All Day

Sharjah Light Festival

[various Sharjah locations]

magpie has long been a fan of the Sharjah Light Festival, the 14th edition of which runs 3 to 15 February. By contrast with the newer Manar Abu Dhabi and Dhai Dubai light art festivals, SLF generally takes a more [ ... ]

Free

Animenia Abu Dhabi

Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi

Animenia returns to Manarat Al Saadiyat with five days of cosplay, music, food, and J-pop culture – “step inside a world inspired by the hidden corners of Neo-Tokyo, where glowing signs, colourful characters, and offbeat discoveries bring anime culture to [ ... ]

AED 95

Reflections: Modern and Contemporary Art from the Villain Collection

Bassam Freiha Art Foundation Cultural District Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi

Modern and contemporary works from Syria, Lebanon, North Africa, and the UAE selected from the impressive private collection of Fairouz and Jean-Paul Villain – a pair of collectors for whom the acquisition of works has been a way of engaging [ ... ]

Free

Khozema Al-Aaed: We Walk on Stories

Firetti Contemporary Unit 29, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

Khozema Al‑Aaed's solo exhibition reimagines cartographies, reminding us that land absorbs our movements, our wounds, our hopes, "becoming a living archive of human presence" as the gallery puts it. "The compositions resemble traces of cities once inhabited, imagined, or departed. [ ... ]

Free

Luis Olaso: Photosynthesis

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

New work by the Spanish artist, which the gallery says marks a pivotal moment in his practice. They were created in his new studio in Cádiz, surrounded by olive, almond, and orange trees, allowing nature to enter physically and psychologically; [ ... ]

Free

NVIDIA Studio Nights 6

Museum of the Future Trade Centre 2, Sheikh Zayed Rd, Dubai

This free-to-attend event for the UAE's creative community – including "leading creators, designers, press, influencers, and key industry partners" – is NVIDIA's sixth such gathering; previous venues were in KSA, Egypt, Turkey, and Abu Dhabi (back in February 2024). The [ ... ]

Free, but pre-register

The Grand Budapest Hotel: dir Wes Anderson (2014)

BEEAH Headquarters nterchange 8, Al Dhaid Rd, Rodhat Al Sidir, Sharjah

Wes Anderson at his best: outlandish humour, artistic sensibilities, genuine filmic expertise, slightly kitschy ... The madcap adventure is breathlessly entertaining and is graced by an excellent actors' ensemble, with Ralph Fiennes in particualr having a great time stretching his emotional [ ... ]

Free, but pre-register

Kavan

The Arts Center @ NYUAD NYUAD Campus, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi

This interesting production is the UAE premiere of a groundbreaking collaboration by the Mumbai-based music and street theatre group Yalgaar Sanskrutik Manch, whose work centres on caste, inequality and social justice; and the Nalanda Arts Studio from Bangalore, an organisation [ ... ]

AED 105

Valentine’s Special: First Kiss

Courtyard Playhouse Street 4B, Al Quoz 1, Dubai

Second of three consecutive nights of improvised anecdotes that follow real stories from the audience about relationships shaped by one kiss and everything that follows. "It’s funny, tender, and sharply observant about the choices we make in love" says the [ ... ]

Free

The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

Radisson DAMAC Hills Hessa Street Dubailand, Dubai

The February Laughter Factory tour has another good collection of standups: Paul Tonkinson Terrific live performer with an effervescent style and some great caricatures in his repertoire. A former (double winner) Time Out Comedian of the Year Pierre Hollins Another [ ... ]

AED 175

Politically Incorrect Comedy

Xandros Singature 1 Hotel, Barsha Heights, Dubai

MadCat Comedy's regular standup night at Xandros in Signature 1 Hotel, TECOM. The cover charge of AED 80 includes one drink.

AED 80