Inside Coca-Cola Arena’s secret world: How backstage camels, colour-coded M&Ms and megasales keep Dubai’s entertainment engine running

Dubai: “Welcome to the hallowed halls.”

That’s how Mark Jan Kar, general manager of Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena, introduces Gulf News to the backstage world of the Middle East’s largest indoor entertainment venue during an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour.

Mark leads us through the grey-red carpeted corridors lined with dressing rooms, backstage catering areas and private locker spaces used by stars including Maroon 5, Pitbull, Novak Djokovic, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Dubai Basketball players before major concerts and sporting events.

But behind the sold-out shows and giant LED screens lies a side of Coca-Cola Arena most audiences never get to see: a wonderfully chaotic hidden ecosystem that most audiences never get to witness. During the tour, we were given a backstage tour of a venue that has seen many superstar riders demand flowers with exact petal counts, management teams obsess over room temperatures, and arena executives quietly navigate uncertainty while making sure Dubai’s entertainment engine never truly shuts down.

“The show must go on,” Mark says repeatedly during the walkthrough.

At a time when regional uncertainty has impacted live entertainment schedules and forced venues across the world into cautious mode, Coca-Cola Arena is doing something very Dubai: adapting quickly, staying calm and refusing to stand still.

“The lights must stay on,” Kar says firmly. “We’ve got to pivot.”

That determination to reinvent is visible almost immediately backstage, starting with a giant colourful artwork inspired by the UAE flag that now hangs inside the arena’s private areas.

“It was missing that Dubai flavour,” Kar says while explaining why the arena commissioned a local artist to create the installation. “It could be anywhere.”

The idea came to him after attending a conference in the US where country artist Jelly Roll spoke about memorable backstage experiences around the world.

“What is unique about us?” Kar remembers asking his team afterwards.

The answer, apparently, wasn’t just the building itself or the crowds. It was the backstage experience, the hidden spaces artists spend hours inside while travelling from city to city across global tours.

That backstage world feels surprisingly intimate for a venue this massive.

Inside the catering room, where artists, production crews, athletes and teams gather before events, the atmosphere is calm and communal.

Mark explains that this area becomes the social hub backstage, especially during concerts and sporting spectacles.

The dressing rooms themselves are sleek and understated rather than wildly extravagant. Plush sofas, mirrors, soft lighting and ensuite bathrooms create a private cocoon away from the noise outside.

But the real entertainment lies in the backstage requests.

“There’s different types of flowers, and how many petals are in each of these flowers,” Kar reveals while laughing about artist riders.

Then come the colour-coded M&Ms, exact air-conditioning temperatures, specific towel fabrics, fragrances, moisturisers and carefully selected beverages.

“It’s not the artist,” Mark insists. “It’s the often artist management.”

According to him, many bizarre rider requests are intentionally included simply to check whether promoters and venues are paying attention.

And then there are the requests that feel so uniquely Dubai that they almost sound fictional.

“We’ve had camels, we’ve had falcons,” Mark says casually.

The arena also gifts performers custom Coca-Cola Arena merchandise and Dubai Basketball jerseys backstage.

Mark recalls rapper Lil Jon unexpectedly jumping back on stage while holding up his gifted jersey after already finishing his opening set for Pitbull.

“He was holding up his jersey,” Mark says with a laugh.

As the tour continues deeper inside the venue, Mark repeatedly returns to one theme: Coca-Cola Arena is far more than just a concert space.

“I think what’s very important to know about Coca-Cola Arena is we are a multi-purpose arena,” he explains.

While concerts remain its most visible identity, the venue also hosts sporting events, corporate launches, conferences, shopping experiences and large-scale activations.

That flexibility became critical when uncertainty disrupted traditional live entertainment schedules.

“When news broke that live entertainment ultimately will be stopped and sport had to move elsewhere… it’s like, well, what do we look [at]? What is that low hanging fruit?” Mark recalls.

The answer unexpectedly came through shopping events.

The arena transformed itself into a giant clearance destination that attracted more than 55,000 visitors across three weekends,

“That outlet mall, the clearance sale, was designed for one week,” Mark says. “It was so successful that we rolled out for a second and then a third week.”

Mark admits the idea itself wasn’t entirely new because the team had experimented with similar concepts after Justin Bieber cancelled his Dubai concerts in 2022.

“We opened up that COVID playbook,” he says.

What mattered more was staying agile rather than frozen by uncertainty.

“For me, in terms of the leadership, it’s about being as transparent as you can to the teams, to your stakeholders, to your partners,” Mark explains.

That spirit of resilience feels especially visible inside the Dubai Basketball locker room, one of the most private spaces inside the arena.

Player names sit above lockers. Jerseys are lined up precisely. The room carries the emotional intensity of professional sport.

“Some amazing celebrations have taken place here,” Mark says. “Some incredibly tough talking, inspirational speeches by the coaches and the ownership group.”

Dubai Basketball has rapidly evolved into one of Coca-Cola Arena’s biggest success stories, competing against elite European teams.

“We’re playing against the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona,” Mark says proudly.

He believes Dubai residents should emotionally invest in the team because it represents something larger for the city’s sporting ambitions.

“If there was ever a time now to support, live, breathe Dubai basketball,” he says passionately.

Kar is equally passionate about supporting regional talent in music and entertainment too.

“It’s very important to find local talent,” he says while discussing Dubai’s evolving creative scene.

He points to venues like Alserkal Avenue and local talents including DJ Bliss as examples of artists who deserve bigger platforms and stronger community support.

“They deserve that moving forward,” he says.

Despite global uncertainty, Mark remains optimistic about Dubai’s place on the international entertainment map.

“They can’t be ignored anymore,” he says about the Middle East market.

“We have become an aspirational city as well.”

According to him, Dubai’s strategic location and infrastructure make it impossible for major touring acts to completely bypass the region. He has a few concerts up his sleeve this Eid too.

"We’ve definitely got one, potentially, if not two, nights of Arabic concert,” he says. “We’ve got the PFL fight night that’s just going to be a few days before Eid as well.”

And despite the uncertainty , Mark remains optimistic about Dubai’s place on the world stage.

Before wrapping up the tour, there’s one final question: which artist would he personally love to see perform at Coca-Cola Arena?

“Bruno Mars,” Kar says instantly.

And if he could bring back one icon for a dream performance?

“Michael Jackson.”