SAF's November book club meetup asks what literature can teach us about how social class and cultural capital dictate and uphold hierarchies, examining depictions of social strata and elite cultural spaces in books such as Babel by RF Kuang, Erasure [... more]
This concert by the UAE National Orchestra and choir puts the emphasis on 'national' with "an evening where we come together in love for the nation, sharing moments of pride and belonging ... a space where we gather as sons [... more]
A regular Mad Cat Comedy night – “Dubai’s wildest comedy show on Saturday” at “the first purpose built comedy room in the country”. The cover charge of AED 99 includes two F&B coupons.
Another good-looking bill for this month's Laughter Factory tour, with some ace local comics joining the international imports: John Fothergill Nicole Drinkwater Valentina Danubio Ahmed Kasid The rest of the schedule: 8 November The Club, Abu Dhabi 7pm 13 November [... more]
Two final performances of Marius von Mayenburg’s very dark comedy about beauty, identity and getting ahead in life;when the plastic surgery bandages come off, Lette soon learns that there is such a thing as too beautiful ... The Junction did [... more]
Two series of works, Junk Garden and Protective Shield, from the Ramallah-born artist. “The Field of Dreams is an exploration of formations of ‘steel’ in the public space from the perspective of the relationship between the self, the object, and [... more]
Day two of a weekend symposium on water – "two days of conversations, presentations and artistic exchange exploring ecological, social, mythological and poetic dimensions of water, bringing together artists, scientists, legal thinkers and researchers". Extending Jumana Emil Abboud’s ongoing exhibition [... more]
A panel discussion exploring the intersections of cultural heritage, personal identity, and contemporary artistic practice through the work of Karima Al Shomely. The guest speaker is Nina Heydemann, Director of Maraya Art Centre; Nadia Al Hassani, Director of the Academy [... more]
Sharjah Art Foundation’s Music and Sound Club is a series of fortnightly hands-on workshops and meetup sessions form anyone interested in music and sonic arts. Bridging the analogue and the digital, this session encourages you to craft hybrid musical works [... more]
Another good-looking bill for this month's Laughter Factory tour, with some ace local comics joining the international imports: John Fothergill Nicole Drinkwater Valentina Danubio Ahmed Kasid The rest of the schedule: 13 November Radisson DAMAC Hills 8.30pm 14 November Studio [... more]
A Mad Cat Comedy special featuring the group's main man at one of Dubai's coolest bars. The cover charge of AED 99 includes one drink.
Rana Begum brings her textile works to The Third Line for the first time. Her fifth solo exhibition at the gallery features a new body of large-scale wool tapestries presented alongside works on linen, paper and MDF, all reflecting the [... more]
A mid-career exhibition dedicated to the work of the Emirati multidisciplinary artist, curated by Aysha Al Hemeiri. Ranging from intimate jewellery pieces to large-scale public works, Al Qubaisi's practice invites audiences to encounter the UAE's natural resources through space, structure, [... more]
A solo exhibition by the Mumbai-based artist; much of his work comes from what he has seen and handled there. Nai works with jute, newspaper, cardboard, used clothing, mosquito mesh and corrugated metal; he cuts, folds, compresses and layers these [... more]
Karima Al Shomely's work draws from the clothing, textiles and adornments of Emirati women. The burqa is a recurring subject, appearing in works that look at how it was made, worn and passed down through generations; Al Shomely also works [... more]
A conversation moderated by Sarah Almehairi that explores Wafa Al Falahi’s practice across painting, sculpture, and drawing, "where instinctive encounters with material give form to the subconscious". The discussion traces how memory and dream take shape through the creatures and [... more]
Mad Cat’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 …
A solo exhibition by the Syrian artist that includes large-scale portraits, a tile installation, sculptures, artist books, and works on paper. At the centre of Tallaa's practice is the face, not as portrait or likeness, but as witness; this exhibition, curated [... more]
Built from layers of sand collected in the UAE, chalk powder, pigments, and acrylic, the surfaces of Ahmad Tallaa's large-scale portraits at the centre of this show are dense and almost sculptural – as the gallery puts it, "Faces do [... more]
Built from layers of sand collected in the UAE, chalk powder, pigments, and acrylic, the surfaces of Ahmad Tallaa’s large-scale portraits at the centre of this show are dense and almost sculptural – as the gallery puts it, “Faces do [... more]
A solo presentation by the French-Algerian artist and filmmaker that reinterprets The Conference of the Birds,a 12th-century epic poem by Farid ud-Din Attar, in which a flock of birds search for a mighty ruler and ultimately find their strength within [... more]
A new body of 15 paintings by the Kuwaiti artist that takes us into a life split between two worlds, London and Kuwait– considering what it means to live in two places, or "to be two Dalals" as the artist [... more]
The UAE's first solo exhibition dedicated to the Egyptian sculptor. Mahmoud Moussa (1913–2003) is described by Maha Al Mansoori Art Gallery – which is responsible for this short-run Frieze-adjacent show – as one of the most important figures in Arab [... more]
A nice idea from Emirates Literature Foundation – a casual two-hour hands-on session of writing sprints, creative challenges, and independent writing. Useful whether you’re blocked, halfway through a novel, starting with a blank page, or experimenting with poetry or monologues. [... more]
"A comedy whirlwind featuring a revolving lineup of Dubai's best comedians and fresh faces! You never know what will happen!" Standup with the Mad Cat folk. The cover charge of AED 99 includes one drink.
Afrah Shafiq’s Nobody Knows for Certain is a multimedia game that draws on the illustrated children’s books that were distributed widely in India by the USSR, highlighting a little-known chapter of Cold War-era cultural exchange. These richly illustrated Soviet fairytales [... more]
Safekeeping Stories, by UAE-based Indian artist and graphic designer Hannan Arshad, was the winner of the 2025 Award. A poignant response to cultural loss, and a compelling example of how historical narratives can be reimagined through contemporary public art, the [... more]
A joint exhibition by two Syrian artists who explore their homeland's living heritage through abstract painting (Hijazi) and mosaic jewellery (Al Kuzbari) – "a dialogue between memory, tradition, and the present ... heritage as a living presence in contemporary art [... more]
A solo show for the Palestinian artist Wadeei Khaled that considers the family as the foundation through which we understand ourselves, our histories and our connection to place. "His paintings transform everyday gestures of love and care into a visual [... more]
Significant works and new commissions by the Emirati artist and sculptor known for her material experimentation across steel, marble, glass, resin and copper. Curated by Reem Fadda, alongside Noor AlMehairbi, Paz Monge and Afra Saif Almazrouei, the exhibition unfolds across [... more]
Under the theme Future Forms, DIFC Art Nights claims to feature more than 600 artworks in exhibitions, "interactive art installations", creative workshops, live artistic performances and musical entertainment. This edition also has a dedicated Emirati heritage art corner with works [... more]
421's writing seminar, led by Sarah Afaneh and designed for writers at any stage of their practice, approaches the page as a spatial site for poetry – considering how typography, fragmentation, erasure, and arrangement can shape meaning. Participants will play with [... more]
Mad Cat Comedy's regular Thursday stop in Silicon Oasis promises "insane laughs every week". The door price of AED 99 includes one drink and popcorn.
“Dubai’s hottest comedy night” (aka the Mad Cat team) come to the moodily-lit speakeasy style bar in DIFC for a regular Thursday gig. The door price includes one drink.
A public artwork, performance and community project, Sebastian Mayer’s Hannibaby draws from an absurd family adventure. Structuring a life-size baby elephant puppet around his toddler’s carrier, the duo covered a 70km-distance from France into Italy through the Cottian Alps in [... more]
New works by the Kenyan artist Maggie Otieno, her first solo show here since the gallery began representing her in 2024 . Otieno’s practice centres on the transformation of reclaimed and distressed materials.; working across wood, metal, and mixed media, [... more]
Bani Abidi’s Artist’s Room displays a single body of work, Trembling hands (2024) – a series of portraits of artists, journalists, politicians, lawyers, doctors and civil society leaders who publicly spoke out against the genocide of Palestinians, often using public platforms [... more]
A group exhibition organised with Feminin Pluriel, featuring the work of a selection of contemporary female artists. Participating artists were given carte blanche to explore their own creative perspectives; the result is seen in photography, painting, sculpture, 3D and mixed [... more]
Fourth edition of this previously-sold-out comedy success from Tall Tales Productions and The Junctiony. As before, it's a show created on the fly from audience suggestions, this time on the theme of Group Chats: "come watch a few hyperactive comedians [... more]
Mad Cat Comedy’s regular standup night at Xandros in Signature 1 Hotel, TECOM. The cover charge of AED 80 includes one drink.
Another good-looking bill for this month's Laughter Factory tour, with some ace local comics joining the international imports: John Fothergill Nicole Drinkwater Valentina Danubio Ahmed Kasid The rest of the schedule: 14 November Studio One Hotel 7pm 14 November Dukes [... more]
A pop-up exhibition by the New York-based Turkish artist in the hotel's lobby exploring migration, memory, identity and the meaning of belonging – "for me, home is not necessarily a place we return to, but something we carry, recreate, and [... more]
The Jameel’s annual festival for eco-consciousness and sustainability is back for its seventh edition in the Arts Centre and across the Jaddaf Waterfront Sculpture Park. Expect a weekend of botanical inspirations, workshops, performances, tours and family-friendly activities alongside artists, gardeners, [... more]
The third edition of the Sharjah Architecture Triennial runs 14 November to to 14 April under the theme Architecture Otherwise: Building Civic Infrastructure for Collective Futures. Curated by Vyjayanthi Rao, with Tau Tavengwa as Associate Curator, SAT03 brings together 35 [... more]
The UAE National Orchestra brings Sergei Prokofiev’s beloved musical tale to life as part of its Once Upon a Tune family series for children aged 5 to 10 and their families. As Peter’s adventure unfolds, young listeners discover the instruments [... more]
Another good-looking bill for this month's Laughter Factory tour, with some ace local comics joining the international imports: John Fothergill Nicole Drinkwater Valentina Danubio Ahmed Kasid Two stops today – this early gig at Studio One will be followed by [... more]
Final gig for this month's Laughter Factory tour, with some ace local comics joining the international imports: John Fothergill Nicole Drinkwater Valentina Danubio Ahmed Kasid
A regular Mad Cat Comedy night – “Dubai’s wildest comedy show on Saturday” at “the first purpose built comedy room in the country”. The cover charge of AED 99 includes two F&B coupons.
Culture Emulsion brings its successful French comedy to Abu Dhabi – and it is very funny, a sharp and blackish comedy about the ties that unite (and sometimes suffocate). Every Friday the Mesnards gather at the family café before going [... more]
Two further performances of Sebastian Mayer’s Hannibaby and Zarafa. Hannibaby manifests as a walkabout performance by a life-sized baby elephant puppet, alongside a workshop series instructing families in the art of creating and decorating their own 3D elephant masks. It [... more]
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