• Danú presents: The Dictator

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

    A second performance for this interpretation in English of a timely absurdist tale by the late Lebanese playwright Issam Mahfouz. Set in a claustrophobic  fictional world, it tells the story of a tyrant (the General, played by Aida Laubach) whose grandiose [ ... ]

    Free
  • Alena Lavdovskaya

    ME by Meliá The Opus by Omniyat, Al Amal Street, Business Bay, Dubai

    Fashion illustrator (and the founder of Russia's first illustration and art-content agency for the fashion industry) Alena Lavdovskaya is the latest Artist in Residence at ME Dubai. This exhibition showcases her 20 years in the industry, with Alena illustrations, a [ ... ]

  • Dara Ó Briain: So … Where Were We?

    Dubai Opera

    The generally excellent comedian (and writer, amateur astronomer, astrophotographer) is back on tour, and this gig falls right in the middle of another massive stint on the road. Apparently though he likes touring, and he enjoys appearing in front of [ ... ]

    From AED200
  • Atsuko, Beth, and Rachel

    Dubai Opera

    They are three of the best female American standups around at the moment – Atsuko Okatsuka, Beth Stelling, and Rachel Feinstein. LA-based Atsuko Okatsuka was named one of Variety's Top 10 Comics to Watch in 2022; born in Taiwan to [ ... ]

    From AED200
  • V4texx: Late Night Jam

    Theatre of Digital Arts Souk Madinat Jumeriah, Dubai

    The Dubai-based four-piece comes highly recommended, not least by a stonking residency at the Palazzo Versace and a brilliantly versatile repertoire that crosses from jazz to electronica. This is at ToDA, so expect cutting-edge 36o° visuals ... (Don't be fooled [ ... ]

    From AED 180
  • Jimmy Carr

    Dubai Opera

    The marmite comedian is back in town with a brand-new show that contains jokes about all kind of terrible things: “but they’re just jokes – they are not the terrible things ... Having political correctness at a comedy show is [ ... ]

    From AED200
  • Fridge Concert Series 40: Eirini / Jay Abo

    The Fridge Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    For the 40th Fridge Concert Series, the Fridge's people have paired new acts with alumni of past concert series for one-off guest collaborations – "merging voices, genres and artistic styles to create memorable music moments". This gig pairs highly-rated and [ ... ]

    AED 80
  • Monika Grabuschnigg & Nour Malas: Four AM

    CARBON 12 17th Street, Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    A two-person show for the summer, cleverly pivoted on that terrible time to be awake – too early to get up, too late to get back to deep sleep ... Says the gallery's essay: "Grabuschnigg and Malas don’t just share [ ... ]

    Free
  • Nostalgia: Annual CFAD Faculty Exhibition

    Ayyam Gallery B11, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    This year’s University of Sharjah annual CFAD faculty and alums exhibition features works by Ahed Al Kathiri, Brian Gonzales, Hala El Abora, Kawthar Alshurafa, Lina Elmalik, Muatasim Alkubaisy, Mohamed Yousef Alhammadi, Nada Abdallah, Nourbanu Hijazi, Thaier Helal, Tor Seidel, and [ ... ]

    Free
  • Rafi Bastos: Unfamiliar Territory

    Theatre at Mall of the Emirates Level 2, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    A 6’7” tall Brazilian "with an accent like Dracula's", Rafi Bastos was one of the first to pioneer the art of stand-up in Brazil. He's particularly good at quick-witted observational humour; this show (in English) is part of the Dubai [ ... ]

    From AED175
  • Joanne McNally & Vogue Williams: My Therapist Ghosted Me

    Dubai Opera

    Vogue Williams and Joanne McNally have been running their weekly chat for 150+ podcast episodes now; My Therapist Ghosted Me is the result of Joanne's therapist doing just that – ignoring her calls, refusing to answer the door at the [ ... ]

    From AED200
  • 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
  • Jim Jefferies: Give ‘Em What They Want

    Dubai Opera

    The Australian stand-up is stopping off at the Dubai Comedy Festival as part of a world tour. He's brash and confrontational, but able to charm and offend in equal measure; and he's a really good storyteller ...

    From AED200
  • Stephen Frost’s Improv All Stars

    Dubai Opera

    Top-quality improv from a British troupe of regulars (Stephen Frost, Steve Steen, Andy Smart, and Ian Coppinger) with no script and not the faintest idea of what will happen. They're very, very good; this show is part of the Dubai [ ... ]

    From AED175
  • Nasir Nasrallah: Poetic of Machines

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

    Nasrallah’s solo show is a mythical exploration of the relationship between humans and machines. Through a collection of intricate drawings, paintings, publications, textiles, and installations, the UAE-based artist takes us on a journey into a world of mechanical creatures that [ ... ]

    Free
  • SYNTHESIS: 2023 MFA Graduate Show

    Marking the second year of collaboration between 421 and NYUAD, the exhibition showcases the research and experimentation of the inaugural cohort of students completing the two-year Master of Fine Arts in Art and Media at NYUAD: For Elizabeth Dorazio, nature [ ... ]

    Free
  • Lloyd Griffith

    Bla Bla Dubai The Beach, Dubai

    Originally trained as a classical choral singer, Griffith is a working-class comedian, actor and choirboy from Grimsby (he was a presenter on Sky Sports show Soccer AM until the end of the 2018–19 season). A stand-up favourite, he has toured [ ... ]

    AED 150
  • Paul Elia & Dave Merheje: Lowkey Comedy

    Theatre at Mall of the Emirates Level 2, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Raunchy humour and no filters from the Iraqi-American Paul Elia and Canadian Dave Merheje: definitely not suitable for children – “nothing is off limits”. This is a Dubai Comedy Festival Show.

    From AED 150
  • Evolutions in Collecting Art: Practices and Challenges

    Firetti Contemporary Unit 29, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

    A conversation with attorney Vanja Mégevand, founder of AI-based legal tech company Lawrence Legal, discussing the changing landscape of art collecting and the challenges and practices that collectors and patrons face in their interactions with artists, galleries, and institutions. Expect [ ... ]

    Free but preregister
  • Amit Tandon: Masala Sandwich

    Theatre at Mall of the Emirates Level 2, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    The Indian comic (aka The Married Guy) has clocked up 100 million views across his social media platforms. Generally observational in style, his comedy crosses global boundaries; this Dubai Comedy Festival show – in English, incidentally – is an interwoven [ ... ]

    From AED 150
  • Rooftop Rhythms Open Mic Night

    Marketplace, NYUAD Campus Abu Dhabi

    The Middle East’s best (and longest-running) poetry and performance open mic night enters its second decade with original material from spoken word artists, poets, and musicians. Rooftop Rhythms is hosted by Jaysus Zain with opening and closing DJ sets by [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register online
  • Ola Roshdy

    Theatre at Mall of the Emirates Level 2, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    The Egyptian actress and stand-up comic entertains with her spin on motherhood, womanhood, and all things related. Joining her on the same bill are Reem Nabil and Ahmed El Hareedy (host). This is a Dubai Comedy Festival Show.

    From AED 150
  • Giampiero Romanò: Fragile, Handle with Care

    Zawyeh Gallery Warehouse 27, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

    Romanò combines artistic creativity with his skills in restoration and preservation. He works with antique mirrors and frames, transforming used pieces of framed mirrors into whole new entities; “Romanò’s ‘mirrors could look rich and beautiful, yet they are extremely fragile, [ ... ]

    Free
  • National Youth Orchestra Showcase

    Dubai Opera Studio Downtown Dubai, Dubai

    Musicians from the largest youth orchestra in the region and finalists from the recent National Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition 2023 perform classical favourites and an exclusive premiere of the NYO’s new Vivaldi Four Seasons Project, with solo performances by several [ ... ]

    From AED 150
  • Faustin Linyekula: My Body, My Archive

    Sharjah Performing Arts Academy Sharjah

    Faustin Linyekula is a contemporary dancer and choreographer whose style incorporates the quick, syncopated rhythms of the West African dance style of Ndombolo. Linyekula’s focus is on notions of loss, memory and the legacies of war and terror; exploring the [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Anuvab Pal: The Nation Wants to Know

    Bla Bla Dubai The Beach, Dubai

    One of the best of India’s funnymen – the New York Times called him “India’s most intelligent comedian”, the BBC said he was “India’s answer to British wit”, the Guardian said he was “very clever, very funny”. The Nation Wants [ ... ]

    AED 150
  • À la Française

    Theatre of Digital Arts Souk Madinat Jumeriah, Dubai

    An immersive musical journey through some of the best-love songs of France, including hits by the likes of of Édith Piaf, Charles Aznavour, Dalida, Joe Dassin & other legends, delivered Lady J and her jazz trio. This is at ToDA, [ ... ]

    From AED 180
  • Karama Arts Club: Homegrown Talent – Building a Fashion Brand in 2023

    25hours Hotel Dubai One Central Trade Center Street, Dubai

    The very excellent monthly get-together for creative folk from the region turns to fashion: a panel of industry heavyweights share expertise and opinions about the business, about building a sustainable label, and about the challenges and opportunities that Dubai brings. [ ... ]

    Free
  • Abu Dhabi International Book Fair

    ADNEC Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair is getting into its stride now; it's still basically a commercial environment where publishers and distributors make deals, but in the last few years it has developed into a celebration of reading and writing [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Monday Night Comedy: This Is Impro

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

    Exactly what it says: an evening of scenes, stories and narrative improvisation influenced by audience suggestions and featuring the Courtyard Playhouse's most experienced improv performers. Classic Courtyard stuff. It's free, but you need to put your name on the guestlist [ ... ]

    Free but donations welcome
  • Bady Dalloul: A country without a door and a window

    The Third Line Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Bady Dalloul's solo show comprises a series of 200 miniature drawings displayed inside pocket matchboxes. The vividly coloured and seemingly childlike images sharply contrast with the harsh reality of the stories they depict of the Syrian civil war; by re-appropriating [ ... ]

    Free
  • Shabahang Tayyari: Stop counting the waves following me, you seabirds!

    The Third Line Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    This solo exhibition explores themes of uniformity, replication, flatness, originality, fiction, and exclusivity within the frame of each painting, but also between the different frames, and throughout the overall arrangement of the works. The deliberate arrangement of the paintings, with [ ... ]

    Free
  • Lamya Gargash: Isthmus

    The Third Line Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Lamya Gargash’s fifth solo show at the gallery celebrates the artist’s poetics of space, recounting human experiences throughout different geographies without the direct presence of the human figure. “Photographing selections of objects, furniture pieces, window details, and wall trimmings speaks [ ... ]

    Free
  • Art & Music Night

    Theatre of Digital Arts Souk Madinat Jumeriah, Dubai

    An immersive evening at the Theatre of Digital Art – digitised projected art ("the masterpieces of the greatest artists of the 20th century") is accompanied live by Soren Lyng Hansen on cello, double bass and piano. He is very good, [ ... ]

    AED 180
  • 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
  • In Unison with Music: City Edition

    The Agenda Abdullah Omran Taryam St, Media City, Dubai

    An evening that claims to “break the norms of conventional electronic music shows in the Middle East region, to create something above and beyond” via “a unique experience and atmosphere based on a unison of light, sound and technologies”. The [ ... ]

    From AED 180
  • The Jazz Garden: Roy Young

    The Arena, Montgomerie Gulf Club Al Thanayah Fourth - 10 7th Street, Dubai

    Born in Jamaica, raised in the British RnB and then Northern Soul scenes, Roy Young has a terrific voice for soul and great stage presence. He gigs with the Alexey Cheremizov Jazz Quartet. Doors open at 7pm, Young is on [ ... ]

    From AED 125
  • The Jazz Night with Lady J

    Theatre of Digital Arts Souk Madinat Jumeriah, Dubai

    Jazz at the Theatre of Digital Art with Lady J and her trio. We're promised "a sparkling arrangement of the Grooviest Classics together with jazzed-up Radio Hits in 360° space" ...

    AED 180
  • The UAE Classical Talents: A Romantic Violin and Piano Night

    Alliance Française Dubai Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    To end this third season of the UAE Classical Talents recitals, violinist Nicolas Mann and pianist Olga Kirpicheva promise us a Romantic journey with music from the key composers of the period.

    AED 130
  • Still Dancing – a True Story of a Parkinson’s Hero

    Emirates Theatre, Jumeirah Emirates International School, Umm Al Sheif, Dubai

    Third Half Theatre and Movement Mantra are reprising their original 2019 dance-theatre production to raise awareness about Parkinson’s Disease. Movement Mantra ‘s founder, movement coach Vonita Singh, has been championing the Parkinson’s cause in the UAE for the last 10 [ ... ]

    AED 80
  • Black Grace: Paradise Rumour

    Africa Hall Al Manakh, Sharjah

    This premiere by the New Zealand contemporary dance company Black Grace was commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation for SB15; it’s a development of the company’s 2009 work Gathering Clouds, which responded to prejudice and xenophobia against Pacific migrants in New [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-booking recommended
  • City of Stars

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

    Aspiring actress and young jazz musician find love in Los Angeles. Yes, it's the plot of La-La Land, and City of Stars ∼ which also happens to be one of the better songs from the soundtrack – is an adaptation [ ... ]

    AED 100
  • Show Me on the Map: dir Marie-Helene Cousineau (2010)

    Al Hamra Cinema Al Arouba Street, Sharjah

    The first of two films by the Canadian documentary maker gives voice to first nation citizens concerned about the environmental and cultural impact of unprecedented mining industry developments on Aboriginal lands. This is a Sharjah Biennial 15 Film Programme screening.

    Free, but pre-register
  • Rhapsody of Memories

    Theatre of Digital Arts Souk Madinat Jumeriah, Dubai

    "Modern classics that speak to your heart ... Relive the most precious moments of your life" with virtuoso pianist Fyodor Biryuchev, who promises to revive "memories that truly matter. First love. Heartbreak. The joy of reunion. The moments of profound [ ... ]

    From AED 180
  • Still Dancing – a True Story of a Parkinson’s Hero

    Emirates Theatre, Jumeirah Emirates International School, Umm Al Sheif, Dubai

    A second and final show for this reprise of the Third Half Theatre and Movement Mantra dance-theatre production that aims to raise awareness about Parkinson’s Disease. Movement Mantra ‘s founder, movement coach Vonita Singh, has been championing the Parkinson’s cause [ ... ]

    AED 80
  • Sol: dir Marie-Helene Cousineau (2014)

    Al Hamra Cinema Al Arouba Street, Sharjah

    The second of two films by Cousineau explores the death of a young Inuk man, Solomon Tapatiaq Uyarasuk, who is found dead in a remote Inuit community. The locals suspect murder, but the police suggest suicide. As the film investigates [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Aziza Brahim Tabal Quartet: Live In Sharjah

    Africa Hall Al Manakh, Sharjah

    Sharjah Art Foundation presents the Queen of Western Sahara Desert Blues Aziza Brahim and her Tabal Quartet live in Sharjah as part of the Sharjah Biennial 15 Music Programme. Born and raised in the Saharawi refugee camps on the frontier [ ... ]

    AED 100
  • City of Stars

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

    Matinee and evening performances (2pm and 7.30pm) for this musical adaptation of La-La Land by Yasseen Ashri, who also directs The Greenroom youth theatre group.

    AED 100
  • CineMAS – Under the Fig Tree: dir Erige Sehiri (2022)

    Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    In northwest Tunisia, young women work the summer harvest. Largely improvised and set on a single day, this film by Erige Sehiri (who is perhaps better known as a documentary maker) packs argument, gossip, romance and social criticism into a [ ... ]

    AED 30
  • Monday Night Comedy: This Is Impro

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

    Exactly what it says: an evening of scenes, stories and narrative improvisation influenced by audience suggestions and featuring the Courtyard Playhouse's most experienced improv performers. Classic Courtyard stuff. It's free, but you need to put your name on the guestlist [ ... ]

    Free but donations welcome