Events
Mississippi Masala: dir Mira Nair (1991)
Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesThe vibrant cultures of India, Uganda, and the American South come together in Mira Nair’s Mississippi Masala, a luminous look at the complexities of love in a modern melting pot. Years after her Indian family was forced to flee their [ ... ]
Free
Hakili Koura: A New Mentality
NYUAD East Plaza Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesYahael Camara Onono, the master djembe drummer and innovative band leader of Balimaya Project, present a night of song, dance, discovery, discussion, and history, rooted in the folklore of the Mandé peoples of West Africa. Hakili Koura aims to share [ ... ]
AED 105Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial: FLEX* by Load na Dito
FLEX* is a talking and listening game created by Manila-based curatorial and research initiative Load na Dito; participants explore the meaning of words based on personal experiences while moulding clay. Inspired by the city’s ubiquitous gift shops, the accompanying installation will [ ... ]
Free, but pre-registerLAST CHANCE Candice Lin: Night Stone
Jameel Arts Centre Al Jaddaf, DubaiThe Los Angeles-based artist’s first solo exhibition in West Asia. Through ceramics, liquids and organic materials, Lin spotlights histories of trade, colonialism and extraction in this new central installation. It's co-commissioned with the Biennale of Sydney and Monash University Museum [ ... ]
FreePublic Art Abu Dhabi Biennial: Bik Van der Pol’s The poem that jumps the fence
Abu Dhabi Beach Al Hisn Street, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesArtist duo Bik Van der Pol (Liesbeth Bik and Jos Van der Pol) engage in collaborative projects on how art constructs public spaces for speculative thought and collective creativity. The poem that jumps the fence features weekly performances on Abu [ ... ]
Free, but pre-registerWhale Rider: dir Niki Caro (2002)
Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesKeisha Castle-Hughes stars as a twelve-year-old Māori girl whose ambition is to become the chief of the tribe – a role traditionally reserved for males. Although disregarded by her grandfather and shunned by the people of her village, she is [ ... ]
FreeRemote Abu Dhabi by Rimini Protokoll
Rimini Protokoll pushes the boundaries of conventional theatre. During this performance walk within the collective’s ‘Remote X’ series (2013–ongoing), you are invited to explore the growing presence of artificial intelligence in future cities; for this tour, designed specifically for Abu [ ... ]
Free, but pre-registerLAST CHANCE Chaouki Choukini: Citadelles of Today
Green Art Gallery Dubai, United Arab EmiratesNew work by the Lebanese-born Paris-based sculptor. Working mainly in wood but occasionally in marble or stone, Choukini's aethetic may appear somewhat primitivist; in fact his sculptures exhibit a sophisticated interrogation of organic and mechanical worlds. To 20 January.
FreeLAST CHANCE Alyazia Al Nahyan: In the Breath of Decay
Iris Projects Studio 20, Madar 39, MiZa, Port Zayed, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesA solo show for the Emirati artist to open this new gallery in Abu Dhabi’s Mina al Zayed. Al Nahyan’s practice is based on foraging -- materials she collects on her walks through her family farm and elsewhere, are accentuated [ ... ]
FreeLAST CHANCE Marina Fedorova: Cosmodreams | Elementa
Fann à Porter The Workshop, Villa 45, St. 23b, off Al Wasl Road (opposite Box Park), Jumeirah 2, DubaiA solo show for Marina Fedorova featuring painting, graphics, limited-edition colour prints, 3D printing, and augmented-reality pieces. Says the gallery: "Fedorova creates a diverse space that connects the distant cosmos with everyday life, providing critical reflections on the evolution of [ ... ]
FreeLAST CHANCE Neither Here ~ Nor Elsewhere
The Third Line Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesA group exhibition curated by Sanaz Askari that brings together a diverse collective of artists from across Africa and Asia – Faissal El-Malak, Hayv Kahraman, Mahsa Merci, Michael Ho, Omar Mismar, Sam Samiee, Sophia Al-Maria, Soufiane Ababri, Tahmineh Monzavi, and [ ... ]
Free
Dance Will Be You
Efiɛ Gallery 2 Al Khayat Art Avenue, First Al Khail Street, DubaiEfie Gallery continues its commendable promotion of artists of African origin with this group show featuring María Magdalena Campos-Pons, ahead of her debut solo exhibition in the Middle East at Efie in April, alongside works by JK Bruce-Vanderpuije, Dina Nur Satti and Myles Igwebuike. [ ... ]
FreeLAST CHANCE Edgar Orlaineta: What We See of Things is the Things
CARBON 12 17th Street, Dubai, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesA solo show for the Mexican artist whose practice focuses on hybrid sculptural forms that draw inspiration from modernism, popular culture, and specific historic moments. In particular, Orlaineta explores post-war design and architecture, generally depicting biomorphic shapes with a strong [ ... ]
Free
Quoz Arts Fest
Alserkal Avenue Al Quoz 1, DubaiQuoz Arts Fest returns for its 12th edition, filling Alserkal Avenue with music, food and family-friendly fun from 10am to 11pm for the weekend. It looks like the biggest and best Quoz Fest yet; there's a lot of music (Bull [ ... ]
Weekend pass AED63
Al Hosn Festival
Al Hosn Abu DhabiTwo weeks of Emirati culture, past and present – "a living expression of Abu Dhabi’s cultural heritage" – in what is probably the traditional heart of Abu Dhabi. Building on the success of the last festival, the 2025 event sees [ ... ]
AED 35Remote Al Ain by Rimini Protokoll
Rimini Protokoll pushes the boundaries of conventional theatre. During this performance walk within the collective’s ‘Remote X’ series (2013–ongoing), you are invited to explore the growing presence of artificial intelligence in future cities; for this tour, designed specifically for Al [ ... ]
Free, but pre-registerPublic Art Abu Dhabi Biennial: FLEX* by Load na Dito
FLEX* is a talking and listening game created by Manila-based curatorial and research initiative Load na Dito; participants explore the meaning of words based on personal experiences while moulding clay. Inspired by the city’s ubiquitous gift shops, the accompanying installation will [ ... ]
Free, but pre-register
Candlelight: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons
Mina A’Salam Hotel Jumeirah Road, DubaiOne of the most successful productions 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
The Ice Hole – A Cardboard Comedy
The Junction Unit H72, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesThis English version of an award-winning French comedy has been winning rave reviews, and the production has popped up a few times at various Dubai venues in the last few months – most (deservedly) selling out. It’s fun, mad as [ ... ]
AED 100LAST CHANCE Zé Tepedino: Marina
Gallery Isabelle Unit 17, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesThe first solo exhibition in the UAE by Brazilian carioca artist Zé Tepedino is curated by Amanda Abi Khalil and also features a work by Hassan Sharif. Says the gallery: "Marina is not a place but a tide, a rhythm [ ... ]
FreePublic Art Abu Dhabi Biennial: Bik Van der Pol’s The poem that jumps the fence
Abu Dhabi Beach Al Hisn Street, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesArtist duo Bik Van der Pol (Liesbeth Bik and Jos Van der Pol) engage in collaborative projects on how art constructs public spaces for speculative thought and collective creativity. The poem that jumps the fence features weekly performances on Abu [ ... ]
Free, but pre-registerVIP Classical – Cultural Music Circle: David Khrikuli and Sanaz Sotoudeh
Dubai Opera Studio Downtown Dubai, DubaiThis presentation of the VIP Classical – Cultural Music Circle promises "an exquisite programme" by two rising young stars of the piano. David Khrikuli (Georgia) takes the first half of the evening: Chopin Polonaise op.44 in F-sharp minor Chopin Preludes [ ... ]
AED 500The Ice Hole – A Cardboard Comedy
The Junction Unit H72, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesA second performance for Complices Théâtre's production of this fun comedy. It's mad as trumpets, with echoes of Monty Python, Laurel and Hardy, and the Mighty Boosh. An imposing Shakespearian actor tells incredible stories of a man journeying through Europe [ ... ]
AED 100
Slavs and Tatars: Simurgh Self-Help
The Third Line Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesThis is The Third Line's third solo exhibition with the artist collective Slavs and Tatar, presenting a new body of work inspired by Marcel Broodthaers’ Musée d'Art Moderne – Département des Aigles (1968-1972) – one of the most influential works [ ... ]
FreeLAST CHANCE Farhad Ahrarnia: No Scheherazade
Lawrie Shabibi Unit 21, Alserkal Avenue, DubaiFarhad Ahrania’s fourth solo exhibition at this gallery celebrates all things 1980s via "a multi-textual autopsy which invariably examines the complex legacy of Princess Diana Keith Haring". In particular, Ahrania looks at the flip side of 80s glitz, the spectre [ ... ]
FreeThe Power of Connection
Bassam Freiha Art Foundation Cultural District Saadiyat Island, Abu DhabiSubtitled ‘supporting art through patronage and collaboration’, this ‘dialogue’ on how patronage shapes the UAE’s art scene features Stéphanie Oueda-Cruz – Tiffany & Co’s Global VP for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging – in conversation with Michaela Watrelot, Director of [ ... ]
Free, but pre-register
Comedy Night @ Ting Irie Dubai
Ting Irie, Souq Al Manzil Ground Floor, Souq Al Manzil, Downtown, DubaiGreat Jamaican vibes and a good bill of yet-to-hit-the-big-time-so-you-can-say-you-saw-them-first standups (among them Nadim Basnan, Noha Jadallah, Andrea Brooks, Joshua-John Dias, Jed Dawson). The entrance price includes two free drinks, which you were probably going to buy anyway ... And after [ ... ]
AED 99.75
The Fridge Concert Series Season 45: The Elidas | Robbi McFaulds
The Fridge Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesThe Fridge's series of showcase concerts continues with a Dubai-does-Scotland vibe. Headlining are The Elidas, twins Venice and Belle, who do lo-fi Scottish indie-folk with great harmonies and strong original material – a new single is promised for this gig [ ... ]
AED 100
Adrian Pepe: A Shroud is a Cloth
NIKA Project Space Unit 11 Al Khayat Avenue, 19th Street Road — Al Quoz 1, DubaiAdrian Pepe’s poetic meditation on fragmentation and renewal gets an extended run at NIKA Project Space. It uses a monumental 200m2 woollen textile piece that previously wrapped a building damaged in the 2020 Beirut Port explosion to highlight the relationship [ ... ]
Free
Emirates Airline Festival of Literature
Festival City DubaiThe UAE’s biggest and best literary event is back at the newly renovated InterContinental Dubai Festival City, with the usual cornucopia of writers, creators and thought leaders – a total of around 150 events. That's slightly fewer than usual, and [ ... ]
[Various prices]Morteza Darehbaghi: Timeless Blossoms
Leila Heller Gallery Dubai, United Arab EmiratesThroughout history, nature has shape artistic expression across cultures. Persian carpets exemplify this influence, transforming the beauty of gardens and delicate blossoms into intricate designs. These motifs are deeply woven into Iranian craftsmanship, creating timeless works that connect the human [ ... ]
FreeDale Chihuly: Selections From Four Decades of Iconic Work
Leila Heller Gallery Dubai, United Arab EmiratesA chance to see work from the last four decades by Dale Chihuly, undoubtedly the world's best-known glass artist. Synthesising ideas and practices of the Studio Glass movement in North America with the traditions of the Venetian glass ateliers, Chihuly’s [ ... ]
FreeMelis Buyruk: Four Birds and One Soul
Leila Heller Gallery Dubai, United Arab EmiratesBuyruk is known for her intricate and otherworldly creations, she has long explored the themes of harmony and individuality in nature. This new body of work, however, takes a more introspective turn, reflecting on the barriers that humans create within [ ... ]
Free
Abdullah Al Saadi: Sites of Memory, Sites of Amnesia
421 Arts Campus Mina Zayed, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesAn exhibition of ten works by the influential Khor Fakkan artist, one of the “Pioneer Five” who bolstered the contemporary art scene in the UAE in the 1980s and influenced a generation of artists in the region. Curated by Tarek [ ... ]
Free
Alla Abdunabi: Are your memories of me enough for you?
421 Arts Campus Mina Zayed, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesAlla Abdunabi’s first solo exhibition presents a new body of work that critiques and engages with simulacra, a concept used in philosophy and cultural studies to analyse how symbols shape our perceptions of what is accepted as “real.” The work [ ... ]
Free
Beytna – Cie Omar Rajeh | Maqamat
The Arts Center @ NYUAD NYUAD Campus, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesAn interesting idea – five dancer/choreographers (Omar Rajeh, May Bou Matar, Anani Sanouvi, Koen Augustijnen, Jihun Choi) and four musicians (Ziad El Ahmadie, Samir Nasr Eddine, Youssef Hbeisch, Afif Merhej) meet onstage over a banquet. Bringing different artistic experiences and [ ... ]
AED 105
Sikka Art and Design Festival
Al Shindagha Dubai Creek, DubaiThe latest edition of what is being presented as one of Dubai Culture's flagship initiatives is back in Al Shindagha Historic District. We're not sure exactly what you'll get this year – the website wasn't working when last we tried [ ... ]
FreeLAST CHANCE Marc Quinn: Photosynthetic Forms
Waddington Custot Dubai, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesThe rebranding of Custot Gallery Dubai to Waddington Custot Dubai is coming up trumps with some big names (the partnership of long-time London art dealer Leslie Waddington, and French dealer Stephane Custot dates back to 2010, and Custot became sole [ ... ]
FreeSweeney Todd
Stephen Sondheim's multi award winner arrives for a week-long stint at Dubai Opera. The tale of a barber whose life was destroyed by betrayal and sets on a path to bloody vengeance is punctuated by dark humour, shocking plot twists, [ ... ]
From AED360Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial: FLEX* by Load na Dito
FLEX* is a talking and listening game created by Manila-based curatorial and research initiative Load na Dito; participants explore the meaning of words based on personal experiences while moulding clay. Inspired by the city’s ubiquitous gift shops, the accompanying installation will [ ... ]
Free, but pre-register
Amirhossein Bayani: The Season of Ruin’s Remembrance
Zawyeh Gallery Warehouse 27, Alserkal Avenue, DubaiA solo exhibition of new paintings by the Iranian artist. “As an artist from the Middle East,” says Bayani, “the concept of liberation often seems distant and unattainable. Yet, when I look at nature, I am able to imagine a [ ... ]
FreePublic Art Abu Dhabi Biennial: Bik Van der Pol’s The poem that jumps the fence
Abu Dhabi Beach Al Hisn Street, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesArtist duo Bik Van der Pol (Liesbeth Bik and Jos Van der Pol) engage in collaborative projects on how art constructs public spaces for speculative thought and collective creativity. The poem that jumps the fence features weekly performances on Abu [ ... ]
Free, but pre-registerRemote Abu Dhabi by Rimini Protokoll
Rimini Protokoll pushes the boundaries of conventional theatre. During this performance walk within the collective’s ‘Remote X’ series (2013–ongoing), you are invited to explore the growing presence of artificial intelligence in future cities; for this tour, designed specifically for Abu [ ... ]
Free, but pre-registerMonday Night Comedy: This Is Impro
Courtyard Playhouse Street 4B, Al Quoz 1, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesExactly 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 improv. It's free, but you need to put your [ ... ]
Free but donations welcome
Athar Jaber: Vestiges
Ayyam Gallery B11, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesA solo exhibition for an artist only recently signed by Ayyam Gallery. This large body of work, an exploration of the fragile relationship between the human form and the forces that shape it, re-imagines the human form as figures that [ ... ]
Free
Seher Shah: Of Dust and Woven Air
Green Art Gallery Dubai, United Arab EmiratesShah draws inspiration from Agha Shahid Ali’s poem, The Dacca Gauzes – “Those transparent Dacca gauzes / known as woven air, running / water, evening dew: / a dead art now, dead over / a hundred years”. Says the artist: [ ... ]
Free
Shama Al Hamed: I Jump – Will I Stick the Landing?
Aisha Alabbar Gallery Warehouse C19, Alserkal Avenue, DubaiThis first solo show by Shama Al Hamed, curated by Walter Williems, features a collection of paintings, sculptures, and installations that offers insight into the formative experiences and emotions that have shaped the artist's creative practice and artistic perspective. Says [ ... ]
Free
Nour Malas: Evil is Banal
Carbon 12 Dubai, United Arab EmiratesNour Malas’ solo exhibition starts with Hannah Arendt's quote about the Nazis' unconscionable acts of genocide: they were not exceptional but part of a wider belief that estimated some human lives as disposable. For Malas, displacement upheaves feelings of belonging; [ ... ]
Free
Hoda Tawakol: My Mothers – The Siren, The Vessel, The Womb
Gallery Isabelle Unit 17, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesThrough film, photography, and sculpture, Tawakol reclaims the female body as a site of creation and resistance, reflecting on motherhood and the complex layers of identity. This exhibition’s centrepiece is a three-channel video made from stitched Super-8 film fragments (1960s–1980s) [ ... ]
Free
