• Abu Dhabi Art

    Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    The 16th edition of Abu Dhabi Art will take place from 19 to 23 November, as usual at Manarat al Saadiyat. The fair element has more than 140 galleries from 37 countries, by far the largest number to date – [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Voices of Two Worlds: Emirati & French in Harmony

    Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi Reem Island, Abu Dhabi

    Emirati opera singer Fatima Alhashmi – known for her unique interpretations of French opera infused with Arabic lyrics – is joined for this concert by French pianist Marie Sontag (who has described crossing paths with Alhashmi as "a moment of [ ... ]

    AED 50
  • Rigoletto

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

    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 [ ... ]

    From AED350
  • NOMAD Abu Dhabi

    Terminal 1, Zayed International Airport Abu Dhabi

    A boutique alternative to the conventional art fair, NOMAD is a peripatetic showcase for collectible design and contemporary art that pops up in “extraordinary architectural settings”. Its next iteration is NOMAD Abu Dhabi, to be held in the decommissioned Terminal [ ... ]

    Free by invitation
  • Whispers of Play

    Volery Gallery Maze Tower - 5201, Dubai International Financial Center, Dubai

    A group show for three young Japanese artists that celebrates the playful sensibility at the heart of contemporary Japanese expression – "a sensibility that transforms familiarity into wonder, nostalgia into dream" as the gallery has it. These artists have used [ ... ]

    Free
  • LAST CHANCE Gail Spaien: Arranging Flowers

    Taymour Grahne Projects Warehouse 31A, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

    The inaugural show of Taymour Grahne's new project space in Dubai features the Maine-based painter, the recipient of numerous fellowships amd now (after 30 years as faculty at the Maine College of Art and Design) a full time artist. Her [ ... ]

    Free
  • Hussain Jamil: Refracted Life

    Oblong Contemporary Art Gallery Al Khayat Art Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai

    In this exhibition, Jamil presents a new body of work that explores how we see ourselves — and how we are seen — in an ever-changing world. Working with hand-formed polished steel wall sculptures, woven metal mesh, and mirrored sculptural [ ... ]

    Free
  • POSTPONED Cindy Bernhard: When the Eternal Breaks Through

    Volery Gallery Maze Tower - 5201, Dubai International Financial Center, Dubai

    In the new body of work in this solo show, Bernhard continues her exploration of surface as revelation "where paint radiates, refracts, and breathes ... Each canvas becomes a threshold between the sacred and the screen, where baroque intensity meets [ ... ]

    Free
  • Cirque Du Liban: Fontana

    Circus Tent, Marina Mall Abu Dhabi

    The second weekend for Cirque du Liban's acrobatics-plus-aquatics show, "the first travelling water circus in the Middle East ... live entertainment, breathtaking artistic performances in a tailor-made aqua theatre, waterfalls cascading, artists diving and performing mind-blowing Aquatic experience". There are [ ... ]

    From AED 100
  • Art Thinking: The Intricacies of Corporate and Brand Patronage

    Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi Reem Island, Abu Dhabi

    What do Louis Vuitton, Marina Abramović and BMW have in common? According to cultural strategist Vadim Grigoryan in his newly published book, Art Thinking: Art, Meaning and Brand Leadership, they are all players in the evolving relationship between the art [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Dubai Singers & Orchestra: Music of the Isles

    New Covent Garden Theatre Mall of the Emirates, Dubai

    This concert celebrating “the best of the choral and orchestral works of the British Isles” features some 60 voices and a 30-piece orchestra conducted by musical director Howard Wong. “The best” is a grand claim, but certainly the programme features [ ... ]

    tbc
  • The Fridge Open Mic

    The Fridge Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    An open mic gig for local musicians; each act gets to perform one song. The Fridge's performance space is well equipped – you can use their drum kit, electric keyboard, amps for guitar and bass, and mics. And you can [ ... ]

    Free
  • Rigoletto

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

    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. As with most shows [ ... ]

    From AED350
  • LAST CHANCE Amina Illuminati

    Rarares Galllery Zone C, Gate Avenue, DIFC, Dubai

    Says the gallery: “In an era of visual noise and the relentless pace of modern life, Amina Illuminati offers a moment of stillness — a space where matter becomes light, and form becomes revelation”. It’s a group show for work [ ... ]

    Free
  • Tanweer Festival

    Tanweer Festival Site Mleiha Desert, Sharjah

    The second edition of the Tanweer Festival, again located in the Mleiha Desert near the archaeological centre, is themed ‘What you Seek Is Seeking You’ and promises “an immersive journey of culture and heritage, with music, art, and nature woven [ ... ]

    From AED 400
  • Dubai Open Art

    Andakulova Gallery Unit 18, P4 Level Damac Park Towers, DIFC , Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    A short-run exhibition presented by Art Number 23, the global collective of artists and creatives that has curated numerous exhibitions featuring the work of thousands of artists. Judging by the list of artists involved, this is a massive show ... [ ... ]

    Free
  • Xala: dir Ousmane Sembène (1975)

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

    This Senegalese satirical comedy, written and directed by Ousmane Sembène as an adaptation of his own novel, finds a corrupt government official cursed with crippling erectile dysfunction upon the day of his marriage. He comes to realise it's connecting with [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Eureka Day

    The Junction Unit H72, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Eureka Day Elementary School is an institution that prides itself on ensuring every voice is heard, and every child is welcome — that is, until an outbreak of mumps forces people in the community to reconsider the school’s liberal vaccine [ ... ]

    AED 120
  • Björn Again

    Dubai Opera

    If you can't have the original, the greatest hits provided by their best tribute band will do nicely. Created and founded in 1988 in Melbourne, Björn Again has clocked up 5,000 performances in 72 countries over 31 years; it's a [ ... ]

    From AED 290
  • Politically Incorrect Comedy

    Xandros Singature 1 Hotel, Barsha Heights, Dubai

    MadCat Comedy returns to Xandros in Signature 1 Hotel, TECOM. The cover charge of AED 80 includes one drink.

    AED 80
  • Luis Guenel Soto and Ebana Garin Coronel: Minga of a House in Ruins

    Al Qasimiyah School Sheikh Saqr Bin Khalid Al Qasimi St, Sharjah

    This performance, part of the Perform Sharjah performance programme,  centres around the Chilean tradition of ‘minga’ – the communal act of moving an entire house, seen as a gesture of collective labour and shared resilience. Through three interwoven stories, Minga [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Down to Earth 2025

    Jameel Arts Centre Al Jaddaf, Dubai

    The Jameel’s annual festival for eco-consciousness and sustainability is back for its sixth edition in the Arts Centre and across the Jaddaf Waterfront Sculpture Park. Expect activities for all ages themed around botanical, sustainable and eco-conscious living with hands-on workshops [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • HoW November Book Club: The Odyssey

    House of WIsdom Al Juraina 1, Sharjah

    The House of Wisdom in Sharjah is running a new season of its Book Club under the theme 'Home', with three very relevant titles – House of Stone by war correspondent Anthony Shadid, Near to the Wild Heart by Brazilian [ ... ]

    AED 75
  • Eureka Day

    The Junction Unit H72, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Second performance for this razor-sharp comedy that marks The Junction's tenth anniversary. An outbreak of mumps forces people in the community to reconsider the liberal vaccine policy operated by Eureka Day Elementary School; as cases rise, the school’s Executive Committee [ ... ]

    AED 120
  • Sima Dance Company: NUN

    Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi Reem Island, Abu Dhabi

    Created by choreographer Alaa Krimed and performed by his acclaimed dance company as part of the Year of Ocean, NUN explores the relationship between human beings and the sea – "a cosmic mirror reflecting the complexity of life" as the [ ... ]

    AED 50
  • Rigoletto

    Cultural Foundation Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street, Abu Dhabi

    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 [ ... ]

    tbc
  • Joke Hub

    Canopy by Hilton Dubai Al Seef Al Seef Street, Umm Hurair 1, Dubai

    A regular MadCat Comedy night – "Dubai's wildest comedy show on Saturday" (sic). The cover charge of AED 99 includes two F&B coupons.

    AED 99
  • LAST CHANCE Devadeep Gupta: We Must Therefore Turn Our Attention Skywards

    Warehouse 46 Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

    A pop-up exhibition for Devadeep Gupta, presented by Prameya Art Foundation with the support of Alserkal Avenue and India Art Fair. The artist’s practice investigates the overlapping histories of colonial extraction, ecological destruction, and indigenous resilience in Margherita, Assam – [ ... ]

    Free
  • Eureka Day

    The Junction Unit H72, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    The final performance for this razor-sharp comedy that marks The Junction's tenth anniversary. An outbreak of mumps forces people in the community to reconsider the liberal vaccine policy operated by Eureka Day Elementary School; as cases rise, the school’s Executive [ ... ]

    AED 120
  • Jon Batiste

    Dubai Opera

    The American singer, songwriter, musician, composer, bandleader, TV personality and sometime actor is genuinely talented. He has put in the hard yards – including a seven-year stint as bandleader and musical director on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, a [ ... ]

    From AED 280
  • Rigoletto

    Cultural Foundation Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street, Abu Dhabi

    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 [ ... ]

    tbc
  • LAST CHANCE Łiljana Burćul: Lilium Art

    Renaissance Business Bay Hotel Al Abraj Street, Marasi Drive, Business Bay, Dubai

    Paintings on silk by the Serbian artist known internationally as Lily. Her process combines pigment, water, alcohol, and salt to produce layers of colour and depth; on to these surfaces, Lily adds Swarovski® crystals, fine glass, quartz, and gold, "giving [ ... ]

    Free
  • Hybrid Vistas

    NIKA Project Space Unit 11 Al Khayat Avenue, 19th Street Road — Al Quoz 1, Dubai

    A group show with Adel Abidin, Daniele Genadry, Ali Kaeini, Katya Muromtseva, and Melissa Rios that explores "how landscape is transformed in an age of post-human thought, climate disruption, and hybrid perception ... This is a space where nature is [ ... ]

    Free
  • The Comedy Lab @ Easy Tiger

    Al Ain Palace Hotel Corniche Road, Abu Dhabi

    MadCat’s standup team comes to the Easy Tiger bar in Abu Dhabi's Al Ain Palace. The door price of AED 99 includes two drinks ...

    AED 99
  • Salma Al Marri: Résonances

    Alliance Française Dubai Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    The paintings of the Emirati artist "unfold as fragments of a personal and collective mythology," says the gallery. "Navigating the space between memory and presence, her visual language evokes the resonance of the self as both a persistent echo and [ ... ]

    Free
  • Hekayah | The Story

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

    The Arts Center's 11th annual celebration of the many meanings of 'home' – your country, your city, your family, the place where you happen to be now ... As always it's a celebration UAE's National Day, Eid al Etihad, with [ ... ]

    AED 105
  • The Comedy Lab

    Radisson Red Dubai Digital Park, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai

    Mad Cat's regular stop in Silicon Oasis promises “Dubai’s wildest comedy night". The door price of AED 99 includes two drinks (it says here, though other Mad Cat gigs at this venue are limited to one).

    AED 99
  • Michiko Tsuda and ::vtol::

    Dom Art Projects Al Khayat Avenue, Dubai

    Dom Art Projects opens its new exhibition space and residency studios in Al Khayat Avenue with an inaugural exhibition that takes inspiration from the concept of time (and also plays on the meaning of ‘dom’ in Arabic: it can translate [ ... ]

    Free
  • Chicken for Linda! dir Chiara Malta, Sébastien Laudenbach (2023

    Germaine Tillion Garden, SUAD Campus Abu Dhabi

    Animated musical comedy about Paulette's attempts to make things right with her unfairly accused daughter Linda (it was the cat that did it). So she'll cook chicken with peppers for Linda, despite not knowing how to cook and being hampered [ ... ]

    Free
  • Politically Incorrect Comedy

    Xandros Singature 1 Hotel, Barsha Heights, Dubai

    MadCat Comedy returns to Xandros in Signature 1 Hotel, TECOM. The cover charge of AED 80 includes one drink.

    AED 80
  • Claire & Antho: Souvenirs

    Sharjah Arts Foundation, Arts Square Al Shuweiheen, Sharjah

    Conceived and performed by the French duo Claire & Anthony, Souvenirs transforms Sharjah’s open spaces into a stage where silhouettes, music and dance intertwine. Blending physical theatre, shadow play, dance, and live video projection, the piece explores the invisible baggage [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Joke Hub

    Canopy by Hilton Dubai Al Seef Al Seef Street, Umm Hurair 1, Dubai

    A regular MadCat Comedy night – "Dubai's wildest comedy show on Saturday" (sic). The cover charge of AED 99 includes two F&B coupons.

    AED 99
  • Claire & Antho: Souvenirs

    Sharjah Arts Foundation, Arts Square Al Shuweiheen, Sharjah

    A second performance for this Perform Sharjah event. Blending physical theatre, shadow play, dance, and live video projection, the piece explores the invisible baggage we carry – memories, regrets, dreams – with cinematic beauty and quiet humour. Both playful and [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • LAST CHANCE Tim Kent: Horsepower

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

    A solo exhibition by Brooklyn-based artist Tim Kent that examines the historical and cultural significance of the horse. Working across large-scale painted interiors, landscapes, and invented worlds, Kent transforms historical reference into contemporary compositions that hover between reality and imagination; [ ... ]

    Free
  • Ali Al Sayed: Alphabet Soup

    New Covent Garden Theatre Mall of the Emirates, Dubai

    Back from an international tour, the award-winning main man of Dubomedy has a new stand-up special "packed with lightning-fast wit, sharp observations on identity, language, and the everyday absurdities of life and its many labels". Should be good.

    From AED 175
  • Radouan Mriziga: Magec / The Desert

    Sharjah Art Foundation, Bait Obaid Al Shamsi Arts Square, Sharjah

    Blending dance, sound and imagery, Mriziga crafts a meditative reflection on landscape and memory, where the desert emerges as both a physical terrain and a symbolic stage. A Sharjah Art Foundation co-production with the Kunsten festival des arts in Brussels, [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • LAST CHANCE Miramar Al Nayyar: Hujra

    Tabari Artspace Alserkal Avenue Warehouse 81, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

    Tabari Artspace's first exhibition at its new Alserkal Avenue location is a solo show for Miramar Al Nayyar, curated by Abeer Seikaly. In Hujra, Al Nayyar "traces how flow crystallises onto canvas, how light becomes matter, and how painting absorbs [ ... ]

    Free
  • Christmas Opera Gala

    Dubai Opera Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard, Dubai

    A seasonal concert in the finest tradition of Italian Opera with three top-class voices — tenor Vittorio Grigolo, baritone Luca Salsi, soprano Alisa Medvedeva — accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan under Alibek Kabdurakhmanov. The programme features classic [ ... ]

    From AED 170
  • UAE Youth Orchestra and Choir: End of Season Celebration

    Cultural Foundation Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street, Abu Dhabi

    For their year-end concert, the Youth Orchestra and Choir deliver a selection of pieces from The Nutcracker, Bizet’s Carmen, and Carl Nielsen’s Aladdin Suite. Organized by Abu Dhabi Culture in collaboration with the International Music Institute, this concert promises a celebration [ ... ]

    AED 50
  • Laughter Factory’s Christmas Party

    Dukes The Palm Palm Dubai, Dubai

    The festival season has truncated the usual Laughter Factory tour, but instead we have three parties featuring a very strong lineup of comics – Danny O’Brien (high-energy wit), Luca Cupani (quirky dry humour deriving in part from his dual Italian/British [ ... ]

    AED 160