16 February 2025

Ever-Present

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

A group show by six African artists presenting “a captivating and thought-provoking collection of artworks that highlight the diverse landscapes and thematic intersections of African art across generations … The exhibition offers a glimpse into the complex histories, traditions, and [ ... ]

Free

Talal Al Najjar, Ziad Al Najjar: Symbiotic Hyperreal

NYUAD Project Space NYUAD Campus, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi

This exhibition marks the first duo show for Emirati brothers Talal Al Najjar and Ziad Al Najjar. They each maintain a distinct individual artistic practice, but developed in close proximity to one another; and both draw upon their relationship to [ ... ]

Free

Connecting Minds Book Club: Ben Okri

Terra Auditorium Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion, Expo City, Dubai

“Books alone can’t save the world,” says the blurb for this new book club. “But passionate readers can.” At the opening event of what we’re told will be a regular LitFest-style session with “renowned authors from around the world”, the [ ... ]

AED 50

CineMAS – 19B / White Building

Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

7pm 19B dir Ahmad Abdalla (2022) The richly-layered narrative centres on the elderly caretaker of an abandoned Cairo villa known as 19B. The owners have been absent for so long that no one even knows how to contact them, and the [ ... ]

AED 30

Monty Python’s Spamalot

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

A second performance of this highly irreverent musical parody of Arthurian legend, based on the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail with lyrics and book by Python's Eric Idle and a score by Idle and John Du Prez. [ ... ]

AED 130

The Addams Family – A New Musical

Sunmarke School Jumeirah Village Triangle, Dubai

MTDXB (Musical Theatre Dubai) is – as far as we know – the first and only adult theatre group in Dubai to specialise in musicals. Formed in 2021, they have done four performances to date, and they tend to be [ ... ]

AED 150

Sleeping Beauty

Dubai Opera

Tchaikovsky’s all-time crowdpleaser is danced by the Moscow Ballet “La Classique”. Expect ballet mastery, lavish costumes, and magnificent stage sets; "La Classique" specialises in sumptuous, unashamedly traditional touring productions of which this must be one of the most classic ... [ ... ]

From AED250

The Jazz Garden: Chanda Rule

The Arena, Montgomerie Gulf Club Al Thanayah Fourth - 10 7th Street, Dubai

Superb soul and gospel, and purveyor of one of the best Nina Simone tributes (one of her ten albums). Her voice is sensational; "I could listen to this lady all day" said a Jazz Weekly reviewer. She sings with the [ ... ]

From AED 125

Monty Python’s Spamalot

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

The third of four days of performances for this highly irreverent musical parody of Arthurian legend based on Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It's funny and clever, and it's brought to us by the Abu Dhabi Choral Group, the [ ... ]

AED 130

The Addams Family – A New Musical

Sunmarke School Jumeirah Village Triangle, Dubai

A second performance for this musical sequel to the original Addams Family story by MTDXB. Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family– a [ ... ]

AED 150

Monty Python’s Spamalot

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

The final two performances (thyere are shows at 2pm and 7.30pm) for this irreverent musical parody of Arthurian legend, based on the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It's funny and clever, and it's brought to us by [ ... ]

AED 130

Sleeping Beauty

Dubai Opera

A second and final performance for Tchaikovsky’s all-time crowdpleaser as danced by the Moscow Ballet “La Classique”. Expect ballet mastery, lavish costumes, and magnificent stage sets; "La Classique" specialises in sumptuous, unashamedly traditional touring productions.

From AED250

The Addams Family – A New Musical

Sunmarke School Jumeirah Village Triangle, Dubai

The final performances (shows at 2.30 and 7.30pm) for this musical sequel to the original Addams Family story by MTDXB. Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man [ ... ]

AED 150

CineMAS – Bayn al Khaleej

Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Gulf Shorts – Past and Present A program of short films from the Gulf region by filmmakers looking at the past through personal and cultural histories. 3pm Clouds dir Muzna Alumusafer (2020) 15 mins A journey inside a tribal society [ ... ]

AED 30

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. Classic Courtyard stuff. It's free, but you need to put your name on [ ... ]

Free but donations welcome

Abu Dhabi Classics 2023: Yo-Yo Ma & Kathryn Stott

Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi

The celebrated cellist is accompanied on piano by his long-time friend and collaborator Kathryn Stott. We don’t know what the programme will be, but their pandemic album Songs of Comfort and Hope had 21 tracks ranging across modern arrangements of [ ... ]

From AED 100

Wednesday Night Impro: Maestro

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

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 with the lowest score is eliminated. Eventually only [ ... ]

Free but donations welcome

Jameel Prize: Poetry to Politics

Jameel Arts Centre Al Jaddaf, Dubai

Founded in 2009, the Jameel Prize is a collaboration between the V&A and Art Jameel; it is the world’s leading award for contemporary art and design inspired by Islamic tradition. This sixth edition, the first to have a focus on [ ... ]

Free

The Jazz Garden: Ronald Baker

The Arena, Montgomerie Gulf Club Al Thanayah Fourth - 10 7th Street, Dubai

Top trumpet player and very fine singer of jazz and blues (Baker's voice draws comparison with Al Jarreau's) performs with the regular resident jazz band, the Alexey Cheremizov Quartet. Should be a good night. Doors open at 7pm, Baker is [ ... ]

From AED 125

The Story of Princess Aurora

Dubai Opera

Turning Pointe Youth Ballet – a dance school that consistently delivers very good showcases – presents its adaptation of the well-loved fairy tale of a young girl bewitched at birth but rescued by the fairies and brought up in the [ ... ]

From AED 145

Jazz to Jive

The Club Al Mina, Abu Dhabi

Two nights of fun music (10 and 11 June) from the best of Abu Dhabi's musical talent: a cappella groups Blue Fever and Voices of Harmony (both well established, both excellent) with two local big bands, the British School al [ ... ]

AED 140

Gypsies Go To Heaven

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

An exhilarating musical and dance extravaganza by the Slovak Dance Theatre with the Gypsy Devils orchestra, created by noted Slovak director and choreographer Ján Ďurovčík. Packed with wild virtuoso dancing and thrilling gypsy songs, the show is based on a [ ... ]

From AED 100

Nature Namur: film shorts and photography

Alliance Française Dubai Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The International Nature Namur Festival (FINN) claims to be "the must-attend event for nature and beautiful image enthusiasts", attracting over 35,000 spectators and visitors to the Belgian city each year for its three international image competitions – photos, amateur films, [ ... ]

Free

Storytelling Sunday with Suzy Sikorski

Aisha Alabbar Gallery Warehouse 101, Al Quoz 2, Dubai

As part of the programme for Press Print!, the gallery's current show, Aisha Alabar is hosting a session with Suzy Sikorski of Mid East Art, "a digital storytelling platform of art and culture of the Middle East region that focuses [ ... ]

Free

National Youth Orchestra Gala

Dubai Opera

A Gala Performance with the National Youth Orchestra to celebrate its five-year anniversary. The largest and most prestigious youth orchestra in the region, the NYO currently has more than 120 young musicians aged 5-18; this concert features the NYO Concerto [ ... ]

From AED 150

Jazz to Jive

The Club Al Mina, Abu Dhabi

A second night of fun music from the best of Abu Dhabi's musical talent: a cappella groups Blue Fever and Voices of Harmony (both well established, both excellent) with two local big bands, the British School al Khubairat Jazz Band [ ... ]

AED 140

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. Classic Courtyard stuff. It's free, but you need to put your name on [ ... ]

Free but donations welcome

Talk: Brian Gonzales – International Print Community

Aisha Alabbar Gallery Warehouse 101, Al Quoz 2, Dubai

As part of the programme for Press Print!, the gallery's current show, Brian Gonzales – printmaker, art collector, lecturer at the University of Sharjah and one of the participating artists – explores cultural influences and the power of print to [ ... ]

Free

Wednesday Night Impro: Maestro

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

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 with the lowest score is eliminated. Eventually only [ ... ]

Free but donations welcome

Timur Akhmedov: Kaleidoscope

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

A solo exhibition for the respected Uzbek artist with new works alongside some that have already been seen. Akhmedov's style is a surreal symbolism that is almost fairytale-like and frequently depicts the artist (and others) as characters in a story, [ ... ]

Free

M83

Dubai Opera

The French (but LA-based) icon of electronica – originally a duo but for several years now the project of multi-instrumentalist Anthony Gonzalez comes to Dubai as part of a short world tour to promote his new album Fantasy. The ninth [ ... ]

From AED 375

The Jazz Garden: Bruce Johnson

The Arena, Montgomerie Gulf Club Al Thanayah Fourth - 10 7th Street, Dubai

Talented soul and R&B singer, originally from Indianapolis but with a style honed in France. He performs with the regular resident jazz band, the Alexey Cheremizov Quartet. Should be another good night for this end-of-season gig. Doors open at 7pm, [ ... ]

From AED 125

Rooftop Rhythms #99 Grand Slam Finale Competition / Season Closing

Marketplace, NYUAD Campus Abu Dhabi

The Middle East’s best (and longest-running) poetry and performance open mic night winds up its 11th season with original material from spoken word artists, poets, and musicians. Rooftop Rhythms is hosted by founder Dorian Paul Rogers, with opening and closing [ ... ]

Free, but pre-register online

Candlelight Concert: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons

Rixos Premium Dubai JBR Jumeirah Beach Residences, Al Mamsha Street, Dubai

One of the most successful production in the Candlelight Concerts series – "classical music concerts aimed at democratising access to classical music by allowing people all over the world to enjoy live music candlelit performances".  The Vivaldi favourite was written [ ... ]

From AED150

Candlelight Abu Dhabi: Best of Chopin

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

Fever brings its candlelight classical music recitals to Abu Dhabi for the first time – "a series of classical music concerts aimed at democratising access to classical music by allowing people all over the world to enjoy live candlelit music [ ... ]

From AED 150

Fête de la Musique

Alliance Française Dubai Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Fête de la Musique is an annual global celebration of music, organised in France by the Ministry of Culture and in more than 1,000 cities around the world by Alliance Françaises. It's a day where free, live music would be [ ... ]

Free

Ali Al Sayed: CancelD Culture

Theatre at Mall of the Emirates Level 2, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Celebrating his 15th anniversary in comedy (and, as it happoens, his birthday), Ali Al Sayed's new English-language standup gig is pitched as his most daring and honest solo show yet – "Ali comedically highlights the Arab and Muslim perspective through [ ... ]

AED 175

Culture Bus: Al Sadeem Observatory

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

The 421 Culture Bus is taking a stargazing trip to the observatory on the outskirts of the city to observe the cosmos using traditional and smart telescopes. We're promised a unique experience using traditional and smart telescopes; included in the [ ... ]

AED 180

Urinetown

Sharjah Performing Arts Academy University City, Sharjah

You can’t deny the ambition of the Musical Theatre and Production Arts students of Sharjah Performing Arts Academy – they’re doing the Tony award winner Urinetown, a satirical musical that attacks corporate greed, rampant exploitation and unsustainable lifestyles. There’s a [ ... ]

Free but pre-register

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. Classic Courtyard stuff. It's free, but you need to put your name on [ ... ]

Free but donations welcome

Assadour: Etchings

Meem Gallery Umm Suqeim Rd, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

In the seventh instalment of Meem's ongoing series of exhibitions focused on printmaking in the Arab world, the gallery is showing 15 etchings by Lebanese-Armenian artist Assadour. His artworks reflect his own heritage and tumultuous upbringing, seamlessly blended into a [ ... ]

Free

Urinetown

Sharjah Performing Arts Academy University City, Sharjah

A second performance for this satirical musical by SPAA students; the story is set in a dystopian future, where a chronic water shortage means that public loos have been extravagantly privatised. The plot hinges on a rebellion led by a [ ... ]

Free but pre-register

Spectrum Exhibition: Cohort One

Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

An exhibition for the outcome of the first cohort of the MAS Spectrum Photography Residency. We're promised "a broad range of ideas, subjects, and techniques that span a spectrum of human experiences". To 4 September.

Free

Welcome Home / Marhaba al Sah

ME by Meliá The Opus by Omniyat, Al Amal Street, Business Bay, Dubai

A continuation of the interesting Useless Palace exhibition, a specific group show by ten artists staged in the desert by popup gallery InLoco (who are due to move into a permanent Al Quoz location this autumn) in the desert last [ ... ]

Free

Urinetown

Sharjah Performing Arts Academy University City, Sharjah

Final performance for this satirical musical by SPAA students; the story is set in a dystopian future, where a chronic water shortage means that public loos have been extravagantly privatised. The plot hinges on a rebellion led by a cleaner [ ... ]

Free but pre-register

Wednesday Night Impro: Maestro

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

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 with the lowest score is eliminated. Eventually only [ ... ]

Free but donations welcome

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike

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

H72 Productions has found another interesting play for its current season. Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, a comedy by the American writer Christopher Durang, has been praised as a humorous adaptation of Chekhovian themes that doesn't require any [ ... ]

AED 100