20 May 2025

Abdullah Al Othman: Structural Syntax

Iris Projects Studio 20, Madar 39, MiZa, Port Zayed, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

The Saudi artist has long been developing a highly characteristic visual language rooted in the Arabian urban landscapes, architecture, and linguistic history. In his work, In his monumental installations and sculptures Al Othman reflects on the layers of history embedded [ ... ]

Free

Youth Takeover 2025

Jameel Arts Centre Al Jaddaf, Dubai

The Jameel's annual Youth Takeover is the manifestation of the Assembly, an experimental learning programme designed to foster creative leaders aged 18 to 24 in the UAE, "inviting the creation and curation of projects reflective of their generation’s areas of [ ... ]

Free

The Fridge Concert Series Season 46: Allexa Bash | Joe Girvin

The Fridge Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The Fridge's series of showcase concerts continues with Ukrainian pop powerhouse Allexa Bash – echoes of Kate Bush and Adele – with her new single 'Hurricane' plus songs from her debut album Dark Angels. Support comes from singer-songwriter Joe Girvin [ ... ]

AED 70

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)

Zabeel Theatre Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Palm Jumeirah West Crescent, Dubai

All 37 of the bard's plays, condensed into 97 minutes of fast-paced comedy, silliness, audience participation, and "just the right amount of innuendo". Look out for Othello as a rap song, the History plays as a gridiron football game, Titus [ ... ]

From AED 200

Wednesday Night Impro: Maestro

Courtyard Playhouse Street 4B, Al Quoz 1, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The Courtyard's most peopular evening of elimination improv. Ten actors converge for a night of scenes, songs and games based on audience suggestions. After each round you score the players on a scale of 1 to 5, and the one [ ... ]

Free

The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

Aura Skypool Palm Tower 50th floor, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai

Ths second weekend of this month's Laughter Factory tour. The acts: Aaron Butler engaging Belfast-born stand-up known for his high spirited stage presence Justin Panks observational comic with a genius for approaching seemingly everyday subjects from extraordinary angles. Roxy Yekta [ ... ]

AED 250

LAST CHANCE Halim Al Karim: Mythological Love

XVA Gallery Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood, Bur Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Experimental photography works by the Iraqui artist, who says: “Inspired by the Sumerian myth and my archaeological excavations in our invisible life, the mythological love series invites us to contemplate the magical love relationship between human women and the Anunnaki [ ... ]

Free

LAST CHANCE Al Braithwaite: MATAB

XVA Gallery Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood, Bur Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Al Braithwaite is a contemporary artist from London who works across a variety of disciplines including sculpture, assemblage, found material and installation. For this show, Braithwaite’s Material Abstraction (MATAB) comprises textured panels arrayed as physical sculptures. Says the gallery: “Their [ ... ]

Free

Carnage: Courtesies, Goodwill, and Other Hypocrisies

Zayed Theatre, SUAD Campus Hazza Bin Zayed St, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

This adaptation of Yasmina Reza's Le Dieu du Carnage is described as a "compelling theatrical experience that delves into the fragile facade of civility". The play follows two couples who meet to resolve a conflict between their children – but [ ... ]

AED 50

The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

Aura Skypool Palm Tower 50th floor, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai

The Abu Dhabi stop on this month's Laughter Factory tour. The acts: Aaron Butler engaging Belfast-born stand-up known for his high spirited stage presence Justin Panks observational comic with a genius for approaching seemingly everyday subjects from extraordinary angles. Roxy [ ... ]

AED 160

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)

Zabeel Theatre Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Palm Jumeirah West Crescent, Dubai

The second performance for this four-day run of the West End hit – all 37 of the bard's plays, condensed into 97 minutes of fast-paced comedy, silliness, audience participation, and "just the right amount of innuendo". Look out for Othello [ ... ]

From AED 200

LAST CHANCE Michael Sailstorfer: Air Electric

Carbon 12 Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Sailstorfer’s fourth solo exhibition with the gallery brings together three series of works that explore one of the artist’s signature themes: energy. He reflects on energy in its various forms – as a source, as storage, as a transmitter, as [ ... ]

Free

LAST CHANCEa radical intimacy of hanging out

Aisha Alabbar Gallery Warehouse C19, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

A group exhibition featuring Emirati artists Asma Khoory, Taqwa Alnaqbi, and Sultan Al Remeithi, curated by Salem AlSuwaidi. "In a world rushing forward, the exhibition invites you to linger—where 'killing time' becomes a quiet, radical act of care, presence, and [ ... ]

Free

The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

Radisson DAMAC Hills Hessa Street Dubailand, Dubai

This month's Laughter Factory tour. The acts: Aaron Butler engaging Belfast-born stand-up known for his high spirited stage presence Justin Panks observational comic with a genius for approaching seemingly everyday subjects from extraordinary angles. Roxy Yekta UK-born Iranian comedian with [ ... ]

AED 160

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)

Zabeel Theatre Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Palm Jumeirah West Crescent, Dubai

The third performance for this four-day run of the West End hit – all 37 of the bard's plays, condensed into 97 minutes of fast-paced comedy, silliness, audience participation, and "just the right amount of innuendo". Look out for Othello [ ... ]

From AED 200

Friday Night Spotlight

Courtyard Playhouse Street 4B, Al Quoz 1, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

A new Courtyard Playhouse community theatre night, described as "a celebration of creativity and experimentation" with community members and in-house performers taking the stage to try out fresh ideas and showcase their talents. The first half features performances from the [ ... ]

Free

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)

Zabeel Theatre Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Palm Jumeirah West Crescent, Dubai

The third performance for this four-day run of the West End hit – all 37 of the bard's plays, condensed into 97 minutes of fast-paced comedy, silliness, audience participation, and "just the right amount of innuendo". Look out for Othello [ ... ]

From AED 200

LAST CHANCE Elias Sime: Through the Window

Lawrie Shabibi Unit 21, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

The first solo exhibition in the Middle East for the Addis Ababa artist showcases Sime’s distinctive practice of transforming colourful wires, circuit boards, and electronic components into intricate, layered compositions that blur the boundaries between technology, nature, and abstraction. The [ ... ]

Free

LAST CHANCE Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons: I Am Soil. My Tears Are Water

Efiɛ Gallery 2 Al Khayat Art Avenue, First Al Khail Street, Dubai

Efie Gallery is opening its new space in Alserkal Avenue with Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons’ debut solo exhibition in the Middle East. The exhibiiton, curated by Faridah Folawiyo, explores diaspora and interconnectedness through the flora and fauna of Latin America, the [ ... ]

Free

LAST CHANCE Maryam Hoseini: Swells

Green Art Gallery Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The second solo exhibition at this gallery for the Iran-born, NY-based artist features new paintings that revels in transplanting elements within themselves. Hoseini says “the figures have moved from architecture to landscape"; so the flat figure expands and multiplies in [ ... ]

Free

MyLysses

XVA Gallery Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood, Bur Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

How do contemporary artists grapple with the shifting role of text, literature and knowledge in an age of AI? This group exhibition curated by Tor Seidel tries to answer that question. As Seidel puts it, "Has access to texts and [ ... ]

Free

LAST CHANCE Mayar Obeido: Ever in Reform

Fann à Porter The Workshop, Villa 45, St. 23b, off Al Wasl Road (opposite Box Park), Jumeirah 2, Dubai

While his previous work was embedded with themes of time, context, and the mutual influence of elements, Fann À Porter's second solo exhibition for Syrian artist Mayar Obeido introduces a focus towards place, location, and grounding. The artist navigates a [ ... ]

Free

The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

Dukes The Palm Palm Dubai, Dubai

The final stop for this month's Laughter Factory tour. The acts: Aaron Butler engaging Belfast-born stand-up known for his high spirited stage presence Justin Panks observational comic with a genius for approaching seemingly everyday subjects from extraordinary angles. Roxy Yekta [ ... ]

AED 160

LAST CHANCE Habuba Farah: Beams of Light

Artbooth Gallery Centro Capital Center, Al Khaleej Al Arabi Street, Abu Dhabi

A selection of works from the 1970s to the present by the noted Lebanese-Brazilian artist, including oils on canvas, gouache on paper, and pencil drawings. A highlight is her exploration of 'neutral gray' or coloured gray, achieved by blending primary [ ... ]

Free

LAST CHANCE A Room of One’s Own

NYUAD Project Space NYUAD Campus, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi

Curated by Duygu Demir, NYUAD assistant professor of Art History and curator at the Art Gallery, this exhibition features new work by current MFA students Maha Alasaker, Yuehan Dai, Nour Elbery, Almaha Jaralla, Tooba Shaikh, and Shaima Shamsi that has [ ... ]

Free

Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial: Bik Van der Pol’s The poem that jumps the fence

Abu Dhabi Beach Al Hisn Street, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Artist duo Bik Van der Pol (Liesbeth Bik and Jos Van der Pol) engage in collaborative projects on how art constructs public spaces for speculative thought and collective creativity. The poem that jumps the fence features weekly performances on Abu [ ... ]

Free, but pre-register

Zodi et Téhu – Frères du Désert: dir Alain Berberian (1993)

Alliance Française Dubai Dubai, United Arab Emirates

A tale of courage, friendship, and adventure for all ages. Zodi, a 12-year-old nomad, discovers an orphaned baby camel in the desert. He names it Téhu and forms a deep bond with the animal. He dreams of entering Téhu in [ ... ]

AED 35

LAST CHANCE Huda Lutfi: Unraveling

The Third Line Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Huda Lutfi’s fourth solo exhibition at the gallery includes works from three recent series – When Dreams Call for Silence (2019), Our Black Thread (2020–2021), and Healing Devices (2020–ongoing) It also includes a selection of previously unshown miniature collages, offering [ ... ]

Free

LAST CHANCE Hazem Harb: Not There, Yet Felt

Tabari Artspace Gate Village Level 2, DIFC, Dubai

Unlike earlier works that centred around collective narratives, this new body of work from Hazem Harb is highly personal and intimate; it aims to draw the viewer into Harb's own lived environment, reflecting his sense of disembodiment, a feeling of [ ... ]

Free

Workspace Dubai 2025

Dubai World Trade Centre Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Index Dubai sprawls around the Dubai World Trade Centre, with its best and most focused element being this 'workplace solutions' tradeshow-within-a-show. More than 100 designers and brands will be promoting their workplace furniture, technology and equipment; the accompanying Workspace Summit [ ... ]

Free, but pre-register

The Fridge Concert Series Season 46: Rami Attallah Trio

The Fridge Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The Fridge's series of showcase concerts concludes with  high-class jazz-fusion from Egyptian pianist Rami Attallah with Rony Afif on drums and David Bernabelaand on bass. Special guests Mohamad Hosny (oud) and Artur García (sax) should make it a good night [ ... ]

AED 70

Making of: dir Cédric Kahn (2023)

Alliance Française Dubai Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Cinema has always been very interested in itself. In Cédric Kahn’s Making of we are introduced to a movie, a story about workers fighting to protect their factory from being relocated. And we meet a variety of characters involved in [ ... ]

AED 35

Monday Night Comedy: This Is Impro

Courtyard Playhouse Street 4B, Al Quoz 1, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Exactly what it says: a regular Monday evening of scenes, stories and narrative improvisation influenced by audience suggestions and featuring the Courtyard Playhouse's most experienced improv performers plus guests. Classic Courtyard improv. It's free, but you need to put your [ ... ]

Free

Wednesday Night Impro: Maestro

Courtyard Playhouse Street 4B, Al Quoz 1, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The Courtyard's most peopular evening of elimination improv. Ten actors converge for a night of scenes, songs and games based on audience suggestions. After each round you score the players on a scale of 1 to 5, and the one [ ... ]

Free

Pencil In

421 Arts Campus Mina Zayed, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

A writers’ group intended for writers to practice their craft without the pressures of producing a final outcome, designed to provide a supportive environment for writers to write alone yet in a group. You're invited to polish your writing skills [ ... ]

Free

Bring Your Boss Corporate Academy Training Session

Courtyard Playhouse Street 4B, Al Quoz 1, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

A free taster session for the Courtyard's corporate training courses aimed at "business leaders, HR professionals, and curious teams to experience" for them to expeirence "how we use improvisation to build real-world workplace skills like collaboration, communication, and leadership". It’s [ ... ]

Free, but pre-register

Shrek the Musical

The Arts Center @ NYUAD NYUAD Campus, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

The always excellent Abu Dhabi Choral Group, the city's best-established and best-regarded community theatre company, offers this "hilarious and heartwarming" adaptation of the popular film, a successful Broadway and West End musical (music by Jeanine Tesori, book and lyrics by [ ... ]

AED 105

PowerPointless Networking Night

Courtyard Playhouse Street 4B, Al Quoz 1, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

One of the most consistently funny of the Courtyard's classic improv gigs is back after a couple of months' hiatus: the speakers have to give a presentation on a slide deck they’ve never seen before, with the topic determined at [ ... ]

Free

Echoes of Earth – Nature Voices in Motion, Sound and Light

Zayed Theatre, SUAD Campus Hazza Bin Zayed St, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

An "immersive performance" that blends classical music, theatrical narrative and video projections "to awaken the senses and inspire environmental consciousness ... in a powerful celebration of the natural world and a moving reflection on the collective responsibility to protect it". [ ... ]

AED 75

LAST CHANCE Sama Alshaibi: طرس (Tterss)

Ayyam Gallery B11, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

A solo exhibition of recent body work by one of the gallery’s stars. Alshaibi’s multimedia work explores spaces of conflict and the power struggles that reimagine Baghdad’s transformation – its peaks, declines, and latent possibilities. Baghdad becomes a site of [ ... ]

Free

Sharmila Dance Extravaganza 2025

Zabeel Theatre Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Palm Jumeirah West Crescent, Dubai

The annual show by Sharmila Dance Center, one of the UAE's longest-established dance schools, is currently in its 24th year. A show for aspiring performers of all ages – from 7-year-olds to professional dancers – it always offers a whirlwind [ ... ]

From AED 150

Shrek the Musical

The Arts Center @ NYUAD NYUAD Campus, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

The second performance for the Abu Dhabi Choral Group’s Summer Revue. This "hilarious and heartwarming" adaptation of the popular film, a successful Broadway and West End musical (music by Jeanine Tesori, book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire) is based on [ ... ]

AED 105

Saaniya Abbas: Hellarious

The Agenda Media City, Dubai

The rzor-sharp Dubai-based comedian previews her Edinburgh Fringe show, her official solo debut. She's no novice, of course – she's supported Jason Manford and Schalk Bezhuidenhout on tour, has opened for Frankie Boyle too, and she has more than 500,000 [ ... ]

AED 100

Shrek the Musical

The Arts Center @ NYUAD NYUAD Campus, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Matinée and evening shows for the Abu Dhabi Choral Group’s Summer Revue, a "hilarious and heartwarming" adaptation of the popular film. The grumpy but lovable ogre embarking on a quest to rescue the feisty Princess Fiona for the scheming Lord [ ... ]

AED 105

LAST CHANCE Hassan Sharif: The Storyteller

Gallery Isabelle Unit 17, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Curated by Murtaza Vali, this exhibition revisits Hassan Sharif’s 'objects', works which expand the definition of 'craft' beyond notions of skill, precision and medium-specific mastery and towards "an experimental, experiential and embodied practice of learning, understanding, and knowing through making". [ ... ]

Free

LAST CHANCE Kojo Marfo: HOME Heart Of My Existence

JD Malat Gallery ACT 2 Tower, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Blvd 13A ,Downtown Dubai, Dubai

The inaugural exhibition in the Emirates for the Ghanaian artist explores the concept of ‘home’ through the lens of Afro-Surrealism. This series marks an introspective shift in his practice, reflecting his evolving sense of place in the world; HOME: Heart [ ... ]

Free

Malik Thomas Jalil Kydd: Garden of Murmurs

CARBON 12 17th Street, Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Malik Thomas Jalil Kydd's body of work delves into his Iraqi heritage, while bridging painting, drawing and fibre art – "reconciling the tactility of textiles with a sensitive examination of form", as the gallery puts it. "Focusing primarily on the [ ... ]

Free

Nazgol Ansarinia: Instruments of Viewing an Obscurity

Green Art Gallery Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Recent projects from the Tehran-born artist. Nazgol Ansarinia’s work examines the systems and networks that underpin her daily life – from everyday objects to routines, events and experiences. She's interested in the relationships they form to make up a larger [ ... ]

Free

Sharmila Dance Extravaganza 2025

Zabeel Theatre Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Palm Jumeirah West Crescent, Dubai

The second day of performances for this annual show by Sharmila Dance Center, one of the UAE's longest-established dance schools. Currently in its 24th year, this is a show for aspiring performers of all ages – from 7-year-olds to professional [ ... ]

From AED 150