Bohemia. There’s fantastical beach imagery that’s colored by golden headdresses, hula hoops, dancers on stage and more wild costumes. The stage is full by the end of Jolk’s set. Full of influencers, dancers, artist friends and more waving flags.

The party never stops in some parts of Dubai and one of those is certainly a destination like FIVE. With the company set to open another property on Jumeirah Beach Residence called FIVE LUXE, more venues are coming up, including a beach club and another situated on the water.

More eyes are also fixed on how FIVE’s music footprint has expanded with the acquisition of Spanish group Pacha last year. It means the FIVE touch goes to the legendary Pacha club in Ibiza, which was opened in 1973. We can only expect more world-class music.