• Monday Night Comedy: This Is Impro

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

    Exactly 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
  • LAST CHANCE Alia Ahmad: Aspects [مظاهر]

    Lawrie Shabibi Unit 21, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

    The first solo exhibition in the UAE for the Saudi Arabian artist presents a new body of paintings and watercolours that seeks to "peel back the layers in order to expose her personal vocabulary". Her point of departure is the [ ... ]

    Free
  • Animal: dir Cyril Dion (2021)

    Alliance Française Dubai Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    16-year-old Bella and Vipulan are part of a generation that knows its very future is at risk – between climate change and the mass extinction of wildlife, their world could well be inhabitable 50 years from now. At the instigation [ ... ]

    Free
  • The Fridge Concert Series Season 44: Molham | Habiba

    The Fridge Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    The Fridge gig series continues with the Saudi-born Canadian-raised pop singer-songwriter who blends East and West easily in his music, borrowing from RnB, hip-hop, Afro and Saudi Arabia ('molham' is Arabic for 'inspired', incidentally).

    AED 80
  • Putting the Record Straight: The Lost Women of Art History

    Society Dubai Jumeirah Street, Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Fourth in this seven-part lecture series by art historian Rose Balston on female artists from the 16th through to the 18th century – “women who have not only been side-lined, but literally (and shockingly) blocked out of history”, mainly by [ ... ]

    AED 250
  • Wednesday Night Impro: Maestro

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

    The Courtyard's regular 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 [ ... ]

    Free but donations welcome
  • Here We Are

    Italian Cultural Institute of Abu Dhabi Al Qasbah Street, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    A research-based group show presented by the Italian Cultural Institute of Abu Dhabi in collaboration with ZU's College of Arts and Creative Enterprises (CACE). The exhibition explores the subtleties of feeling at home within oneself, one's work, and one's environment; [ ... ]

    Free
  • PowerPointless Networking Night

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

    One of the most consistently funny of the Courtyard's classic improv gigs is back after a couple of months' hiatus: the speakers have to give a presentation on a slide deck they’ve never seen before, with the topic determined at [ ... ]

    Free, but donations welcome
  • The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

    The Club Al Mina, Abu Dhabi

    This month's Laughter Factory tour calls in on Abu Dhabi as usual. The acts: Paul McCaffrey hard-working British comic, a.great storyteller who deserves wider exposure (and will probably get it RSN, so catch him while you can) Hassan Phills dynamic [ ... ]

    AED 160
  • Against the Tide (dir Sarvnik Kaur, 2023)

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

    Winner of the Sundance 2023 Vérité Filmmaking Prize, this captivating documentary of class, climate change, and overfishing centres on the lives of two indigenous fishermen. Best friends Rakesh and Ganesh both grew up in the Koli caste, both entered their [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Délicieux: dir Éric Besnard (2020)

    Jardins Germaine Tillion Hazza Bin Zayed St, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    The French do films about food really rather well. This tale of a pioneering restaurant around the time of the Revolution is a sweet and savoury tribute to food, pleasure and égalité at a particularly piquant moment in French history, [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Merci Charles

    Zabeel Theatre Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Palm Jumeirah West Crescent, Dubai

    Hayk Petrosyan’s Merci Charles project, initiated in May 2021, pays homage to Charles Aznavour through his iconic songs – more than 20 of them in this concert, with a jazz-flavoured interpretation delivered by the Armenian singer and his band (Vahagn [ ... ]

    From AED 160
  • The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

    Radisson DAMAC Hills Hessa Street Dubailand, Dubai

    This month's Laughter Factory tour is back in Dubai for its final weekend. The acts: Paul McCaffrey hard-working British comic, a.great storyteller who deserves wider exposure (and will probably get it RSN, so catch him while you can) Hassan Phills [ ... ]

    AED 160
  • Authentic Flamenco: Daniel Casares

    Zabeel Theatre Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Palm Jumeirah West Crescent, Dubai

    The award-winning flamenco guitarist brings this explicitly titled show to the UAE for two nights in Dubai (26 and 27 October) and two in Abu Dhabi (Cultural Foundation, 1 and 2 November). This is the Teatro Real de Madrid production [ ... ]

    From AED 190
  • Arda Aslanian: Obscured / Untold Stories

    Fann à Porter The Workshop, Villa 45, St. 23b, off Al Wasl Road (opposite Box Park), Jumeirah 2, Dubai

    A solo exhibition for the self-taught Armenian-Jordanian artist who uses her meticulously crafted works to explore the intricacies between visibility and concealment, using drapery as a metaphor for the complexities of human experience. This series of works delves into the [ ... ]

    Free
  • What the Food

    Alserkal Avenue Al Quoz 1, Dubai

    Alserkal Avenue's two-day celebration of all things food is back for its third edition, promising "the city’s most exciting homegrown chefs, artisanal makers and creative culinary minds ... pushing boundaries, showcasing cutting-edge culinary experiments and sparking critical conversations about food [ ... ]

    Varies
  • Kes (dir Ken Loach, 1969)

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

    Bullied at school and ignored and abused at home by his indifferent mother and older brother, Billy is a 15-year-old working-class Yorkshire boy who discovers his own private means of fulfilment when he adopts a fledgling kestrel and proceeds to [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

    Vintage Grand Hotel Al Fay Road, Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    First of two shows this evening for this month's Laughter Factory tour (it then moves to Dukes The Palm at 8.30pm for the finale). The acts: Paul McCaffrey hard-working British comic, a.great storyteller who deserves wider exposure (and will probably [ ... ]

    AED 160
  • The Night Visitors (dir Michael Gitlin, 2023)

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

    A movie about moths; film and video artist Michael Gitlin emphasises their surreal beauty as well as their ecological relevance. He’s interested in moths as organisms, with fascinating life histories, staggering biodiversity, and a functional importance as indicators of climate [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Sophie Ellis-Bextor

    Dubai Opera

    The reinvented (and genuinely rejuvenated) pop sensation – Murder on the Dancefloor was a hit for her in 2001, for heaven's sake – drops in for one night only midway through an international tour that has seen sellouts around Europe [ ... ]

    From AED 290
  • Merci Charles

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

    The second UAE concert for Hayk Petrosyan’s Merci Charles project, a tribute to Charles Aznavour through his iconic songs – more than 20 of them in this concert, with a jazz-flavoured interpretation delivered by the Armenian singer and his band [ ... ]

    From AED 160
  • Halloween Improv Party

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

    It's all in the name: chills and chuckles inspired by audience suggestions, with the Junction decked out in spooky decorations and eerie lighting. Come dressed in your most creative Halloween costume – best wins a special prize. The price is [ ... ]

    AED 130
  • The Ice Hole – A Cardboard Comedy

    Theatre by QE2 Queen Elizabeth 2, Port Rashid, Dubai

    This production debuted for four performances in May and two in July; all sold out (deservedly). It's now back for a run at Theatre by QE2 on 26 and 27 October, followed by one show on 17 November, and it's [ ... ]

    AED 120
  • The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

    Dukes The Palm Palm Dubai, Dubai

    The final gig for this month's Laughter Factory tour. The acts: Paul McCaffrey hard-working British comic, a.great storyteller who deserves wider exposure (and will probably get it RSN, so catch him while you can) Hassan Phills dynamic Canadian who manages [ ... ]

    AED 160
  • LAST CHANCE Sarah Alagroobi: Slanted Dreamscape

    Artbooth Gallery Centro Capital Center, Al Khaleej Al Arabi Street, Abu Dhabi

    Alagroobi’s evocative, highly textured landscapes provide a glimpse into “a world where reality and imagination intersect”. Her practice celebrates the physical and metaphysical, using layers of acrylic to sculpt imagined landscapes that blur the boundaries between the tangible and the [ ... ]

    Free
  • Authentic Flamenco: Daniel Casares

    Zabeel Theatre Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Palm Jumeirah West Crescent, Dubai

    A second evening of performances (at 6pm and 8.30pm) for the award-winning flamenco and this explicitly titled show. This is the Teatro Real de Madrid production that has been wowing audiences for some time; it aims to deliver a taste [ ... ]

    From AED 190
  • The Ice Hole – A Cardboard Comedy

    Theatre by QE2 Queen Elizabeth 2, Port Rashid, Dubai

    This production debuted for four performances in May and two in July; all sold out (deservedly). It's now back for a run at Theatre by QE2, and it's highly recommended. It's an English version of an award-winning French comedy from [ ... ]

    AED 120
  • Xue Bao | Snow Leopard (dir Pema Tseden, China, 2023)

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

    This is a story about how people and animals can finally get along. A snow leopard, rare and globally endangered, breaks into the pen of a herder family and kills nine goats. The father and son argue about what to [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Agraharathil Kazhuthai | Donkey in a Brahmin Village (dir John Abraham, 1977)

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

    A college professor faces ridicule when he adopts a newborn donkey after its mother is killed. He leaves Madras and takes the foal to his home village, against the norms of his community. Bad things start to happen, and the [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Mute

    Sharjah Performing Arts Academy University City, Sharjah

    This experimental theatre piece by the Kuwaiti director and playwright Sulayman Al Bassam examines that brief moment of silence that followed the Beirut port explosion of 2020. Produced with actress Hala Omran and the band Two or The Dragon, the [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • LAST CHANCE I Wish To Be Happy, I Want To Be Yellow

    A group show for an eclectic collection of artists — Mohammad Alfaraj, Aminah Al huqail, Dalia Baassiri, Richi Bhatia, Jumairy, Tamara Kalo, Adrian Pepe, and Alia Zaal. The common factor is that they “cultivate a visceral and intimate relationship with nature” [ ... ]

  • Art With Disabilities: From Frida Kahlo to Stevie Wonder – 11 Amazing Stories of People Who Changed the World

    kanvas Dubai Unit 1, Al Khayat Art Avenue, 19th Street Al Quoz 1, Dubai

    An exhibition created by the Bulgarian immersive-experience specialists Poliforma, using surround-sound and surround-visuals to celebrate "stories of people who have overcome, adapted, or ignored their limitations" through "captivating video inserts, stunning 3D projections, and four interactive installations". Apparently it's "a [ ... ]

    AED 99
  • Dancing Pina: dir Florian Heinzen-Ziob (2022)

    Sharjah Performing Arts Academy University City, Sharjah

    Two spectacular dance projects show how a young generation of dancers from all over the world are rediscovering Pina Bausch's choreography: the Semperoper Ballet Company in Dresden rehearses her dance opera Iphigenia in Tauris, and dancers from all over Africa [ ... ]

    Free
  • Gallant Indies | Les Indes galantes: dir Philippe Béziat (2021)

    Sharjah Performing Arts Academy University City, Sharjah

    On the stage of the Opéra Bastille in Paris, 30 dancers from non-traditional genres – hip-hop, krump, break, voguing – reprise and remix Jean-Philippe Rameau's baroque 1735 masterpiece, Les Indes galantes. It’s an opera offensive to modern sensibilities that reflected [ ... ]

    Free
  • Monday Night Comedy: This Is Impro & Ahmed

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

    One of the Coutryard's two-act evenings of spontaneous scenes and stories based on audience suggestions. First up is the regular Monday evening mix of scenes, stories and narrative improvisation from some of the Courtyard Playhouse's most experienced improv performers plus [ ... ]

    Free but donations welcome
  • Hala Dabaji: Shadow Puppet

    Urbanist Art Gallery Box Park, Al Wasl Road, Dubai

    Hala Dabaji's distinctive paintings feature an androgynous character called Obu ("he has a challenging spirit") created in acrylic on canvas and more recently watercolour on fabric; the flatness and stylised hand gestures suggest a form of communicating that echoes shadow [ ... ]

    Free
  • Halloween Special: Horrible Bosses

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

    First of three consecutive nights of scares, laughter and payback for Halloween. This is one of the Courtyard's most successful improv innovations; the audience gets to share stories of Horrible Bosses, and the team acts out some sweet revenge for [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Halloween Special: Horrible Bosses

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

    A second night of scares, laughter and payback for Halloween. This is one of the Courtyard's most successful improv innovations; the audience gets to share stories of Horrible Bosses, and the team acts out some sweet revenge for you. Come [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • The Woman in Black

    Zabeel Theatre Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Palm Jumeirah West Crescent, Dubai

    Susan Hill's elegantly eerie ghost story has been seen by more than seven million people in the stage adaptation by Stephen Mallatratt, and very few will have been disappointed (or unshaken). A lawyer obsessed with a curse that he believes [ ... ]

    From AED 200
  • Rand Abdul Jabbar

    Lawrie Shabibi Unit 21, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

    Rand Abdul Jabbar’s first gallery solo show, curated by Meitha Almazrooei, weaves narrative with sculpture and textile to explore myth-making as a method of preservation and transformation. The exhibition follows on from her award of the Richard Mille Prize ('Earthly [ ... ]

    Free
  • LAST CHANCE Manolo Valdés: Domesticity

    Opera Gallery Atlantis The Royal Crescent Road, Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    A solo exhibition of small sculptures by the celebrated Spanish artist at the gallery’s Atlantis outpost. Noted for his ability to transform familiar forms and classical references into contemporary pieces, Valdés uses meticulous craftsmanship to recontextualise idioms from the art [ ... ]

    Free
  • Vian Sora: House of Pearls

    The Third Line Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    New paintings and works on paper from the Louisville-based artist that explore pearls as "a metaphor for achieving stability and the needed structural integrity for life itself to regenerate". Drawing on her experiences as a war survivor and immigrant (Iraqi-born, [ ... ]

    Free
  • Fariba Boroufar: In Our Bones

    Gallery Isabelle Unit 17, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Fariba Boroufar’s first exhibition at the gallery features her signature woven forms. Reminiscent of elements of the built environment, they offer a poetical portrait of our broken present, a protest against forgetting, and a paean to another way of moving [ ... ]

  • The UAE Classical Talents: A Piano Recital Night

    Alliance Française Dubai Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    The top Ukrainian pianist Oleg Poliansky plays works by Debussy, Scriabin and Stravinsky for the latest recital in Alliance Française's UAE Classical Talents series, now in its fifth season. The price here is for non-members; AF members pay AED 130. [ ... ]

    AED 150
  • Halloween Special: Horrible Bosses

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

    Last of three consecutive nights of scares, laughter and payback for Halloween. This is one of the Courtyard's most successful improv innovations; the audience gets to share stories of Horrible Bosses, and the team acts out some sweet revenge for [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • The Woman in Black

    Zabeel Theatre Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Palm Jumeirah West Crescent, Dubai

    Susan Hill's elegantly eerie ghost story has been seen by more than seven million people in the stage adaptation by Stephen Mallatratt, and very few will have been disappointed (or unshaken). A lawyer obsessed with a curse that he believes [ ... ]

    From AED 200
  • LAST CHANCE Randa Maddah: Hanging Gardens

    Tabari Artspace Gate Village Level 2, DIFC, Dubai

    The inaugural solo exhibition of the Syrian visual artist whose practice spans painting, drawing, sculpture, video, and installation. In this recent work, Maddah repurposes the vocabulary of traditional miniature paintings to depict "dream-like scenes that negotiate themes of belonging, resilience, [ ... ]

    Free
  • Authentic Flamenco: Daniel Casares

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

    The award-winning flamenco guitarist brings this explicitly titled show to the UAE for two nights (the second performances are on 2 November). This is the Teatro Real de Madrid production that has been wowing audiences for some time; it aims [ ... ]

    From AED 120
  • Candlelight: Festival of Lights at Yas Bay Waterfront

    Arena Plaza Yas Drive, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    Diwali would seem an entirely logical extension for the Candlelight series of candle-illuminated musical events. So we're happy to flag up two free concerts for the Festival of Lights, with the plaza in front of Etihad Arena transformed into an [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Pina: dir Wim Wenders (2011)

    Cinema Akil in 25hours Hotel Trade Center St, Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    A captivating dance documentary that celebrates the life and work of the world-renowned choreographer Pina Bausch. During the preparations for the film in 2009, Bausch died suddenly; the dancers of Bausch's company, Tanztheater Wuppertal, convinced him to proceed as a [ ... ]

    Free