Rahat, son mesmerise audiences at three sold-out shows in UK

LONDON: Renowned singer Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan beat his own record by performing to a packed audience at the London’s iconic OVO Arena Wembley, as nearly 12,000 people attended the show.

Performing in the British capital after a break of two years, Rahat lived up to his reputation as the King of Qawwali and Sufi music. He won huge acclaim at all three sold-out venues in Birmingham, London and Manchester. However, the biggest highlight of the “Legacy Of The Khans 2025 Tour” was London owing to the capacity of the venue.

This was the first time that Rahat’s son Shah Zaman Ali Khan performed at this venue and he won huge praise for his unique singing style, instantly drawing comparisons with the great Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The 20-year-old sang around five solo Qawwali songs where his father acted as a back-up.

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan thanked the audience for honouring him. The nephew of the legendary late Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan told this reporter: “The response at three UK shows has been phenomenal. I have always liked to perform in the UK and it’s a wish of every artist to perform in London, home to the global community. I have felt proud that Shah Zaman was liked so much. It was emotional to see so many people in the audience constantly asking him to sing Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Saheb’s Qawwalis and Ghazals because he sounds like him, and Inshallah he is all set to carry the legacy of our elders forward.”

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan thanked the show organiser, Vijay Bhola, “for the extremely good work he did to make this tour a memorable one. He worked really hard in all aspects”.

Vijay Bhola, famous arts promoter, showered praise on Rahat Fateh for making the tour a huge success. The Rock on Music founder commented: “The incredible success of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan at the global level shows that it’s the artist that draws the audience through his music and hard work, not the promoters or agents. Promoters have an important role of course but it’s the artist and his band members who really deserve all the appreciation.

“Rahat Fateh Ali Khan has now captured the hearts of millions worldwide and continues to mesmerise audiences with his melodious voice and Sufi music and that’s the key factor. We are thrilled to be working with such a huge South Asian music icon.”

Rahat performed in Birmingham on Friday night, in London on Saturday and concluded the tour with a performance in Manchester on Sunday night before flying out to perform in Spain.

Rahat has recorded over 50 albums, toured the world and sold out the biggest arenas, as well as Qawwali, he performs many national songs, including Ghazals and Bollywood movie music. He is the glorious voice behind hit songs such as Tere Mast Mast Do Nain, Sajda, Dil To Baccha Hai, and Teri Ore.