The Iowa-based artist John Dilg represents scenic panoramas as earth-toned paintings that feel immediately familiar yet poignantly dreamlike. Having specialised in abstraction early in his career, Dilg’s evolution towards landscape painting retained an especial awareness of spatial relationships – "a [ ... ]
This living expression of Abu Dhabi's Culture is always worth a visit. The emphasis is on heritage, so the Al Hosn programme includes traditional souks, performances (lots of ayyalah), food, coffee, kids’ workshops and more. It runs 4pm to 11pm [ ... ]
The RP Social returns for "an afternoon of great food, familiar faces, and engaging conversations around this year’s must-see films". Always a good meetup, and since this time it's in the afternoon there's more chance for kids to get involved [ ... ]
Another of L’ÉCOLE Middle East’s entertaining talks about the art of jewellery – mostly of course from the atelier of the school’s parent, Van Cleef & Arpels. This one explores how birds and feathers became a major theme in jewellery [ ... ]
Tolstoy’s epic novel has often resisted dramatisation as a one-off theatrical performance – it’s huge, after all, which is the classic BBC series from 1972 ran for fully 20 episodes and Sergei Bondarchuk's film adaptation from the 60s spanned seven [ ... ]
The UAENO's inaugural concert series, the first with its full ensemble of 70 musicians and 30 choir, includes six dates around the Emirates in January with variations in the programme (though all include Nadim Tarabay's specially commissioned symphony The Beginning) [ ... ]
The final gig for the November Laughter Factory tour. The acts: Emmanuel Sonubi big man, big smile, big fun. A big hit too when he was here a year ago. Highly recommended Saanya Abbas razor-sharp Dubai-based comedian with over half [ ... ]
A standup special by MadCat Comedy's main man, Miqdaad Dohadwala: life advice for how to live your 20s, from a guy who did everything wrong. We think the regular MadCat comedy night deal applies, meaning a cover charge of AED [ ... ]
This mid-career retrospective marks the first institutional survey in the region for Ala Younis. It includes archival installations, textiles, murals, mosaics, and drawings spanning the last two decades of her hybrid practice as an artist-researcher-curator. There will also be some [ ... ]
The second and final performance of the Vakhtangov State Academic Theatre adaptation of Tolstoy’s epic novel, by celebrated director Rimas Tuminas. Reviews suggest that most of the grandeur and complexity of Tolstoy’s work has been retained, with the Napoleonic Wars [ ... ]
Architect Rashad Bukhash has restored and protected from demolition hundreds of buildings in Dubai. In this conversation with researcher Lina Najem, he revisits decades of work on both shores of Dubai Creek, including a long tenure at Dubai Municipality, with [ ... ]
Prasad Shetty and Rupali Gupte reflect on the motivations and challenges that shaped their commitment to the School of Environment and Architecture in Mumbai which they founded in 2014. Today, it is a fully accredited architecture school with around 200 [ ... ]
Dubomedy's standup night at Social Distrikt returns. This has become a bit of a fixture: 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 [ ... ]
Aakash Odedra returns to the Arts Center with his latest work, an hour of beautiful, engrossing virtuoso dance from a single dancer that unashamedly embodies emotions – mostly joy, some reflection, a tinge of sadness and pain – in a [ ... ]
The UAENO's inaugural concert series, the first with its full ensemble of 70 musicians and 30 choir, includes six dates around the Emirates in January with variations in the programme (though all include Nadim Tarabay's specially commissioned symphony The Beginning) [ ... ]
A key element in 421's Winter season is Localized Futures: Conversations by 421 x afikra, a four-part series of talks and panel discussions developed in collaboration with afikra. The series aims to explore the future of key cultural and civic [ ... ]
MadCat’s standup team at its regular stop in the Easy Tiger bar in Abu Dhabi's Al Ain Palace. The door price of AED 99 includes two drinks ...
A landmark monographic exhibition that traces Picasso’s lifelong preoccupation with the human form. Included are more than 130 artworks from the Musée National Picasso-Paris and other institutions, as well as Louvre Abu Dhabi, DCT Abu Dhabi, and other regional collections [ ... ]
An expressionist exploration of the city that captures Dubai as it is felt, rather than as it is seen. "Through expressive brushstrokes, colour becomes a language, revealing the city’s complexity – its energy, diversity, and profound contradictions." To 5 February.
LitFest is back with the usual rich brew of panel discussions and conversations, talks, workshops, family activities and the LitFest After Hours programme. It looks like the biggest and most varied yet, so that probably means it will be the [ ... ]
A two-week pop-up in the lobby of Rixos The Palm presented in collaboration with Art Factor UAE and BKR Events. It features 14 artists: Jasmine Mohammed Rizvi Bindu Krishnan Roy Varsha Saju Nair Anjini Prakash Laitu Ahmed Al Awadhi (Rukni) [ ... ]
Rob Beckett is getting near to the end of a sell-out tour with his new show. The affable bloke-near-door of British comedy is known for his turns on shows like Would I Lie to You, Celebs Go Dating, 8 Out [ ... ]
The UAENO's inaugural concert series, the first with its full ensemble of 70 musicians and 30 choir, includes six dates around the Emirates in January with variations in the programme (though all include Nadim Tarabay's specially commissioned symphony The Beginning) [ ... ]
A funny, clever, humane, and ultimately entertaining show, improvised by James Scarr and accompanied live by Paul Jones (who also wrote the music). “A stranger, completely created using audience suggestions, is imaginatively painted onto a mannequin. Then, I tell his [ ... ]
MadCat Comedy's regular stop in Silicon Oasis promises "insane laughs every week". The door price of AED 99 includes two drinks.
A solo exhibition for Shamsa Al Omaira, an Abu Dhabi based multidisciplinary artist and designer. Evocations of duality occupy a prominent position in her work; childhood bedding and memories of jelly desserts morph into soft-looking sculptures laced with hidden or overt [ ... ]
The 14th edition of what has become one of Dubai Culture's flagship initiatives is back in Al Shindagha Historic District, this year with the theme ‘Imagining Dubai: Identities of the Future’. The festival promises "a diverse array of artworks" in [ ... ]
Reel Palestine returns to Cinema Akil for its 12th edition, running from 23 January to 1 February,. The programme this year has 29 screenings, including two Academy Award–nominated titles, reflecting the breadth of contemporary Palestinian cinema across fiction, documentary, and [ ... ]
One of the best films about Picasso, a documentary that captures his creative process by using novel filming techniques. The artist produced around 20 drawings and paintings specifically for the film, using inks and paints that bled through the paper, [ ... ]
A second performance for this funny, clever, humane, and ultimately entertaining show, improvised by James Scarr and accompanied live by Paul Jones (who also wrote the music). “A stranger, completely created using audience suggestions, is imaginatively painted onto a mannequin. [ ... ]
MadCat Comedy's regular standup night at Xandros in Signature 1 Hotel, TECOM. The cover charge of AED 80 includes one drink.
The Tasty Biscuits bring three years of soul and living-room setups to the stage, with a soulful, intimate showcase of original music and a guest roster that provides a who's-who of indie music in the UAE – Gaya, Abri, Tac, [ ... ]
A flamenco ballet, inspired by Shakespeare’s tragedy and featuring more than 30 artists in total — dancers, orchestra, choir — under the direction of Spanish choreographer Jesús Herrera. It should be an interesting interpretation of the play: “movement replaces words [ ... ]
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 [ ... ]
Quoz Arts Fest returns to Alserkal Avenue on 24 and 25 January with a mix of experimental art installations, live music, exhibitions, “food experiences”, and “encounters designed for all ages”. Basmah El Bittar, Director of Alserkal Avenue, reckons the 2026 [ ... ]
A joyful lesson in theatre and a tribute to the theatrical talent of Italians for connecting to anyone, transcending language barriers. Set partly in English and partly in Italian (and without subtitles), the show ironically demolishes preconceived notions of the [ ... ]
Two blokes and a Foley artist deliver a high-energy shot-for-shot parody of the iconic 90s film Jurassic Park, playing all the key characters (including most of the dinosaurs). Token low-budget costumes combined with the actors’ slick physicality, vocal creativity and [ ... ]
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 [ ... ]
This year’s film programme as part of the Jameel’s Night School 2026 has five shorts exploring how neighbourhoods and other places endure over time. through ways of property markets, political erasure, and the whim of human interest. The screening will [ ... ]
An irreverent high-energy high-physicality parody of Lord of the Rings (the film rather than the novel, in fact). Intricate Foley work is matched by the sheer skill of the actors and the increasingly manic complexity of the situations – the [ ... ]
The UAENO's inaugural concert series, the first with its full ensemble of 70 musicians and 30 choir, includes six dates around the Emirates in January with variations in the programme (though all include Nadim Tarabay's specially commissioned symphony The Beginning) [ ... ]
The UAE premiere of Annemarie Jacir’s full-length historical drama, shortlisted for this year’s Academy Awards and one of the two films selected for the inaugural Sharjah Film Platform Feature Fund. As villages across Palestine rise against British colonial rule in [ ... ]
A regular MadCat Comedy night – "Dubai's wildest comedy show on Saturday" (sic). The cover charge of AED 99 includes two F&B coupons.
An exhibition on the rich heritage of the Mamluk Sultanate, a dynasty that ruled a vast expanse of territory encompassing the most significant Islamic holy sites for more than 250 years (1250–1517), with more than 270 works gatheredfrom 34 museums [ ... ]
This focused retrospective surveys over six decades of practice by the Tunisian multimedia artist Nja Mahdaoui, an influential figures in Arab modern art who repurposed Arabic calligraphy into a visual and abstract contemporary art form. This show, o-curated by Michaela [ ... ]
In response to the Nja Mahdaoui retrospective in the main gallery at BFAF, this exhibition presents loans from the Ministry of Culture’s Al Burda exhibitions from 2008 to 2023. Al Burda was/is an annual exhibition where contemporary artists engage with [ ... ]
Now this sounds like a lot of fun – an immersive hi-tech retelling of the story of the Mahabharata epic hero Karn. Raised in a humble village, unaware of his noble birth, a stable boy among princes, Karn’s journey leads [ ... ]
The second performance for this joyful lesson in how theatre can transcend language barriers. An actress receives a student for a private drama lesson in her apartment; he is eager to learn the tricks of the trade, she is thrilled [ ... ]
The second performance for this irreverent high-energy high-physicality parody of Lord of the Rings (the film rather than the novel, in fact). Intricate Foley work is matched by the sheer skill of the actors and the increasingly manic complexity of [ ... ]
The second performance for this affectionate high-energy shot-for-shot parody of the iconic 90s film Jurassic Park, with two blokes and a Foley artist delivering all the key characters (including most of the dinosaurs). Token low-budget costumes combined with the actors’ [ ... ]
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