In the last few years the Ras Al Khaimah Art Festival has grown into a solid contributor to the UAE’s arts and culture scene, with a community-oriented twist to the mix of exhibitions, performances, workshops and film screenings. There’s always [ ... ]
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 [ ... ]
The Middle East's newest art fair opens with a core presentation of 87 galleries and 84 artists (more than half of whom come from the region) plus a Special Projects programme of nine large-scale, site-specific sculptures, installations, and performances in [ ... ]
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 [ ... ]
Huma Shoaib has always been an interesting, thoughtful artist, creating patterns from sacred geometry and looking for analogies in life and nature. She often uses paper cut silhouettes layered with detailed graphite drawings that typically adds three-dimensional depth to otherwise [ ... ]
The debut exhibition in the UAE by the emerging Egyptian artist draws inspiration from Hawam's hometown of El Mahalla El Kubra in Gharbeya Governorate – its countryside, colours, and the faces of people who shaped his early life. Working in [ ... ]
The Jameel's introduction to careers in the creative sector, aimed primarily at school and college students, is back. Past editions were given to somewhat unwieldy titles, and this one continues the trend with Art as a Voice: How do you [ ... ]
An opportunity for writers – novelists, poets, journalists, bloggers, and more – to meet, exchange ideas, and network: "connect with fellow book lovers, spark new collaborations, and feel part of a shared creative space ... An evening of conversation, inspiration, [ ... ]
A second performance for H72's production of David Lindsay-Abaire's play about a family navigating love, loss, and the possibility of finding light in unexpected places. The final show is on 8 February.
This UAE National Orchestra concert looks like a really interesting (and challenging) option – music by the baroque master composer rescored for the instruments, modes and sounds of the Arab world: "a musical dialogue emerges, as harpsichord converses with qanun and [ ... ]
Culture Emulsion’s production (in French, of course) of the popular comedy by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de la Patellière that premiered in 2010 and went on to become a successful film adaptation. It’s a story about names and family relationships; [ ... ]
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 [ ... ]
"An avant-garde concept, electrifying soundscapes, and themed masks, bringing together art, architecture, and nightlife for a truly unique after-hours experience ..." Third time out for the Louvre's club night, featuring a DJ set from the Blaze at 10pm with techno [ ... ]
Filipino indie folk-pop band known for soulful melodies and rich harmonies come to the Main Stage at Global Village. The gig is free with general admission.
Maria Laura may be well established in Dubai, but she's originally from Cuba; and it shows in her passion for music – which covers multiple genres, including pop, RnB, and soul. She's a good jazz singer, too, especially of course [ ... ]
The most comprehensive solo exhibition to date of Brazilian artist Leda Catunda outside her home country. Sharjah Art Foundation is presenting four decades of Catunda’s practice, tracing the transformation of her art from figurative painting to hybrid forms that explore [ ... ]
More than 30 new paintings, offering a comprehensive survey of the artist’s recent work. This show approaches ancestry as a living presence rather than a distant past, reflecting on civilizations whose surviving traces – clay tablets, systems of law and [ ... ]
While Jorge Tacla was only an adolescent during the 1973 coup against Chile’s democratically-elected socialist president Salvador Allende, the upheaval left an irrevocable mark on his politics and practice. Titled after a line from a TS Eliot poem, Tacla’s "most [ ... ]
The motifs of the sun and its intense heat as well as the sand and its pervasive orange hue often serve to represent and condense the Gulf’s complex ecologies and aspirations. This selection of recent and newly commissioned works by [ ... ]
The Jameel's introduction to careers in the creative sector, aimed primarily at school and college students, continues with its mix of stands run by potential employers and educators (over 30 UAE organisations and universities) and a busy programme of workshops [ ... ]
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 [ ... ]
The Expo City-funded all-women ensemble celebrates Chinese New Year under the Al Wasl Dome: "blending the elegance of a symphonic performance with the beauty of traditional East Asian melodies, the concert captures the joy, hope, and togetherness that define this [ ... ]
Dubomedy's standup night at Social Distrikt – good vibes, good comedy, and "you never know who will pop in". Recommended. It's free, but it's popular, so pre-booking is recommended to get a seat. And there's a minimum spend of one [ ... ]
Final performance for H72's production of David Lindsay-Abaire's play about a family navigating love, loss, and the possibility of finding light in unexpected places.
Japanese pianist Fuko Ishii demonstrates why she was the winner of the 17th Grieg International Piano Competition in 2022. Praised for her sensitivity and colour, she has put together an all-Grieg recital programme that highlights the composer’s variety: Norwegian Dances, [ ... ]
This solo show includes works created over several years, using acrylic, pastel, ink, charcoal, and found materials such as wood, fabric, and recycled objects. At the centre of the exhibition is the recurring image of the chair, appearing as a [ ... ]
421's Winter season of talks and panel discussions developed in collaboration with afikra, Localized Futures, explores the future of key cultural and civic sectors through a regional lens – challenging the dominant global narrative by looking at the complexities, innovations, and [ ... ]
MadCat’s standup team at their regular stop at the Easy Tiger bar in Abu Dhabi's Al Ain Palace. The door price of AED 99 includes two drinks ...
The debut solo exhibition in the Middle East for the Chinese-born London-based artist, known for her luscious sweeps of colour and a mordant wit (“Good Girls Go To Heaven, Cool Girls Go Everywhere”). This show presents a new body of [ ... ]
Works resulting from a year of profound transformation initiated by the artist’s journey to Nepal, "where inner awareness and self-observation became central to her practice". Radchenko’s visual language combines painting, collage, symbolism, and layered cultural references, creating compositions that are [ ... ]
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 [ ... ]
This adventure-ish drama, written as well as directed by Shahad Ameen, follows Saudi grandmother Sitti travelling from Taif to Mecca to perform Hajj with her two granddaughters, 12-year-old Janna and 18-year-old Sarah. But before they reach their destination, Sarah disappears, [ ... ]
The Courtyard's popular evening of elimination improv. 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 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 [ ... ]
Madcat brings "Dubai's wildest comedy night" to the Fanzone Sports Bar on Palm Jumeirah– "insane laughs" are promised. The door price of AED 99 includes two drinks ...
Curated by Nada Shabout of NYUAD's al Mawrid Arab Center for the Study of Art, this exhibition investigates and celebrates the work and influence of one of the most important art movement of the mid-Century Middle East. Dr Shabout brings [ ... ]
Inspired by the experience of living and working alongside people from across the globe in the UAE, this exhibition by the UAE-based Guatemalan artist on a theme that will resonate with many expats – where actually is 'home'? It features [ ... ]
A writers’ group intended for writers to practice their craft without the pressures of producing a final outcome, designed to provide a supportive environment for writers to write alone yet in a group. You're invited to polish your writing skills [ ... ]
The classic Studio Ghibli / Hayao Miyazaki animated fantasy – young girl inadvertently enters the world of kami (spirits of Japanese Shinto folklore). Almost universally praised and frequently appears in Best Films lists. Part of the Movies Under the Stars [ ... ]
It's that time of year again, and the Courtyard is celebrating it with three consecutive nights of long-form impro based on anecdotes that follow real stories from the audience about relationships shaped by one kiss and everything that follows. "It’s [ ... ]
Specialising in Arabic classical music, the Omani singer Sama Al Taei brings to life the repertoires of Fairouz, Umm Kulthum, Warda Al Jazairia, and Mohamed Abdelwahab – "a captivating musical journey through the heart of Arabic musical heritage".
MadCat Comedy's regular stop in Silicon Oasis promises "insane laughs every week", with a Ramadan-friendly later-than-usual start. The door price of AED 99 includes one drink and popcorn.
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 [ ... ]
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. [ ... ]
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; [ ... ]
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 [ ... ]
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 [ ... ]
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 [ ... ]
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 [ ... ]
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 [ ... ]
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