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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for magpie
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TZID:Asia/Dubai
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TZOFFSETFROM:+0400
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DTSTART:20240101T000000
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260418T200000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260418T210000
DTSTAMP:20260415T165021Z
CREATED:20260402T090321Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260415T165021Z
UID:10013592-1776542400-1776546000@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Opera Under the Dome by Firdaus Orchestra
DESCRIPTION:Opera Under the Dome returns to Al Wasl Plaza\, with the Firdaus Orchestra introducing a fresh repertoire that we’re promised “captures the depth\, passion and drama of opera”.
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/opera-under-the-dome-by-firdaus-orchestra/
LOCATION:Al Wasl Plaza\, Expo City\, Dubai
CATEGORIES:Concert,Opera
GEO:24.9609112;55.1568994
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Al Wasl Plaza Expo City Dubai;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=Expo City:geo:55.1568994,24.9609112
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260215T140000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260215T153000
DTSTAMP:20260211T102952Z
CREATED:20260211T102952Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260211T102952Z
UID:10013433-1771164000-1771169400@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Kavan
DESCRIPTION:The final performance of this interesting collaboration between the Mumbai-based music and street theatre group Yalgaar Sanskrutik Manch and the Nalanda Arts Studio from Bangalore. Kavan is described as an ‘Ambedkarite Opera’ – Ambedkarism being the set of anti-caste ideas associated with Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar (1891-1956)\, an Indian economist\, barrister\, social reformer\, and political thinker and activist. \nThe storyline\, which is carried exclusively in poetry and song (hence the ‘opera’ tag)\, concerns a young man called Bejul and his journey to becoming a Shahir\, a politically-aware performance poet; it’s a path from acceptance of the status quo\, including compliance with the social norms like gender and caste\, to a gradual realisation that many of the constraints in his life are actually man-made and not predetermined. Although the caste system provides the framework\, the piece can be seen as more generally about deep-rooted inequalities in society – “and every society has such inequalities” as the director Abhishek Majumdar told us. \nRead our backgrounder here.
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/kavan-3/
LOCATION:The Arts Center @ NYUAD\, NYUAD Campus\, Saadiyat Island\, Abu Dhabi\, United Arab Emirates
CATEGORIES:Opera
GEO:24.5238948;54.4345558
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=The Arts Center @ NYUAD NYUAD Campus Saadiyat Island Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=NYUAD Campus\, Saadiyat Island:geo:54.4345558,24.5238948
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260214T193000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260214T210000
DTSTAMP:20260211T102827Z
CREATED:20260211T102827Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260211T102827Z
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SUMMARY:Kavan
DESCRIPTION:The second performance (of three) for this interesting collaboration between the Mumbai-based music and street theatre group Yalgaar Sanskrutik Manch and the Nalanda Arts Studio from Bangalore. Kavan is described as an ‘Ambedkarite Opera’ – Ambedkarism being the set of anti-caste ideas associated with Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar (1891-1956)\, an Indian economist\, barrister\, social reformer\, and political thinker and activist. \nThe storyline\, which is carried exclusively in poetry and song (hence the ‘opera’ tag)\, concerns a young man called Bejul and his journey to becoming a Shahir\, a politically-aware performance poet; it’s a path from acceptance of the status quo\, including compliance with the social norms like gender and caste\, to a gradual realisation that many of the constraints in his life are actually man-made and not predetermined. Although the caste system provides the framework\, the piece can be seen as more generally about deep-rooted inequalities in society – “and every society has such inequalities” as the director Abhishek Majumdar told us. \nRead our backgrounder here. There is a final performance of Kavan on Sunday 15 February at 2pm.
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/kavan-2/
LOCATION:The Arts Center @ NYUAD\, NYUAD Campus\, Saadiyat Island\, Abu Dhabi\, United Arab Emirates
CATEGORIES:Opera
GEO:24.5238948;54.4345558
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=The Arts Center @ NYUAD NYUAD Campus Saadiyat Island Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=NYUAD Campus\, Saadiyat Island:geo:54.4345558,24.5238948
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260213T193000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260213T210000
DTSTAMP:20260211T102716Z
CREATED:20260211T102213Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260211T102716Z
UID:10013431-1771011000-1771016400@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Kavan
DESCRIPTION: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 working on the research and practice of performing and fine arts with a focus on collaborations between Asian\, African\, and Middle Eastern artists and communities. \nNalanda’s Abhishek Majumdar directs this show\, which is described as an ‘Ambedkarite Opera’ – Ambedkarism being the set of ideas associated with Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar (1891-1956); an Indian economist\, barrister\, social reformer\, and political thinker and activist\, he is particularly associated with criticism of the caste system and a passionate belief in individual freedom. Majumdar is keen to emphasise that it not simply an anti-caste show: “a satirical opera gives us a way to speak about deep-rooted inequalities in society – and every society has such inequalities” he told us. \nThe storyline\, which is carried exclusively in poetry and song (hence the ‘opera’ tag)\, concerns a young man called Bejul whose father is a Lok Shahir\, an Ambedkarite people’s poet. After Bejul’s father gets killed\, his religious mother dissuades him from following in his father’s footsteps. The play is about Bejul becoming a Shahir\, a politically-aware performance poet; it’s a journey from acceptance of the status quo\, including compliance with the social norms like gender and caste\, to a gradual realisation that many of the constraints in his life are actually man-made and not predetermined. \n“Shahiri Jalsa provided our structure\,” Majumdar said. “Jalsas are songs of the Dalits\, Shahiri is the performance form\, both are associated with Ambedkarites. Over time Jalsa has also borrowed from outside music. So we leaned into it\, with all its contemporary and modern influences\, and created the piece out of that.” \nRead the rest of our backgrounder and interview with Abhishek Majumdar here. There are further performances of Kavan on Saturday 14 February at 7.30pm and Sunday 15 February at 2pm.
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/kavan/
LOCATION:The Arts Center @ NYUAD\, NYUAD Campus\, Saadiyat Island\, Abu Dhabi\, United Arab Emirates
CATEGORIES:Opera
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://magpie.ae/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/kavan2.webp
GEO:24.5238948;54.4345558
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=The Arts Center @ NYUAD NYUAD Campus Saadiyat Island Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=NYUAD Campus\, Saadiyat Island:geo:54.4345558,24.5238948
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260111T200000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260111T220000
DTSTAMP:20260101T151410Z
CREATED:20260101T151410Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260101T151410Z
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SUMMARY:Tamerlano
DESCRIPTION:The second performance of this spectacular “reimagining” of Handle’s opera by the flamboyant director and designer Stefano Poda. It blends Handel’s score with “a new musical concept” by composer Kirill Richter that weaves in traditional Uzbek instruments.  The sets feature monumental structures inspired by Timurid architecture\, kinetic installations\, and immersive lighting; and Poda has assembled more than 160 artists — singers\, ballet dancers\, the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan\, the State Choir\, and a number of national ensembles — to create a world of music\, movement\, and visual poetry. The scale\, ambition and expense are all impressive; as the blurb has it\, “Dubai has never witnessed an operatic production of this magnitude”. \n 
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/tamerlano-3/
LOCATION:Dubai Opera
CATEGORIES:Opera
GEO:25.1928528;55.2789648
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260110T200000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260110T220000
DTSTAMP:20260101T150011Z
CREATED:20260101T150011Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260101T150011Z
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SUMMARY:Tamerlano
DESCRIPTION:Once he settled in London\, Handel almost single-handedly created a craze for Italian opera seria\, a style of opera that was predicated on providing solo arias for star virtuoso singers; Tamerlano is one of his best-known\, composed in less than three weeks of 1724 (in the same year he also composed two other operas which have entered the canon\, Rodelinda and Giulio Cesare). The opera’s subject is the defeat of the Ottoman emperor Bajazet and his enslavement by the ruthless Tamerlano\, and Tamerlano is regarded as the most genuinely tragic of Handel’s operas. \nThis “reimagining” by the flamboyant director (and designer of sets\, costumes and lighting\, and choreographer) Stefano Poda\, who has a reputation for striking\, symbolic staging\, blends Handel’s score with “a new musical concept” by composer Kirill Richter that weaves in traditional Uzbek instruments – Tamerlano\, aka Tamerlaine\, Amir Temur or Tamburlaine\, was the leader of the Tartars and is therefore claimed as an early Uzbekh (and this performance is presented by the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation).  The sets feature monumental structures inspired by Timurid architecture\, kinetic installations\, and immersive lighting; and Poda has assembled more than 160 artists — singers\, ballet dancers\, the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan\, the State Choir\, and a number of national ensembles — to create a world of music\, movement\, and visual poetry. The scale\, ambition and expense are all impressive; as the blurb has it\, “Dubai has never witnessed an operatic production of this magnitude”. \nThere’s a second performance on 11 January. \n 
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/tamerlano/
LOCATION:Dubai Opera
CATEGORIES:Opera
GEO:25.1928528;55.2789648
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20251123T200000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20251123T223000
DTSTAMP:20251011T141710Z
CREATED:20251011T141710Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251011T141710Z
UID:10012896-1763928000-1763937000@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Rigoletto
DESCRIPTION:The final UAE performance for St Petersburg Opera’s signature production of one of Verdi’s most enduring masterpieces: a story of love\, betrayal\, and revenge told through some of the most celebrated music in the operatic repertoire. This lavish\, costumed spectacle otherwise treats the classic with due reverence.
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/rigoletto-4/
LOCATION:Cultural Foundation\, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street\, Abu Dhabi
CATEGORIES:Opera
GEO:24.4856096;54.357172
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Cultural Foundation Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street Abu Dhabi;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street:geo:54.357172,24.4856096
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20251122T200000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20251122T223000
DTSTAMP:20251011T141556Z
CREATED:20251011T141556Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251011T141556Z
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SUMMARY:Rigoletto
DESCRIPTION:St Petersburg Opera’s signature production of one of opera’s greatest work comes to Abu Dhabi after its Dubai performances in a version by the celebrated Russian director Yuri Alexandrov. Rigoletto remains one of Verdi’s most enduring masterpieces: a story of love\, betrayal\, and revenge told through some of the most celebrated music in the operatic repertoire; Alexandrov’s version transforms the jester from the familiar hunchback into a sharp\, cunning figure whose torment lies hidden behind his courtly disguise – a haunting portrayal of cruelty\, corruption\, and vulnerability. \nThis lavish\, costumed spectacle otherwise treats the classic with due reverence. There’s a second performance tomorrow (23 November).
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/rigoletto-3/
LOCATION:Cultural Foundation\, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street\, Abu Dhabi
CATEGORIES:Opera
GEO:24.4856096;54.357172
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Cultural Foundation Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street Abu Dhabi;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street:geo:54.357172,24.4856096
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20251120T200000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20251120T223000
DTSTAMP:20251008T162328Z
CREATED:20251008T162328Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251008T162328Z
UID:10012894-1763668800-1763677800@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Rigoletto
DESCRIPTION:A second performance for this lavish staging by St Petersburg Opera of Verdi’s most enduring masterpiece – a story of love\, betrayal\, and revenge told through some of the most celebrated music in the operatic repertoire. \nAs with most shows at this venue\, there’s a 20% discount on food and drinks at the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray.
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/rigoletto-2/
LOCATION:Zabeel Theatre\, Jumeirah Zabeel Saray\, Palm Jumeirah West Crescent\, Dubai
CATEGORIES:Opera
GEO:25.0977637;55.1249239
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Zabeel Theatre Jumeirah Zabeel Saray Palm Jumeirah West Crescent Dubai;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=Jumeirah Zabeel Saray\, Palm Jumeirah West Crescent:geo:55.1249239,25.0977637
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20251119T200000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20251119T223000
DTSTAMP:20251008T162202Z
CREATED:20251008T162202Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251008T162202Z
UID:10012893-1763582400-1763591400@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Rigoletto
DESCRIPTION:This is St Petersburg Opera’s signature production of one of opera’s greatest works\, reimagined with striking originality by the celebrated Russian director Yuri Alexandrov. Rigoletto remains one of Verdi’s most enduring masterpieces: a story of love\, betrayal\, and revenge told through some of the most celebrated music in the operatic repertoire; Alexandrov’s version transforms the jester from the familiar hunchback into a sharp\, cunning figure whose torment lies hidden behind his courtly disguise – a haunting portrayal of cruelty\, corruption\, and vulnerability. \nThis lavish\, costumed spectacle otherwise treats the classic with due reverence. There’s a second performance tomorrow (20 November). \nAs with most shows at this venue\, there’s a 20% discount on food and drinks at the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray.
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/rigoletto/
LOCATION:Zabeel Theatre\, Jumeirah Zabeel Saray\, Palm Jumeirah West Crescent\, Dubai
CATEGORIES:Opera
GEO:25.0977637;55.1249239
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Zabeel Theatre Jumeirah Zabeel Saray Palm Jumeirah West Crescent Dubai;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=Jumeirah Zabeel Saray\, Palm Jumeirah West Crescent:geo:55.1249239,25.0977637
END:VEVENT
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