• Every Brilliant Thing

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

    A second night for this single-hander written by the English playwright/director Duncan Macmillan with actor/writer/comedian Johnny Donahoe, The Guardian called the original Edinburgh Festival production “one of the funniest plays you’ll ever see about depression – and possibly one of [ ... ]

    AED 120
  • The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

    Studio One Hotel Dubai Studio City, Dubai

    Second stop for the September Laughter Factory tour. The acts: Peter Flanagan Hit Irish comic fresh from a critically acclaimed show at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. Expect “great storytelling" with "warmth and shamrock panache” delivered via razor-sharp writing (he's also [ ... ]

    AED 160
  • Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial: Bik Van der Pol’s The poem that jumps the fence

    Abu Dhabi Beach Al Hisn Street, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    Artist duo Bik Van der Pol (Liesbeth Bik and Jos Van der Pol) engage in collaborative projects on how art constructs public spaces for speculative thought and collective creativity. The poem that jumps the fence features weekly performances on Abu [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Every Brilliant Thing

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

    The final performance of this run for “one of the funniest plays you’ll ever see about depression – and possibly one of the funniest plays you’ll ever see, full stop”. The Junction’s main man Gautam Goenka directs and performs; the [ ... ]

    AED 120
  • Game. Set. Match.

    Playhouse Studio Theatre New Covent Garden, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai

    The final performances for this contemporary comedy-drama. Set in a luxury tennis club suite, the play follows seven long-time friends reunited for a destination wedding; but a seemingly innocent game of sharing phone messages and calls turns into digital Russian [ ... ]

    AED 126
  • The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

    The Club Al Mina, Abu Dhabi

    The Abu Dhabi stop for the September Laughter Factory tour. The acts: Peter Flanagan Hit Irish comic fresh from a critically acclaimed show at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. Expect “great storytelling" with "warmth and shamrock panache” delivered via razor-sharp writing [ ... ]

    AED 160
  • LAST CHANCE Naeemeh Kazemi: Bubble Land

    Leila Heller Gallery Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    A solo show for an artist whose distinctive approach to visual storytelling lies in her ability to blend hyperrealism with dreamlike distortion. In this series, a follow-on from her gorgeous but unsettling La La Land works, her paintings transform the [ ... ]

    Free
  • LAST CHANCE Morteza Khazaie: Upside Down

    Leila Heller Gallery Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Khazaie's solo show is inspired by nature, particularly by trees that bend in the face of wind and storms yet do not break. These symbolise resilience and flexibility; just as in life, people too change under pressure and harsh conditions, [ ... ]

    Free
  • Ranim AlHalaky: Of Liminal Threads

    Tashkeel Studio and Gallery Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Tashkeel reopens its Nad Al Sheba Gallery with this solo exhibition by Syrian-Lebanese artist and designer Ranim AlHalaky, the culmination of a year-long journey of research, mentorship, and production as part of Tashkeel's Critical Practice Programme. To 16 October.

    Free
  • Mamluks: Legacy of an Empire

    Louvre Abu Dhabi Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi

    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 [ ... ]

    General admission AED 65
  • Hester Street: dir Joan Micklin Silver (1975)

    Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    Carol Kane is extraordinary as a Jewish immigrant arriving in late 19th-century New York with her young son Yossele (Paul Freedman) to join a husband (Steven Keach) who she hasn’t seen in three years. He's embraced the new world and [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Marwan Bassiouni: New Western Views (Preview)

    Lawrie Shabibi Unit 21, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

    This first solo exhibition in the region for Bassiouni offers a first look at an ongoing international project that reframes landscape photography through the lens of lived Muslim presence in the contemporary West. Each of these photographs – taken from [ ... ]

    Free
  • The Only Way Out Is Through: The Twentieth Line

    The Third Line Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Shumon Basar curates this project marking the gallery’s 20th anniversary, a look back on "two decades of The Third Line’s story in relation to global cultural, political, and economic shifts". The exhibition component features both early and more recent works from [ ... ]

  • Elias Izoli: Inside Out ‘25

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

    After a long break from painting, Izoli has returned with a new body of work centred around "the circus of life" – Izoli uses the circus as a metaphor for the unpredictability and complexity of life as a Syrian citizen. [ ... ]

    Free
  • Abdelkader Benchamma: Rumors from the Skies

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

    Says the gallery: "Drawing on literature, philosophy, and astrophysics, Benchamma transforms celestial phenomena into symbolic landscapes that invite us to move beyond the material and the real, into dimensions where the rational and the fantastical coexist". For his third solo [ ... ]

    Free
  • Mahmoud El Safadi: Personal Sea

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

    Exhibiting for the first time in Dubai, Lebanese artist Mahmoud El Safadi is showing a collection of miniature paintings on playing cards, a series of works that reflect on the Mediterranean as a site of memory, inheritance, and continuity – [ ... ]

    Free
  • Mona Al Khaja: Caravan of Colors

    Aisha Alabbar Gallery Warehouse C19, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

    A retrospective celebrating over four decades of work by the Sharjah-born artist. It traces Mona Al Khaja’s journey from her studies at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo to her continued exploration of abstraction, symbolism, and colou, featuring works [ ... ]

    Free
  • The Narrative of Decline

    Carbon 12 Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Bernhard Buhmann curates this group show based on the idea that plunging downwards is both terrifying and liberating – the gallery quotes Andrea Roelig: "We stand between death and life, and decline is dangerously enticing because it also carries an [ ... ]

    Free
  • Gail Spaien: Arranging Flowers

    Taymour Grahne Projects Warehouse 31A, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

    The inaugural show of Taymour Grahne's new project space in Dubai features the Maine-based painter, the recipient of numerous fellowships amd now (after 30 years as faculty at the Maine College of Art and Design) a full time artist. Her [ ... ]

    Free
  • Edges of Perception

    Waddington Custot Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    A group show of paintings, sculptures, and photographs by a number of well-known contemporary artists that explore contrasts of material, form, and colour. The artists: Kenia Almaraz Murillo Nick Brandt Ian Davenport Hubert Le Gall Umberto Mariani Landon Metz Marc [ ... ]

    Free
  • Heritage, Memory & The Body

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

    A group exhibition for four distinguished Palestinian women artists – Rania Amoudi, Dina Matar, Fatima Abu Rumi, and Marwa Alnajjar – that offers a powerful counterpoint to static portrayals of femininity and nationhood. Grounded in place yet transcending borders, the [ ... ]

    Free
  • Amina Illuminati

    Rarares Galllery Zone C, Gate Avenue, DIFC, Dubai

    Says the gallery: “In an era of visual noise and the relentless pace of modern life, Amina Illuminati offers a moment of stillness — a space where matter becomes light, and form becomes revelation”. It’s a group show for work [ ... ]

    Free
  • Bahman Mohasses: The Existential Grotesque

    Leila Heller Gallery Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    The gallery describes Mohasses (d.2020) as "one of Iran’s most enigmatic modern artists … A painter, sculptor, and translator, Mohasses carved out a unique space in Iranian art, setting himself apart through his radical embrace of European modernism and a [ ... ]

    Free
  • LAST CHANCE Bahman Mohasses: The Existential Grotesque

    Leila Heller Gallery Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    The gallery describes Mohasses (d.2020) as "one of Iran’s most enigmatic modern artists … A painter, sculptor, and translator, Mohasses carved out a unique space in Iranian art, setting himself apart through his radical embrace of European modernism and a [ ... ]

    Free
  • Lala Rukh: The importance of staying quiet

    Grey Noise Unit 24 Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    The first exhibition of the new iteration of The importance of staying quiet, a survey of Pakistani art, features photographic archives from Lala Rukh’s years at the University of Chicago (1974–76). It includes early works that carry a cinematic sense [ ... ]

    Free
  • La Bohème

    Dubai Opera

    Dubai Opera opens its new season with with a genuine opera epic done in the grand scale. Puccini’s tale of artists, dreamers, and lovers in 19th-century Paris is presented by the Hungarian State Opera, directed by Kálmán Nádasdy with set [ ... ]

    From AED 240
  • The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

    The Bay, Al Hamra Golf Club Al Hamra, Ras Al Khaimah

    A new Ras Al Khaimah gig for the September Laughter Factory tour, albeit minus Peter Flanagan (who's doing the Dubai and Abu Dhabi stops). The acts" Dana Alexander The Canadian standup is a Laughter Factory favourite with material drawn from [ ... ]

    AED 160
  • Ammar Al Attar: Silent Residues

    Iris Projects Studio 20, Madar 39, MiZa, Port Zayed, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    The first solo exhibition for a key figure of the contemporary avant-garde in the UAE, curated by Nasser Abdullah. This series engages with abandoned and derelict spaces across the Emirates in a playful, insightful way. Often using desert settings and [ ... ]

    Free
  • Benji Reid: Find Your Eyes

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

    With Find Your Eyes, Benji Reid has made a performance that is unlike any you will have seen. Other artists have approached the creative process itself as performance; but no one else has combined photography, choreography and theatre to make [ ... ]

    AED 105
  • La Bohème

    Dubai Opera

    A second performance of the Hungarian State Opera’s classic production of the classic Puccini tale of artists, dreamers, and lovers in 19th-century Paris. Praised for its authenticity and emotional depth, this production is a genuine piece of theatrical heritage … [ ... ]

    From AED 240
  • We Might Be Drunk

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

    Someone at MadCat Comedy is having fun thinking of titles for their shows … This one features the always excellent Liz Bains, Mad Cat’s main man Miqdaad, “and other heavy hitters you don't wanna miss”. The door price includes one [ ... ]

    AED 80
  • The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

    Radisson DAMAC Hills Hessa Street Dubailand, Dubai

    The last weekend for the September Laughter Factory tour. The acts: Peter Flanagan Hit Irish comic fresh from a critically acclaimed show at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. Expect “great storytelling" with "warmth and shamrock panache” delivered via razor-sharp writing (he's [ ... ]

    AED 160
  • Monif Ajaj: Shams

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

    New ink drawings on paper and acrylic paintings on canvas from the French-based Syrian artist that offer viewers a journey through colour, symbolism, and contemplation. These are works that "reflect on the mystical power of nature, its geometry and order, [ ... ]

    Free
  • Bady Dalloul: Self-portrait with a Cat I Don’t Have

    Jameel Arts Centre Al Jaddaf, Dubai

    Bady Dalloul’s first institutional solo exhibition in the UAE is an extended solo show curated by Art Jameel’s Lucas Morin. The artworks feature fragile heroes and ordinary people navigating systems larger than themselves; Dalloul repurposes everyday materials (including books, matchboxes, [ ... ]

    Free
  • Benji Reid: Find Your Eyes

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

    The second performance of a remarkable show that combines photography, choreography and theatre to tell an emotional rollercoaster of a story. Find Your Eyes draws on Benji Reid’s work both as an award-winning photographer and a pioneer of hip hop [ ... ]

    AED 105
  • SILA: All that is Left to You

    Maraya Art Centre Al Qasba, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

    In times of adversity, especially amid the ongoing devastation in Gaza, tatreez – the ancient practice of hand-embroidery, a foundational element of Palestinian intangible heritage – becomes an act of survival and defiance. This exhibition of works by 25 artists [ ... ]

    Free
  • Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial: Bik Van der Pol’s The poem that jumps the fence

    Abu Dhabi Beach Al Hisn Street, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    Artist duo Bik Van der Pol (Liesbeth Bik and Jos Van der Pol) engage in collaborative projects on how art constructs public spaces for speculative thought and collective creativity. The poem that jumps the fence features weekly performances on Abu [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Beethoven’s The Fifths

    Dubai Opera

    A proper full-scale orchestral concert evening, even if the combination of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and his Piano Concerto No.5 (“Emperor”) feels as though it might be driven more by marketing than a natural musical combination. Still, there are no complaints [ ... ]

    From AED 190
  • African Theaters Now: A Conversation

    NYUAD Institute NYU Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi

    This exceptional panel discussion aims to lead to a better understand of the term “African theatre", the evolution of theatres among the 52 countries of Africa, and this contemporary moment in Africa’s theatres. Who is making theatre today in Africa [ ... ]

    Free
  • The Comedy Lab @ Easy Tiger

    Al Ain Palace Hotel Corniche Road, Abu Dhabi

    MadCat’s standup team comes to Abu Dhabi's Easy Tiger bar in the Al Ain Palace. The door price of AED 99 includes two drinks ...

    AED 99
  • Ala Younis: Past of a Temporal Universe

    NYUAD Art Gallery Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    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 [ ... ]

    Free
  • Wednesday Night Impro: Maestro

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

    The Courtyard's most peopular 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 [ ... ]

    Free
  • Comedy Trios

    Blacksmith Bar The First Collection Business Bay, Al A'amal Street, Dubai

    A MadCat gig promising "Dubai's top comedians – ALL HEADLINERS” but also “a comedy whirlwind,  featuring a revolving lineup of Dubai's best comedians and fresh faces” which implies that they’re not all headliners … Still, let’s not be picky: MadCat does [ ... ]

    AED 99
  • Sebastian Hosu: Transmission

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

    The debut solo exhibition in Dubai by the German Romanian artist introduces a new body of work that captures human presence in flux figures that dissolve into their surroundings. Known for his monumental canvases and emotionally charged brushwork, Hosu invites [ ... ]

    Free
  • The Sketchy Social

    [secret]

    A nice idea from Karama Arts Club (though it doesn’t appear to be members-only) – “doodle, drink, and unwind with your creative peers” (all supplies supplied by Skriblbox, so you don't need to bring anything). The location is secret and [ ... ]

    Free
  • Siqing Lu

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

    The acclaimed Chinese violinist Siqing Lu, noted for his profound lyricism and technical mastery, has chosen a challenging programme for his first UAE recital, part of the Abu Dhabi Classics programme and presented in partnership with the Chinese Embassy. Alongside [ ... ]

    Free, but pregister
  • PowerPointless Networking Night

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

    Back for a new season, it’s one of the most consistently funny of the Courtyard's classic improv gigs: the speakers have to give a presentation on a slide deck they’ve never seen before, with the topic determined at random by [ ... ]

    Free
  • Swan Lake

    Dubai Opera

    A proper classic, done in the classic style: Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake earned its initial reputation because of the choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, and this production by the Hungarian National Ballet with the Hungarian National Opera Orchestra – [ ... ]

    From AED 240