• The Zero Apologies Show

    Canopy by Hilton Dubai Al Seef Al Seef Street, Umm Hurair 1, Dubai

    "A comedy show where you are the joke." MadCat Comedy's main man Miqdaad D pushes the boundaries ... The cover charge of AED 99 includes two drinks.

    AED 99
  • Dubai Opera Jazz Studio: Rami Attallah

    Dubai Opera Studio Downtown Dubai, Dubai

    Late-evening jazz with a 360o sound system and the always impressive Rami Attalah – founder of The Music Hub in Egypt, main man of the Rami Attallah Group, main pianist and conductor of Cairo Steps & the Los Compadres Latin Jazz [ ... ]

    AED 100
  • LAST CHANCE Lydia Nakashima Degarrod and Susan Ossman: Projects of Art Ethnography

    NYUAD Project Space NYUAD Campus, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi

    This exhibition brings together works by two artist-anthropologists with practices on the boundaries between scholarship and art. Their projects invite viewers to reflect on migration, memory, identity, and the ways knowledge takes shape across bodies, materials, and stories. The exhibition [ ... ]

    Free
  • The Elf in the Gulf

    South View School Remraam, Al Thammam, Dubai

    A second round of performances for Collab Company's seasonal musical theatre fun – five rookie elves must complete their training at the Christmas Academy and Department of Elvish Training (CADET) in pursuit of their mission to bring joy to families [ ... ]

    AED 100
  • Drinks and Comedy

    Courtyard by Marriott Al Barsha Road, Al Barsha 1, Dubai

    This comedykix open mic at the Courtyard by Marriott's Oak Live Bar promises exactly what it says – standup comedy with drinks (and food). Entry is free entry but there's a minimum AED 75 spend.

    Free
  • BRIDGE Summit 2025

    ADNEC Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    The organisers of BRIDGE Summit 2025 says its goal is to “establish itself as a comprehensive exploration of the forces transforming global media ... Designed as a global platform for collaboration, discovery, and innovation, BRIDGE Summit 2025 will explore how [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • The Comedy Lab @ Easy Tiger

    Al Ain Palace Hotel Corniche Road, Abu Dhabi

    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 ...

    AED 99
  • Elements of Light

    JD Malat Gallery ACT 2 Tower, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Blvd 13A ,Downtown Dubai, Dubai

    A group exhibition reflecting on illumination in all its forms – atmosphere, memory, rhythm and emotion – that promise "a radiant constellation of contemporary voices to close the year". The 13 artists featured include Casper Brindle, Masayoshi Nojo, RETNA, Conrad [ ... ]

    Free
  • LAST CHANCE Tor Seidel: Riposte

    XVA Gallery Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood, Bur Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Tor Siedel explores how ‘vandalism’ by environmental activists in triptychs that consider whether these attacks can also be considered performative acts of art. He focuses on the protagonists' actionism, the shock or entertainment value for visitors, and the professional dissemination [ ... ]

    Free
  • The Story of Art Lecture: It’s All in the Details – the Dutch Golden Age

    Bassam Freiha Art Foundation Cultural District Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi

    Bassam Freiha Art Foundation continues its monthly lecture series led by Dr Michaela Watrelot, BFAF Curator and Director of Exhibitions. This it's the artistic flourishing of 17th-century Netherlands, where prosperity and everyday life found new visual meaning – think Rembrandt’s [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Clémence Marie Bergal in Conversation

    Foundry Downtown Boulevard Crescent, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, Dubai

    An Inloco Gallery conversation about the evolution of public art in the MENA region with Clémence Marie Bergal, Abu Dhabi Public Art Director at DCT Abu Dhabi. Clémence will discuss how institutional frameworks, artistic practice, and urban development shape public [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • The Comedy Lab

    Radisson Red Dubai Digital Park, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai

    MadCat Comedy's regular stop in Silicon Oasis promises "insane laughs every week". The door price of AED 99 includes two drinks.

    AED 99
  • Annie

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

    The much-garlanded musical arrives for its UAE debut in the new adaptation by the Olivier Award-winning producer Paul Taylor-Mills. Set in Depression-era New York, the story follows little orphan Annie who is invited to spend Christmas with a billionaire ... [ ... ]

    From AED 200
  • Focal Point 2025

    FOCAL POINT 2023
    Sharjah Art Foundation, Bait Obaid Al Shamsi Arts Square, Sharjah

    The eighth and biggest edition of Sharjah Art Foundation’s art book fair – the region’s only book fair dedicated to publishing about art, we think – features local and international publishers with book launches, talks, workshops and musical performances during [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Ars Nova Napoli

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

    Neapolitan folk from a band known for its powerful stage presence and an exuberant party groove. Ars Nova Napoli offers a unique reinterpretation of traditional songs from southern Italy plus their own compositions. Expect skilled harmonies and instrumental interplay; should [ ... ]

    AED75
  • The Unfriend

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

    Peter and Debbie are a timorous suburban couple who are “dying of manners”. They can’t communicate with their teenage children, can’t stand their neighbour, and can’t believe they have agreed to host a brash American, Elsa, who was amusing company [ ... ]

    AED 120
  • Politically Incorrect Comedy

    Xandros Singature 1 Hotel, Barsha Heights, Dubai

    MadCat Comedy's regular standup night at Xandros in Signature 1 Hotel, TECOM. The cover charge of AED 80 includes one drink.

    AED 80
  • Dubai Opera Jazz Studio: Sandra Ivette

    Dubai Opera Studio Downtown Dubai, Dubai

    Late-evening jazz with a 360o sound system and the rather special Sandra Ivette. She's a multi-instrumentalist (very cool on bass or bass guitar) and singer, with a great line in Cuban-influenced jazz (she's from Havana) ... The door price includes one [ ... ]

    AED 100
  • LAST CHANCE Prix Pictet: Storm

    Ishara Art Foundation Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

    Prix Pictet, founded in 2008 by the Pictet Group, is the world’s leading award for photography that draws attention to issues of global sustainability; this exhibition showcases work by 12 photographers who have been shortlisted for the eleventh cycle of [ ... ]

    Free
  • Naqsh Raj: Half Light

    XVA Gallery Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood, Bur Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    With this exhibition Naqsh Raj “invents a personal tool for grounding and connection, balancing order with anarchy, discipline with instinct and darkness with sparks of illumination ... The repetitive expression in her work hints at a longing for predictability, while [ ... ]

    Free
  • Fujifilm Short Film Festival

    Cinema Akil Warehouse 68, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

    This first festival of its kind by Fujifilm Middle East, created with Cinema Akil and Gulf Photo Plus, aims to "foster bold ideas, nurture fresh perspectives, and champion the next generation of storytellers". More than 2,000 submissions were whittled down [ ... ]

    Free
  • Focal Point 2025

    FOCAL POINT 2023
    Sharjah Art Foundation, Bait Obaid Al Shamsi Arts Square, Sharjah

    The eighth and biggest edition of Sharjah Art Foundation’s art book fair – the region’s only book fair dedicated to publishing about art, we think – features local and international publishers with book launches, talks, workshops and musical performances during [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • The Twentieth Line

    The Third Line Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    The Third Line gallery is currently running The Only Way Out Is Through: The Twentieth Line, a significant retrospective exhibition curated by Shumon Basar to mark its 20th anniversary by looking back on two decades of The Third Line’s story [ ... ]

  • Restless Circle: Tour and Conversation

    Al Mureijah Square Sharjah

    What goes into conceptualising and curating a solo exhibition? Artist Afra Al Dhaheri and curator May Al Qaydi lead an enquiry-based tour of Al Dhaheri's current exhibition Restless Circle (ends tomorrow, 14 December), followed by a conversation between the two that [ ... ]

  • SAF Book Club Meetup: The State of Publishing

    Sharjah Art Foundation, Bait Obaid Al Shamsi Arts Square, Sharjah

    Held during Focal Point, Sharjah Art Foundation’s annual art book fair, this special session of SAF's always interesting book club looks at the realities of contemporary publishing from independent presses to shifts in digital technology via AI and self-publishing.

    Free, but pre-register
  • Dubai Motorcycle Film Festival

    Warehouse Four Al Quoz, Dubai

    The fifth edition of the only film festival in Dubai "exclusively dedicated to screening short films focussed on motorcycles" (it expanded in 2025 to London and is planned to launch in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur next year). It kicks off [ ... ]

    AED 75
  • The Unfriend

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

    A second performance for Steven Moffat's black comedy of manners, boundaries, and exquisitie embarassment. The final show is on 14 December.  

    AED 120
  • Franz Ferdinand

    Coca-Cola Arena City Walk, Dubai

    Always one of the more interesting indie bands, Franz Ferdinand went through a bit of a mid-career trough; but the January 2025 release of their sixth album, The Human Fear, was a return to form (with a new drummer and [ ... ]

    From AED 295
  • Joke Hub

    Canopy by Hilton Dubai Al Seef Al Seef Street, Umm Hurair 1, Dubai

    A regular MadCat Comedy night – "Dubai's wildest comedy show on Saturday" (sic). The cover charge of AED 99 includes two F&B coupons.

    AED 99
  • Jazz at The Island: Mayssa Karaa and Las Migas

    Al Noor Island Buhairah Corniche Road, Khalid Lagoon, Sharjah

    First of two jazz-ish gigs on consecutive nights at Al Noor Island. This one features the Lebanese-American singer-songwriter (and Artistic Director of Berklee Abu Dhabi) Mayssa Karaa (above); fluent in eight languages and with hits in several of them, she [ ... ]

    AED 130
  • Jazz at The Island: Mayssa Karaa and Las Migas

    Al Noor Island Buhairah Corniche Road, Khalid Lagoon, Sharjah

    Second of near-jazz gigs on consecutive nights at Al Noor Island. This one features Ars Nova Napoli (below), the Italian nu-folk funsters (traditional Neapolitan rhythms with a modern twist) who really do know how to throw a party; and the [ ... ]

    AED 130
  • Dubai Opera Jazz Studio: Roger Ryan

    Dubai Opera Studio Downtown Dubai, Dubai

    The last gig this year for Dubai Opera's late-evening jazz bar features jazz, R&B, neo-soul and gospel from the singer, producer, and keyboard player (he also teaches at Berklee Abu Dhabi). The door price includes one drink.

    AED 100
  • The Yemenis Orchestra

    Dubai Opera

    The Yemenis Orchestra, led by its noted conductor Mohamed Al-Ghoom, is dedicated to preserving and promoting Yemen's rich musical heritage. It grew out of Al-Ghoom's Heritage Symphonies project, aiming to integrate traditional Yemeni music with orchestral arrangement, and the results [ ... ]

    From AED 395
  • Focal Point 2025

    FOCAL POINT 2023
    Sharjah Art Foundation, Bait Obaid Al Shamsi Arts Square, Sharjah

    The eighth and biggest edition of Sharjah Art Foundation’s art book fair – the region’s only book fair dedicated to publishing about art, we think – features local and international publishers with book launches, talks, workshops and musical performances during [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • 1 Minute to Krushit

    TGIFriday's at the Rove Hotel Downtown 312 Al Mustaqbal Street, Dubai

    1M2K returns with the comedy game show where around 15 standups get just one minute to make you laugh – and you choose the winner too. Admission is free, but there's a minimum spend of AED 25 per person.   [ ... ]

    Free
  • The Unfriend

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

    The final performance for Steven Moffat's black comedy of manners, boundaries, and exquisitie embarassment. The final show is on 14 December.  

    AED 120
  • Steinway Series: Ilya Shmukler – Schumann

    Dubai Opera Studio Downtown Dubai, Dubai

    The internationally acclaimed pianist, once a child prodigo and now an established favourite known for technical brilliance combined with passion and imagination, performs a programme of Schumann pieces – one Clara but mostly Robert, with the monumental Symphonic Études to [ ... ]

    AED 250
  • LAST CHANCE Whispers of Play

    Volery Gallery Maze Tower - 5201, Dubai International Financial Center, Dubai

    A group show for three young Japanese artists that celebrates the playful sensibility at the heart of contemporary Japanese expression – "a sensibility that transforms familiarity into wonder, nostalgia into dream" as the gallery has it. These artists have used [ ... ]

    Free
  • The Comedy Lab @ Easy Tiger

    Al Ain Palace Hotel Corniche Road, Abu Dhabi

    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 ...

    AED 99
  • Kwang Hyun Kim: Flytrap Anthology

    Volery Gallery Maze Tower - 5201, Dubai International Financial Center, Dubai

    A solo show for the Korean artist reflecting Kim’s belief that we live within a paradox where we can be both predators and shelter for one another. Says the gallery: "despite this contradiction we continue to reach outward, to connect, [ ... ]

    Free
  • The Nutcracker

    Dubai Opera

    Tchaikovsky’s all-time seasonal favourite is a Dubai Opera staple for the time of year, delivered on this occasion by the Astrakhan Theater Opera and Ballet – one of the newer Russian classical companies, but one with a decent reputation for [ ... ]

    From AED 380
  • The Comedy Lab

    Radisson Red Dubai Digital Park, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai

    MadCat Comedy's regular stop in Silicon Oasis promises "insane laughs every week". The door price of AED 99 includes two drinks.

    AED 99
  • The Nutcracker

    Dubai Opera

    Two further performances (at 2pm and 8pm) for the seasonal favourite, delivered by the Astrakhan Theater Opera and Ballet in a suitably classical manner and of course featuring some of the best-loved music that Tchaikovsky ever wrote ... There are [ ... ]

    From AED 380
  • Tajouj: dir Gadalla Gubara (1977)

    Efiɛ Gallery 2 Al Khayat Art Avenue, First Al Khail Street, Dubai

    The first feature film to be directed by a Sudanese filmmaker, this historical romance tells of the beautiful Tajouj whose cousin publicly declares his love for her in a song. The traditions of the tribe decry such an act and [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Carols Reimagined

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

    "Not just a concert, it’s a soulful celebration of joy, light, and togetherness" says the blurb. We're not sure how much reimagining has gone on to deliver "the spirit of Christmas like never before", but the lineup is pretty good [ ... ]

    From AED 200
  • Politically Incorrect Comedy

    Xandros Singature 1 Hotel, Barsha Heights, Dubai

    MadCat Comedy's regular standup night at Xandros in Signature 1 Hotel, TECOM. The cover charge of AED 80 includes one drink.

    AED 80
  • The Nutcracker

    Dubai Opera

    Two further performances (at 2pm and 8pm) for the seasonal favourite, delivered by the Astrakhan Theater Opera and Ballet in a suitably classical manner and of course featuring some of the best-loved music that Tchaikovsky ever wrote ... The final [ ... ]

    From AED 380
  • LAST CHANCE Hussain Jamil: Refracted Life

    Oblong Contemporary Art Gallery Al Khayat Art Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai

    In this exhibition, Jamil presents a new body of work that explores how we see ourselves — and how we are seen — in an ever-changing world. Working with hand-formed polished steel wall sculptures, woven metal mesh, and mirrored sculptural [ ... ]

    Free
  • Once Upon a Time in Dubai

    The Agenda Abdullah Omran Taryam St, Media City, Dubai

    A musical celebration of love, ambition, and the power of dreams, "a story of passion and perseverance set in the glamorous city of Dubai" with spectacular choreography, an original soundtrack, and dramatic sets. It's at the Agenda for a lengthy [ ... ]

    Fro260
  • Bait Al Oud Annual Concert

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

    The Bait Al Oud Annual Concert brings together students, graduates, and instructors to celebrate the musical achievements of the year with the oud, qanun, cello and rebabah. It's always good ...

    tbc