Disney's Frozen Live in Concert in Abu Dhabi

Disney's Frozen Live in Concert is a screening-with-orchestra evening in Abu Dhabi. The Walt Disney Animation Studios film plays on a big screen while the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra performs its songs and score live, in time with the action. It is a family-friendly format that turns a film many people know from home streaming into a proper concert-hall occasion.

The story of sisters Anna and Elsa is told through its music. The programme includes the Academy Award-winning song "Let It Go", written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, along with the orchestral score composed by Christophe Beck. Instead of a recorded soundtrack, every note comes from the musicians on stage, which gives the adventure and the sisterly bond at the heart of the film a different kind of presence.

The event takes place at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi's leisure and entertainment district. Yas Island is home to Yas Marina Circuit, Ferrari World, Yas Waterworld and a string of hotels, restaurants and beach spots, so it is easy to build a day around the show. The arena is a large, modern indoor venue that hosts major concerts and family productions. For anyone living in Dubai, it is a drive of roughly an hour to an hour and a half, depending on traffic, which makes it a realistic evening out.

This kind of show suits families with children who already love the film, as well as film fans and anyone who enjoys live orchestral music. Like other film-in-concert productions, it is a seated experience: you watch the screen, listen to the orchestra and follow the story from start to finish rather than moving around. Many visitors enjoy it as a first taste of a symphony orchestra, since the familiar songs and characters make the music easy to connect with.

The Armenian State Symphony Orchestra is described as internationally acclaimed, and its role here is central: it carries the whole film's music live. Together with the animation on the big screen, the evening is a celebration of music, adventure and sisterhood.