What began as a conversation between three friends in a car has grown into one of Abu Dhabi's most talked-about grassroots cultural events: Jalsa, an open-mic series that has quickly built a following among the city's emerging performers.
Run under the banner Harmony Abu Dhabi, the initiative was founded by Hamad Al Shamsi, an NYUAD alumnus who hosts the events; Abdullah Al Shamsi, a singer who performs under the stage name NotSoHuman and released his debut single, Love it Up, in 2023; and Preston Dcosta, a pianist, drummer and sound engineer who handles production.
Four editions ran at Manarat Al Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi over the summer of 2026, each built around a theme: The Majlis, The Desert, The Sea and The Stars. Together they drew more than 2,000 attendees and put over 100 performers on stage, ranging in age from three-year-olds to adults, with backgrounds spanning Ghana, South Africa, South Korea and Russia among others. Slots are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis to keep access fair, and a production team of more than 25 volunteers keeps each edition running.
Entry is free, with costs covered through Jalsa-branded merchandise and snacks sold at a small on-site baqala. The project has so far been entirely self-funded by its founders, who are now looking for outside backing to expand it further.
The organisers say the point of Jalsa is to give people who may never have had access to a real stage a safe place to try performing in public for the first time — a mission reflected in the diversity of performers who have taken the microphone at Manarat Al Saadiyat this year, many doing so for the very first time in their lives.