In Dubai, the spectacular is second nature. In this city that never stops pushing the boundaries of imagination, a new chapter has just been written: the hotel. AtlantisThe Royal unveiled a unique artistic collaboration with the Oscar-winning composer Hans ZimmerTogether they give birth to Diamond in the Desert, a musical work conceived as a hymn to the city and which now accompanies the majestic Skyblaze Fountain Show.
More than just a show, it is a true sensory immersion: water, fire and light interact to the rhythm of a score that celebrates the audacity and energy of Dubai.
Hans Zimmer, the magician of emotions
To understand the significance of this collaboration, we must revisit Hans Zimmer's stature. Born in Germany in 1957 and based in Hollywood since the 1980s, Zimmer has literally reshaped the soundscape of contemporary cinema. With more than 200 soundtracks to his credit, he is behind some of the most significant music in the history of the 7th art: The Lion King (Oscar for Best Original Score in 1995), Gladiator, Inception, Interstellar, Pirates of the Caribbean or more recently Dune, , which earned him a second Oscar.
His signature? An approach that's both symphonic and experimental, blending traditional orchestras and electronic technologies to create powerful soundscapes, often recognizable from the very first notes. Zimmer doesn't just compose film scores; he designs entire universes, capable of conveying the intensity of human emotion and the grandeur of the settings.
See him associate with AtlantisThe Royal for Diamond in the Desert is highly symbolic. Dubai, a city of audacity and gigantism, finds in Hans Zimmer an artistic mirror: both share this desire to go beyond codes, to create something new, which leaves a lasting mark.
An extraordinary setting: Atlantis The Royal
The story ofAtlantisThe Royal is that of a crazy bet, worthy of Dubai. After the global success ofAtlantis The Palm, inaugurated in 2008 and having become one of the most emblematic hotels in the city, the Kerzner International group wanted to imagine an even more spectacular “twin brother”, capable of redefining the codes of luxury.
In 2014, the first sketches were entrusted to the prestigious New York firm Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF), known for its iconic skyscrapers in Shanghai, Seoul and London. Their vision: a futuristic structure made of glass and steel, similar to an assembly of blocks suspended in the sky, playing on both monumentality and lightness. It took almost eight years of construction, thousands of workers and extraordinary logistics to see this surreal silhouette rise at the end of the crescent of Palm Jumeirah.
Its inauguration in 2023 was itself an anthology event: a weekend of grandiose celebrations, marked by a private concert by Beyoncé (its first performance in four years) and fireworks visible for miles. The hotel immediately established itself as the new symbol of global luxury hospitality, attracting celebrities, curious travelers and lovers of avant-garde architecture.
Today, Atlantis The Royal is not just a hotel: it is designed as a destination place, a living work of art where design, gastronomy, shows and exceptional hospitality meet.
If we had to choose a place that was worthy of such a project, AtlantisThe Royal was a no-brainer. Inaugurated as the new emblem of luxury in Dubai, this hotel complex reinvents the very notion of hospitality.
The architecture is impressive upon arrival: a futuristic silhouette of glass and light, designed by the world's greatest designers and architects. But it's inside that the magic really happens.
- 795 rooms, suites and penthouses make up the accommodation offer. Among them, 44 signature suites open onto a private infinity pool, with direct views of the Dubai skyline or the Arabian Sea.
- The culinary experience is just as dizzying: Atlantis The Royal is home to the largest concentration of chef restaurants in the world, from Heston Blumenthal to Gastón Acurio, including Ariana Bundy. Each meal becomes a sensory experience, sometimes with the spectacle of flaming fountains.
- On the relaxation side, the hotel offers a wide range of panoramic swimming pools and exclusive spaces, where water becomes a common thread between well-being and wonder.
Atlantis The Royal is above all a philosophy of “larger than life” : here, everything is designed to dazzle and reinvent the way travelers perceive luxury.
The Skyblaze Fountain Show: When the Desert Is on Fire
The beating heart of the complex, the Skyblaze Fountain Show is one of the most impressive fire and water shows in the world. Imagine: jets of water shooting into the air, synchronized with flames and lighting effects, all choreographed to Hans Zimmer's score.
It can be admired from eight different locations in the hotel, each offering a unique perspective: the terrace of the Royal Tearoom, the refined atmosphere ofestiatorio Milos, or the elegance of the starred restaurant Dinner by Heston Blumenthal.
With Diamond in the Desert, the show reaches a new level. More than entertainment, it becomes a immersive cultural experience, a vibrant tribute to the city of Dubai and its cosmopolitan identity.
Dubai, world capital of wonder
For travelers, this collaboration perfectly embodies Dubai's DNA: a metropolis that is not content to be a tourist destination, but aspires to become a global cultural scene.
As Aida Al Busaidy of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism points out: “ Diamond in the Desert tells the story of the city, its ambition and its openness to the world. It is a symbol of what we want to offer: experiences that exist nowhere else."
Travel to the heart of a living work of art
Staying at Atlantis The Royal means entering a new dimension of travel: one where the hotel becomes a destination in itself, where art blends with luxury and where every moment is part of a grandiose setting.
And now, thanks to Hans Zimmer, this trip takes on a unique musical tone. The desert ignites, the fountains soar, and the city sings an anthem that will remain etched in the memory of visitors. In a word: unforgettable.
Ema Lynnx
