• Cirque Du Liban: Fontana

    Yas Island Abu Dhabi

    Cirque du Liban comes to Yas with "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". The previews look great, [ ... ]

    From AED 100
  • LAST CHANCE Aya Haidar: Battlegrounds

    Tabari Artspace Gate Village Level 2, DIFC, Dubai

    The inaugural exhibition of the Lebanese-British artist at this gallery, where she has recently joined the roster. Aya Haidar’s practice addresses themes related to womanhood, invisible labour, forced displacement, Homeland and territory, social constructs and inequalities; positioned at the intersection [ ... ]

    Free
  • Salomé Chatriot: If That Glass Breaks Humanity is Doomed

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

    A solo show for a magpie favourite. Salomé Chatriot's work merges technology with organic elements to suggest a harmony between human and machine, advocating for a future where technology and humanity coexist. In her work, physical processes like breathing and [ ... ]

    Free
  • Zarna Garg

    Dubai Opera

    “A comedy trailblazing Indian immigrant mom from New York City” who “passionately advocates for change and representation in comedy and is bravely vocal about criminalising evil mother-in-law behaviours”. That’s from the PR blurb; more accurately, CNBC called her “the zany, [ ... ]

    From AED 175
  • Desi Laughs

    Dubai Opera Studio Downtown Dubai, Dubai

    A Hinglish show in the Dubai Comedy Festival featuring Gursimran Khamba and Nitinn R Miranni.

    AED 125
  • PETTEE: storybox

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

    ‘Pettee’ is a word with multiple meanings in the languages of millions of people (Malayalam, Tamil, Gujarati, Marathi, Hindi) but one is instantly recognised: container, and by extension box, briefcase, casket, coffin … It is a word with weight for [ ... ]

    AED 105
  • Chinedu Unaka: Time Well Spent Tour

    Dubai Opera Studio Downtown Dubai, Dubai

    Chinedu is a rising star on the international comedy circuit, and this Dubai Comedy Festival gig for his current touring show should help ... The LA-based comedian, actor, and writer has recently gained acclaim for performances on Comedy Central Presents [ ... ]

    AED 180
  • LAST CHANCE Farah Al Qasimi: Toy World

    The Third Line Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    The Third Line's fourth solo exhibition with Farah Al Qasimi, Brooklyn based but Abu Dhabi born, is a collection of still and moving images in colour and – for the first time – black and white too. “Black and white [ ... ]

    Free
  • Torn

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

    The world premiere of a new play written and directed by the award-winning Australian writer/director Alex Broun, well known to Dubai audiences for the past 15 or so years (not least from his promotion of and participation in the Short [ ... ]

    From AED 100
  • Cineolios Cinenights at Mohammed Bin Rashid Library

    Mohammed Bin Rashid Library Al Jaddaf, Dubai

    Another free MBR Library film night organised by shorts specialist Cineolio, this one featuring four short films that embody diverse cultures and reflect different visions from around the world: The Coin dir Siqi Song (2019, 7 min) Stop-motion animation by [ ... ]

    Free
  • Spencer & Vogue

    Dubai Opera

    Reality royalty bring their podcast to the stage for the Dubai Comedy Festival: Spencer Matthews (Made In Chelsea, etc) and Vogue Williams (Dancing with the Stars, Stepping Out etc) are engagingly chatty and very funny about the detail of their [ ... ]

    From AED 250
  • PETTEE: storybox

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

    A second performance for this show where dancers and fabricated landscape lead the audience into an immersive world of movement and music and flight, where bodies unbend, lunge and soar, to unseal and unpack years of youth, where multiple futures, [ ... ]

    AED 105
  • Comedy Bizarre 6

    Dubai Opera Studio Downtown Dubai, Dubai

    This Dubai Comedy festival showcase provides nightly entertainment from an eclectic mix of (mostly local) standups at a pretty good price. Tonight it’s Moncef Boumaza, Sahar Ali, Adi Thomas, Amr Elassal, Sadiq Saboowala, Shaddy Gaad, and Yash Bhardwaj, hosted by
 Salman [ ... ]

    AED 75
  • Alfred Adriaan: Unfit and Forty

    Roxy Cinemas Dubai Hills Dubai Hills Mall, Al Khail Road, Dubai

    Relatable comedy for many from the likeable, hard-working South African stand-up with his new one-man show. He’s turned 40, is middle-aged and married, and has a few complaints about the situation … A Dubai Comedy Festival gig.

    AED 180
  • Mo Gilligan

    Dubai Opera

    Mo Gilligan is black, British and very funny – he’s very good at observational comedy with a very distinctive take on British culture, especially from his home milieu (South London). He says his influences include Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock; [ ... ]

    From AED 195
  • LAST CHANCE Ana Mazzei: How to disappear

    Green Art Gallery Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    The Brazilian artist has been given regular solo shows at Green Art Gallery every couple of years, and they're always interesting. Her widely (and sometimes wildly) experimental practice appropriates different materials, connecting to the environments in which she works; art, [ ... ]

    Free
  • Omran Younis: Rise of the Cactus

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

    A new body of work in this solo exhibition from Syrian artist Orman Younis offers "a poignant social commentary on his surroundings, the human condition, and current state of political affairs in the region" that "combines ideas of post-Modernism with [ ... ]

    Free
  • Torn

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

    A second day of performances (4pm, 7.30pm, 9.30pm) for this world premiere of a new play written and directed by the award-winning Australian writer/director Alex Broun, well known to Dubai audiences for the past 15 or so years (not least [ ... ]

    From AED 100
  • Emirati Showcase

    Roxy Cinemas Dubai Hills Dubai Hills Mall, Al Khail Road, Dubai

    A selection of local standup talent from the UAE for this English-language Dubai Comedy Festival gig – Abdallah Alansari, aka the Emirati Puppet Master; Ali Saleh Awadh; Abdalla Al Qassab; Saif Almherie; and Obaid Ali Obaid.

    From AED 150
  • Riaad Moosa: Live in Dubai

    Roxy Cinemas Dubai Hills Dubai Hills Mall, Al Khail Road, Dubai

    South Africa’s favourite doctor-turned-comedian, Riaad Moosa is back in town for a Dubai Comedy Festival gig. He’s very good on observational comedy and he’s not short of an opinion or two, based particularly on his experiences as a Muslim and [ ... ]

    AED 180
  • Comedy Bizarre 7

    Dubai Opera Studio Downtown Dubai, Dubai

    This Dubai Comedy festival showcase provides nightly entertainment from an eclectic mix of (mostly local) standups at a pretty good price. Tonight it’s Joshua Dias, John Hague, Bronwyn Byrnes, Sadiq Saboowala, and Rami Salame, hosted by
 Yash Bhardwaj.

    AED 75
  • LAST CHANCE Posters for Gaza

    Zawyeh Gallery Warehouse 27, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

    An exhibition of posters produced specifically for this exhibition by 26 artists who come together to shed light on the ethnic cleansing and horrific massacres taking place in the Gaza Strip and to demand the recognition of Palestinian rights to [ ... ]

    Free
  • Torn

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

    The final day of performances (7.30pm and 9.30pm) for this world premiere of a new play written and directed by the award-winning Australian writer/director Alex Broun. Torn is described as "a sexy, fast-paced, brutal, funny and at times moving dissection [ ... ]

    From AED 100
  • Dubai Singers & Orchestra: Verdi Requiem

    Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi

    What looks like the largest and most ambitious concert yet – in nearly 60 years of performance – for Dubai Singers & Orchestra. Some 90 singers and a 60-piece orchestra will perform the seven-part requiem mass, one of classical music’s [ ... ]

    From AED 150
  • Comedy at Melrose

    Melrose Paramount Midtown, Al Mustaqbal Street, Dubai

    Dubomedy's regular Sunday evening stand-up gig has quickly become established, not least because it's free (you do have to pre-register to get on the list) and always entertaining – you never know who you're going to see, and while the [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Comedy Bizarre 8

    Dubai Opera Studio Downtown Dubai, Dubai

    This Dubai Comedy festival showcase provides nightly entertainment from an eclectic mix of (mostly local) standups at a pretty good price. Tonight it’s Sahar Ali, Adi Thomas, Maher Barwany, Tabarak Razvi, Amr Elassal, and Imah Dumagay, hosted by
 Liz Bains.

    AED 75
  • LAST CHANCE Moataz Nasr: Bottle Neck

    Burj Al Arab Dubai

    New and existing 3D work by the Egyptian artist, whose practice aims to explore the intersection of tradition and globalisation and the impact of political and economic development. The title Bottle Neck reflects “the overload of information that creates a [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Bye Bye Tiberias: dir Lina Soualem (2022)

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

    Thirty years ago, Hiam Abbass left her native village in Galilee to follow her acting dream in France. Camera in hand, her daughter Lina questions her mother’s bold choices and the way the women in her family – who she [ ... ]

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

    Free but donations welcome
  • LAST CHANCE CC: cARTpets

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

    Outsider artist CC, better known to his mum as Alireza Asbahi, shows his latest collection of carpets and hangings. It's quirky, interesting art that collages and layers materials and shapes. His works have the same kind of raw energy that [ ... ]

    Free
  • Sound On: PODTALKS DXB 1

    Warehouse Four Al Quoz, Dubai

    First in a series of seminars on podcasting organised by Warehouse Four and professional AV equipment supplier Advanced Media. Each will feature a keynote presentation by a prominent podcaster, focussing hopefully on the process of producing compelling content, followed by [ ... ]

    AED 65
  • Délicieux: dir Éric Besnard (2020)

    Alliance Française Dubai Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    The French do films about food really rather well. This tale of a pioneering restaurant around the time of the Revolution is a sweet and savoury tribute to food, pleasure and égalité at a particularly piquant moment in French history, [ ... ]

    AED 45
  • Fridge Concert Series season 43: Lexie | Ryan Keen

    The Fridge Warehouse Warehouse 5, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

    The Fridge Concert Series has always been A Good Thing – typically new(ish) and local(ish) artists given a decent set in a well-equipped space with a supportive audience. Season 43 kicks off with Dubai-based British singer/songwriter Lexie, offering pop and [ ... ]

    AED 80
  • BRED Abu Dhabi

    Yas Bay Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

    The second edition of "the Middle East’s neo-culture festival" aims to celebrate the region’s art, fashion and musical tastes (specifically grime and hip-hop) with local and international artists, local and international food outlets, gaming, basketball showdowns, streetwear stalls, curated art, [ ... ]

    From AED 75
  • (De)Constructing the Virtual Character in Motion Pictures 

    NYUAD Campus, Conference Centre NYUAD Campus, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    In the last 30 years, virtual characters in motion pictures have grown from a novelty to a staple of movie-making. This talk for the NYU Abu Dhabi Institute examines is by Luca Fascione, a senior ray tracing engineer for NVIDIA; [ ... ]

    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
  • Alice Sara Ott: Echoes of Life

    Dubai Opera

    The remarkable young German-Japanese pianist has been winning awards since she was seven; this performance sounds equally impressive in its own way, an autobiographical musical journey built around Chopin's 24 Preludes (the CD also has seven contemporary works to complete [ ... ]

    From AED 190
  • Elena Butko and Jasbir Saggu

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

    The chance to exhibit in an undeniable architectural icon designed by a starchitect (and priced to attract HNIs) doesn't come along every day. ME Dubai's Cultural Connections programme for the spring features vivid abstracts by Elena Butko and "multidimensional landscapes [ ... ]

    Free
  • Féminin Pluriel: Beyond the City – Chapter 2

    Alliance Française Dubai Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    "A most exotic dreamlike journey" promises the blurb for this successor to the first Beyond the City show last November. Art collective Féminin Pluriel returns with work by Bénédicte Gimonnet; collective memebrs Alison Ladegaillerie, Agnès Sheikh, Alexandra Raynaud, Bénédicte Joland-Chazelle, [ ... ]

    Free
  • Khaled Akil: The Infinite & The Finite

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

    A solo show for the artist’s recent work – which aims to depict “the unseen, the felt, and the omnipresent”. Akil creates his compositions through dozens of thin layers, creating depth while avoiding impasto; “the drying process presents and provokes [ ... ]

    Free
  • Oussama Diab and Wadeei Khaled: A Real Bad Dream

    Centro Capital Centre by Rotana Al Khaleej Al Arabi St, Abu Dhabi

    Tales of displacement and resilience from the Palestinian-Syrian Dutch artist Oussama Diab and Palestinian Wadeei Khaled. "Viewers are invited to explore the delicate terrain of individual and collective memories, manifested in the rich variety of Diab and Khaled’s artworks." The [ ... ]

    Free
  • Powerpointless

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

    Improvised PowerPoint presentations. The speakers face a live audience, presenting slides they’ve never seen before, on a topic determined at random by our ‘Wheel of Destiny’. Virtually guaranteed to be funny ... It's free, but you need to put your [ ... ]

    Free but donations welcome
  • LAST CHANCE Laura Lappi: Metamorphosis

    Firetti Contemporary Unit 29, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

    The first solo exhibition in the MENA region for the Finnish artist. Her work draws inspiration from ancient basilicas, cathedrals, and other Scandinavian wooden structures. Using wood as her primary medium, Lappi establishes a direct connection to her homeland and [ ... ]

    Free
  • Gold and Treasures: 3,000 Years of Chinese Ornaments

    L’ÉCOLE Middle East Building 10, Dubai Design District, Dubai

    L'ÉCOLE Middle East – Van Cleef and Arpels' school of jewellery arts– is celebrating its opening in Dubai Design District with this spectacular exhibition. The clue is of course in the name: the pieces on show (a hundred or so [ ... ]

    Free
  • Cirque Du Soleil: CRYSTAL

    Etihad Arena Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

    "This mesmerising amalgamation of acrobatic excellence" is "a truly breathtaking entertainment phenomenon", opines the organiser's press release. Even allowing for the hyperbole, there’s a good chance that all that will be true: it’s Cirque du Soleil, after all, and for [ ... ]

    From AED 175
  • Artists’s Talk: Khaled Akil & Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi

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

    A conversation between Khaled Akil and Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi supporting the Aleppo-born artist’s first solo show at the gallery. Akil began his career with photography "and gradually liberated himself through different media"; his work suggests that this will be [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Bull

    The Fridge Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Dubai Drama Group reprises its 2023 production of Mike Bartlett’s Bull – a title which may be short for bullshit, but which also suggests bullying and bullfighting. Both of those are highly relevant. Three business people wait to hear which [ ... ]

    AED 100
  • The UAE Classical Talents: A Night of Immortal French Melodies

    Alliance Française Dubai Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    A cocktail reception (8-8.30pm) followed by a recital by the multitalented tenor Joseph Terterian and his pianist Nareg Abajian. We're promised "a unique crossover night of music diversity" from France, including arias by Bizet, Gounod and Massenet; songs made famous [ ... ]

    AED 130
  • The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

    Mövenpick Hotel JBR Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    This month's Laughter Factory standup tour has a genuinely good selection of acts: Ron Josol a winner at the Just for Laughs festival, has toured with Kevin Hart Julian Dean "deliciously twisted ... a stream of seriously good gags ... [ ... ]

    AED 160