• Jean Boghossian: Flames

    Sy Regis Hotel Doha The Pearl Qatar, Doha, Qatar

    A solo show for Doha's Anima Gallery in which the Belgian-Lebanese artist explores themes of environmental conservation, the wrath of nature, and the impacts of war in the Middle East via several series of works that illustrate the transformative power [ ... ]

    Free
  • Culture Bus: Art Dubai

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

    The excellent Culture Bus trip gives you the third and final day of Art Dubai (which is usually the quietest, so it's the best one for seeing art). You'll get three hours on site: 10.30am: Depart from 421 11.50pm: Arrive [ ... ]

    AED 30
  • ¡Fiesta Flamenca!

    Theatre of Digital Arts Souk Madinat Jumeriah, Dubai

    German Cova and his musicians (guitar, piano, tabla and one dancer) in a 75-minute tribute to the Spanish flamenco virtuoso Paco de Lucìa. "Every aspect of this vibrant show will leave you breathless," promises the blurb, and of course there's [ ... ]

    From AED 190
  • Kamasi Washington

    Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi

    The top saxophonist and bandleader redefines jazz boundaries with a progressive approach, fusing jazz, hip-hop, R&B, and classical music. For this Abu Dhabi Festival concert he has a 12-strong band and we’re promised “a unique and unforgettable experience” that is [ ... ]

    From AED 150
  • Cello Master

    Dubai Opera

    The titular cellist is the exciting young Franco-Belgian star Camille Thomas, playing with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra under the noted Norwegian conductor Eivind Gullberg Jensen. This InClassica concert has a lively programme that should bring out the best in her: [ ... ]

    From AED 199
  • Dreams of Miyazaki

    Theatre of Digital Arts Souk Madinat Jumeriah, Dubai

    A journey in 360° space through the worlds created by Hayao Miyazaki & Joe Hisaishi with the Armenian pianist Gayane Aslanyan. "In 60 minutes, she will transport you to a realm of wonder and fantasy where imagination knows no bounds [ ... ]

    From AED 240
  • The Gold Rush: dir Charles Chaplin (1925)

    Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    Charlie Chaplin’s tramp goes looking for gold and fortune in the Klondike, gets mixed up with some burly characters, falls in love with the beautiful Georgia (Georgia Hale) and tries to win her heart ... It's the now-familiar mix, but [ ... ]

    Free
  • Xinjiang is a Nice Place

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

    The Xinjiang Art Theatre Song and Dance Troupe celebrate the Chinese New Year with this colourful, large-scale epic of music, dance and spectacle that depicts the colourful culture of Xinjiang – a vast region of deserts and mountains in northwest [ ... ]

    From AED 150
  • Shehan Karunatilaka: Writing Across Borders

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

    Shehan Karunatilaka, the 2022 Booker Prize Winner, talks with NYUAD Visiting Professor of Literature and Creative Writing Harshana Rambukwella. Karunatilaka’s fiction combines the surreal and the drakly humorous, notably in his Booker winner The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida – [ ... ]

    Free
  • The Holdovers: dir Alexander Payne (2023)

    Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    A warm-hearted and thoughtful holiday story of three lonely, shipwrecked people who find support in the most unlikely of places. A curmudgeonly teacher (Paul Giamatti) is forced to remain on campus at a New England prep school over Christmas to [ ... ]

    Free
  • Fridge Concert Series 42: Dina Stars | Yohaan Samuel

    The Fridge Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Dina Stars closes out Series 42 with her dynamic performance and a set that runs the gamut from power ballads to dance-pop. Support comes from singer-songwriter Yohaan Samuel.          

    AED 70
  • Sharjah Light Festival

    [various Sharjah locations]

    Regular readers will know that magpie has always been a fan of the Sharjah Light Festival, the 13th edition of which runs 7 to 18 February. SLF is being joined by two more light festivals that have emerged in the [ ... ]

    Free
  • Ökozid | Ecocide: dir Andres Veiel (2020)

    Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    ÖKOZID / ECOCIDE Director: Andres Veiel Feature, Germany, 2020, 90 min. Starring Nina Kunzendorf, Friederike Becht, Edgar Selge and Ulrich Tukur February 7, 2024 @ 7pm, at Manarat Al Saadiyat It is the year 2034 and drought and flooding are [ ... ]

    Free
  • Aakash Odedra & Aditi Mangaldas: Mehek

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

    The world premiere of a new dance piece, devised and performed by two of the pre-eminent South Asian dancers of their time – Aakash Odedra, well known to Abu Dhabi audiences from previous visits; and Aditi Mangaldas, a dancer and [ ... ]

    AED 105
  • 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
  • André Butzer: Becoming Matisse

    Carbon 12 Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    A solo show from one of Carbon 12's regulars. Butzer's style is characterised by "Disney figures painted by Munch": iconic characters, expressive language, deceptively careful use of colour, all done in "in honour of Henri Matisse" says the artrist. "Simultaneously [ ... ]

    Free
  • Paisan (Paisà): dir Roberto Rossellini (1946)

    Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    Rossellini’s follow-up to his breakout Rome Open City (Roma città aperta) is an ambitious and moving look at the final days of war in Italy and the confusion that follows in its wake. This classic of neo-realist cinema is presented [ ... ]

    Free
  • Aakash Odedra & Aditi Mangaldas: Mehek

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

    The second and final performance of the world premiere of a new dance piece, devised and performed by two of the pre-eminent South Asian dancers of their time – Aakash Odedra, well known to Abu Dhabi audiences from previous visits; [ ... ]

    AED 105
  • Le Dîner de Cons

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

    Francis Veber's highly successful modern French farce gets the Culture Emulsion treatment. Pierre Brochant is one of the Parisian businessmen who have a weekly 'idiots' dinner', where guests bring along a dimwit who can be ridiculed. Brochant finds an excellent [ ... ]

    AED 150
  • Perhaps Here

    Sharjah Art Foundation – Bait Al Serkal Arts Square, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

    Borrowing its title from Khulood Al Mualla’s fourth book of poetry Rubbama Huna, Perhaps Here explores the orbits of contemporary imagination through a variety of live performances. This event will feature artists from diverse disciplines who will share their works [ ... ]

    Free
  • The Jazz Night with Winck

    Theatre of Digital Arts Souk Madinat Jumeriah, Dubai

    ToDA transforms into a jazz venue for live performance accompanied by a 360° immersive show: this time it's Luisa Winck with keyboard and drums in a 90-minute set. Expect a range from soulful ballads to upbeat foot-tappers ...     [ ... ]

    From AED 170
  • Timothy Chooi & Chanyong Chin: Massenet, Prokofiev, de Saraste

    Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    An evening featuring some of the favourite pieces of violin virtuoso Timothy Chooi  – notably Pablo de Saraste’s thundering Zigeunerweisen (Gipsy music) and Massenet's more delicate Méditation from Thaïs – in a programme that mixes popular works of the classical [ ... ]

    From AED 50
  • Le Dîner de Cons

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

    A second performance of Francis Veber's highly successful modern French farce by Culture Emulsion. Pierre Brochant is one of the Parisian businessmen who have a weekly 'idiots' dinner', where guests bring along a dimwit who can be ridiculed. Brochant finds [ ... ]

    AED 150
  • Laughter Factory: ‘Irrelevant But Hilarious!’

    Mövenpick Hotel JBR Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    This Laughter Factory tour carries a label that sets the bar quite high, but we do like a bit of ambition. The comics: Steven Biggs Netflix and HBO alumnus making his Middle East debut. Signing him is described as "a [ ... ]

    AED 160
  • Naser Al Sughaiyer: Lisan

    Jaddaf Waterfront Sculpture Park Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai

    A semi-fictional sound-walk in the Jaddaf Waterfront Sculpture Park, departing from the Jameel and following the Dubai Creek along the Jaddaf waterfront. It is an immersive and interactive experience narrated by a 12-year-old girl, leading audiences through contrasting natural and [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Nemr

    Festival City Mall Dubai

    The Lebanese/American comic is touring a new stand-up show (his eight major tour, by our count). Expect inch-perfect delivery, a great ability to work the room, and especially spot-on commentary on the world's recent experiences. Recommended, even at these prices. [ ... ]

    From AED 200
  • NEOclassica with Arash Behzadi

    Theatre of Digital Arts Souk Madinat Jumeriah, Dubai

    Arash Behzadi plays his own compositions, "neoclassical musical narratives reflecting the ups and downs of life ... Passion, love, yearning, heartache and solace: all these feelings will come alive", accompanied by ToDA's 360° visuals. The excellent Soren Lyng Hansen guests [ ... ]

    From AED 190
  • Hana El-Sagini: Counting Fingers

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

    A solo exhibition that presents a newly commissioned large-scale installation rooted in the instability and fragility of the human experience — more than 200 fantastical ceramic objects arranged as surreal sculptures and structures that replicate and reimagine healthcare spaces, such [ ... ]

    Free
  • Network Culture

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

    This exhibition presents projects by 12 of the participants in 421’s Homebound Residency Program, which ran annually from spring 2020 to fall 2023; it is both a celebration of the work produced during the programme and an acknowledgement of the [ ... ]

    Free
  • Gone With the Wind: dir Victor Fleming (1939)

    Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Olivia de Havilland and Hattie McDaniel star in one of the classic American movies. It won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. A genuine bucket-list movie, and good value for a run time of nearly four [ ... ]

    Free
  • Pretty Yende / Francesco Demuro

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

    South African soprano Pretty Yende and the Sardinian tenor Francesco Demuro come together for an Abu Dhabi Festival programme that includes extracts from Donizetti, Verdi, Bellini, and Gounod. Vincenzo Scalera (piano) accompanies. Programme: Puccini Che Gelida Manina, from La Bohème [ ... ]

    AED 100
  • Rom Com at Melrose

    Melrose Paramount Midtown, Al Mustaqbal Street, Dubai

    Dubomedy does Valentines in an evening of stand-up, musical, improv, "and more themed surprises". Admission is free but you need to RSVP if you want a seat ...  

    Free, but pre-register
  • The Eternal Memory (La memoria infinita): dir Maite Alberdi (2023)

    Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    This critically acclaimed Chilean documentary film follows the relationship of Chilean journalist Augusto Góngora, one of Chile's most prominent cultural journalists and TV presenters, and actress Paulina Urrutia (who served as Minister of Culture and the Arts of the country [ ... ]

    Free
  • Valentine’s Special: Heart 2 Heart

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

    A night of romance, love, heartbreak, and guaranteed laughter as the Courtyard's improvisers turn the audience’s real life stories into entertaining scenes for our benefit. First of three consecutive nights (each of which will probably be completely different).  

    Free, but donations welcome
  • Yamen Saadi

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

    The young Palestinian violinist was appointed concertmaster of the Vienna State Opera Orchestra in 2022 (he was previously concertmaster with the Daniel Barenboim’s West-Eastern Divan Orchestra) but he maintains a busy career as both a soloist and chamber musician. His [ ... ]

    AED 100
  • Valentine’s Special: Heart 2 Heart

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

    A night of romance, love, heartbreak, and guaranteed laughter as the Courtyard's improvisers turn the audience’s real life stories into entertaining scenes for our benefit. Second of three consecutive nights (each of which will probably be completely different).     [ ... ]

    Free, but donations welcome
  • Sharjah Architecture Triennial: Material & Land Narratives

    The Sharjah Architecture Triennial (SAT) is hosting the final day of public programme for its second edition, The Beauty of Impermanence: An Architecture of Adaptability, which runs until 10 March. 'Material & Land Narratives' explores the regenerative potential of earthen [ ... ]

    Free
  • Valentine’s Special: Heart 2 Heart

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

    A night of romance, love, heartbreak, and guaranteed laughter as the Courtyard's improvisers turn the audience’s real life stories into entertaining scenes for our benefit. The last – and most apposite – of three consecutive nights (each of which will [ ... ]

    Free, but donations welcome
  • Chinasa Ezugha: The Narrow Path – Glossolalia in Public

    NYUAD Project Space NYUAD Campus, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi

    A performance film, the second in a series of three performance projects by the artist in which the act of glossolalia — speaking in tongues — can be seen as a ceremonial performance. Transcending ordinary verbal communication, it keys in [ ... ]

    Free
  • UNTOLD Dubai

    Expo City Dubai Dubai

    Four days of top dance music for the first UNTOLD festival to be held outside Europe – “over 100 talents from around the world, boasting something for every modern-music lover” (some latino, some pop, some afrobeat, but mostly house and [ ... ]

    From AED 300
  • Future Experts: AI in arts and culture

    Museum of the Future Trade Centre 2, Sheikh Zayed Rd, Dubai

    Some of the sessions in the Museum of the Future's Future Experts talks series have been a tad over-technical, but this one should hit the mark. Apparently it's designed "to ignite intellectual discussions and foster collaborative exploration at the intersection [ ... ]

    AED 100
  • An Affair to Remember: dir Leo McCarey (1957)

    Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    A poignant love story, delivered impeccably (as always) by Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr who fall in love on an ocean liner headed for New York. Sadly they're each engaged to someone else, so they take the mature option and [ ... ]

    Free
  • Laughter Factory: ‘Irrelevant But Hilarious!’

    Al Habtoor Polo Resort Al Safa 5, Emirates Road 611, Dubai

    The second weekend for this Laughter Factory tour. It carries a label that sets the bar quite high, but we do like a bit of ambition. The comics: Steven Biggs Netflix and HBO alumnus making his Middle East debut. Signing [ ... ]

    AED 160
  • The Circle Was a Point

    Foundry Downtown Boulevard Crescent, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, Dubai

    A group exhibition, presented by Barjeel Art Foundation and curated by Sama Alshaibi and Amir Hazim, described as "a mediation of" the Barjeel's photography collection."In the spirit of photography’s defiance of uniformity, the exhibition articulates Middle Eastern and North African [ ... ]

    Free
  • Fiorenzo Manganielo

    Foundry Downtown Boulevard Crescent, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, Dubai

    Fiorenzo’s artworks aims to encapsulate the essence of the millennial era, capturing the dynamic interplay between technology and human experience. This collection offers "a contemplative exploration" of how virtual reality and artificial intelligence are making a comeback (sic) in our [ ... ]

    Free
  • Present Illuminations

    Foundry Downtown Boulevard Crescent, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, Dubai

    Works by three prominent Iranian contemporary artists – Farah Ossouli, Elham Pourkhani, Abbas Shahsavar, Khadim Ali – whose practices are profoundly influenced by Persian miniatures. Presented by Bavan Gallery and curated by Takin Aghdashloo. To 24 March.    

    Free
  • AGH1 – Kim Asendorf, Andreas Gysin, Leander Herzog

    Foundry Downtown Boulevard Crescent, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, Dubai

    A collaborative project by Kim Asendorf, Andreas Gysin, and Leander Herzog that "glorifies" the computer through generative art and architectural coding. Their work seamlessly integrates aesthetic elegance and complex algorithms. Presented by Fakewhale and curated by Giuseppe Moscatello, this is [ ... ]

    Free
  • Alicia Keys

    Saadiyat Nights Jacques Chirac Street, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi

    Another big name for Abu Dhabi's new open-air venue, Saadiyat Nights. By all accounts the venue on Saadiyat's Jacques Chirac Street is a great success: it's quite big, but manages a quite intimate feeling (and the seats are comfortable). But [ ... ]

    From AED 295
  • Laughter Factory: ‘Irrelevant But Hilarious!’

    Radisson DAMAC Hills Hessa Street Dubailand, Dubai

    The second weekend for this Laughter Factory tour. It carries a label that sets the bar quite high, but we do like a bit of ambition. The comics: Steven Biggs Netflix and HBO alumnus making his Middle East debut. Signing [ ... ]

    AED 160