Events
Politically Incorrect Comedy
The Clavichord Signature Hotel, Barsha Heights, DubaiMadCat Comedy’s regular night at the Clavichord in TECOM with "raw, unfiltered, hilarious” standup. The cover charge of AED 80 includes one drink.
AED 80Swan Lake
Dubai OperaTwo performances today – 2pm and 8pm – for the classic Tchaikovsky ballet, done in the classic style by the Hungarian National Ballet with the Hungarian National Opera Orchestra. There are final performances tomorrow (Sunday 28 September) at 1pm and 7pm.
From AED 240
Talal Al Najjar: Mesh & Mayhem
Tabari Artspace Gate Village Level 2, DIFC, DubaiTalal Al Najjar’s works feel very contemporary, not just in his use of materials and technologuy but also in his concerns and ambitions. He produces sculpture, video, sound, CGI animation, painting, and installation, in addition to writing and curation; his [ ... ]
FIELDWORK: Cultural Histories, Rural Futures
Jameel Arts Centre Al Jaddaf, DubaiA two-day symposium reflecting on agrarian knowledge, cultural memory, and the role of rural communities in shaping their own futures. Through talks, lectures, screenings and site visits, the programme engages with urgent questions around how land is used, who works [ ... ]
Free, but pre-register
Dear Children, Sincerely…
The Arts Center @ NYUAD NYUAD Campus, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesThe second and final performance of this eclectic ensemble production, a collaboration between Stages Theatre Group, Sri Lanka and Mashirika, Rwanda. Dear Children, Sincerely (DCS) is an ongoing research project, initiated in Sri Lanka in 2015, which gathers stories from [ ... ]
AED 105Agatha Christie: Black Coffee
The Junction Unit H72, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesSecond performance for Agatha Christie’s spy/theft/murder thriller. with legendary detective Hercule Poirot assessing the case. There are further performances at 2.30 and 7.30pm on 28 September.
AED 100Mid-Autumn Festival: A Moonment to Remember
Cultural Foundation Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street, Abu DhabiA spectacular celebration of Chinese acrobatics from the Dezhou Acrobatic Troupe from Shandong Province. This 90-minute show with 25 performers and 12 acts, blending traditional Chinese choreography with modern acrobatic techniques – like the dazzling Flying Fork (stunning aerial feats) [ ... ]
From AED 150Joke Hub
Canopy by Hilton Dubai Al Seef Al Seef Street, Umm Hurair 1, DubaiA regular MadCat Comedy night – "Dubai's wildest comedy show on Saturday" (sic). The cover charge of AED 99 includes two F&B coupons.
AED 99Swan Lake
Dubai OperaThe final performances today for the classic Tchaikovsky ballet, done in the classic style by the Hungarian National Ballet with the Hungarian National Opera Orchestra, are at 1pm and 7pm.
From AED 240Agatha Christie: Black Coffee
The Junction Unit H72, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesThe final two performances for this Agatha Christie spy/theft/murder thriller. with legendary detective Hercule Poirot assessing the case. There are performances at 2.30 and 7.30pm.
AED 100
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea: dir Richard Fleischer (1954)
Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesAnother of Cinema Space’s free-to-view classics, this one a restored version of the Oscar-winning Jules Verne story: Kirk Douglas, Paul Lukas, and Peter Lorre are shipwrecked, taken captive by the mysterious Captain Nemo (James Mason) on his submarine Nautilus. Wavering [ ... ]
FreeSunday Night Comedy
Social Distrikt The Pointe, Palm Jumeirah, DubaiA standup night at Social Distrikt with Dubomedy, top dogs on the Dubai comedy scene. We’re promised "Big Laughs, a Killer Line-up and Great Holiday Vibes with your favourite Comedy Tribe ... You never know who will pop in". Recommended. [ ... ]
Free, but minimum spend
Sorry We Missed You: dir Ken Loach (2019)
Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesCharacteristically powerful social drama of the British working class from Ken Loach. This wrenching, intimate family drama exposes the dark side of the so-called 'gig economy; an unrelenting work schedule, a ruthless supervisor and the needs of their two teenage [ ... ]
FreeMonday Night Comedy: This Is Impro & Ahmed
Courtyard Playhouse Street 4B, Al Quoz 1, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesExactly 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, in this case the Ahmeds taking to the stage for [ ... ]
Free
Seaty: Crossing Horizons
Alliance Française Dubai Dubai, United Arab EmiratesKnown for a hybrid style blending realism and abstraction, Seaty is an artist with graffiti and pop art influences who characteristically creates portraits of people from different cultures and backgrounds, celebrating cultural diversity with a blend of monochrome tones and [ ... ]
Free
Sophie-Yen Bretez: The Unsaid Remains Remembered
JD Malat Gallery ACT 2 Tower, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Blvd 13A ,Downtown Dubai, DubaiA solo exhibition by Paris-based artist Sophie-Yen Bretez for a new body of work that captures moments when one space becomes another, when times overlap, and when memory persists as life shifts forward. This “dramaturgy of passage” is expressed through [ ... ]
FreeWednesday Night Impro: Maestro
Courtyard Playhouse Street 4B, Al Quoz 1, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesThe 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
Tom Segura: Come Together
Coca-Cola Arena City Walk, DubaiThe American actor/comedian/writer is one of the biggest names in the comedy tour business – this gig for Dubai Comedy Festival reprises his worldwide 40-stop tour, so it ought to be pretty slick by now ... He’s genuinely laugh-out-loud funny, [ ... ]
From AED 295The Fridge Presents: Peppe Voltarelli & Luca Ciarla in Dubai
The Fridge Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesIt doesn’t get much more Italian than this: singer-songwriter Peppe Voltarelli – known for a unique musical style that blends various genres, primarily focusing on Italian folk, world music, and pop but still manages to reflect his Calabrian roots.– teams [ ... ]
AED 150
LAST CHANCE Ana Escobar Saavedra: It Starts Where It Ends
421 Arts Campus Mina Zayed, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesAna Escobar Saavedra has a cross-disciplinary creative practice working on the frontiers of craft, art and design. Born and bred in Colombia, she is now established in the UAE; for the last few years, she has combined a personal studio [ ... ]
FreeLAST CHANCE Unstable Grounds: 2025 MFA Graduate Exhibition
421 Arts Campus Mina Zayed, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesFor the fourth time, this exhibition shows work by students completing the two-year Master of Fine Arts in Art and Media at NYUAD – Dima Abou Zannad, Bao, Adele Bea Cipste, Hala El Abora, Mowen Li (Amira), Jude Maharmeh, Safeya [ ... ]
Free
Wassef Boutros-Ghali: A Retrospective (1965-2016)
Leila Heller Gallery Dubai, United Arab EmiratesIn the canvases of Wassef Boutros-Ghali, colours informed by a knowledge of unrelenting Mediterranean sunlight flood the flat plane of the canvas; architectural forms emerge, collide and re-engineer themselves without a narrative. Boutros-Ghali’s art speaks to the pure and unrestricted [ ... ]
Free
Morteza Khosravi: The Floating Table
Leila Heller Gallery Dubai, United Arab EmiratesInfluenced by the likes of Lucian Freud and Egon Schiele, Khosravi's drawings and paintings suggest that he's looking for artistic ideas – "for him, how to encounter pieces is important than pieces itself". But does have a characteristic style of [ ... ]
Free
Katya Emelyanova: Elevated State
Leila Heller Gallery Dubai, United Arab EmiratesThe practice of Moscow-based Katya Emelyanova explores the phenomenology of aesthetic experience, aiming to evoke emotion, foster direct engagement, and maintain accessibility. Drawing from fauvism and abstraction, her vibrant forms begin as abstract concepts that gradually evolve into refined, expressive [ ... ]
FreeStuff!
New Covent Garden Theatre Mall of the Emirates, Dubai"Melbourne’s goofiest duo", aka Jon & Jero, bring their epic adventure to the Dubai Comedy Festival for an hour-long show that invites kids and parents alike to be swept up in a hilarious tale of two bumbling brothers on a [ ... ]
From AED 75
Sam Wills: Tape Face
New Covent Garden Theatre Mall of the Emirates, DubaiTape Face is a silent, eccentric character whose comedy transcends the boundaries of age, language, and culture; taking inspiration from silent film, mime, magic, and puppetry, Sam Wills' character makes shoes sing, empty dresses dance, and electrical tape blossom into [ ... ]
From AED 100Con Coutis
Playhouse Studio Theatre New Covent Garden, Mall of the Emirates, DubaiFifty years after a meteor has wiped out every comedian but one, the Government revives the last-known comic, Con Coutis, from cryosleep in a final attempt to bring laughter back to the world. With cutting-edge surround sound and clever audio [ ... ]
From AED 75Al Manakh Spaces Talks – Pressure Cooker: Greenhouses and the Architecture of Farming
Al Qasimiyah School Sheikh Saqr Bin Khalid Al Qasimi St, SharjahFirst in a series of talks, conversations, and tours by the Sharjah Architecture Triennial (SAT) linked to the Al Manakh bio-farm and its community-based programming. The aim is to position the bio-farm within the wider context of architecture, agriculture, and [ ... ]
Free, but pre-registerMUSH
Playhouse Studio Theatre New Covent Garden, Mall of the Emirates, DubaiA "weird but wonderful" ‘ids show for adults’ at the Dubai Comedy Festival – expect plenty of clown antics, character work, and audience interaction. There's a second show tomorrow (5 October).
From AED 150Shawn Chidiac aka My Parents are Divorced
New Covent Garden Theatre Mall of the Emirates, DubaiThe Lebanese-Canadian comedian is a genuine rising star, known for his viral character "My Parents Are Divorced" (MPAD) and a very sharp wit blended with raw, relatable humour. This venue should suit him well. SOLD OUT but there may be [ ... ]
From AED195Stuff!
New Covent Garden Theatre Mall of the Emirates, DubaiA second show for "Melbourne’s goofiest duo", aka Jon & Jero, in a hilarious tale of two bumbling brothers on a mission to recover their stolen stuff. Venturing across strange and wonderful lands and encountering a whirlwind of silly antics, [ ... ]
From AED 75Sam Wills: Tape Face
New Covent Garden Theatre Mall of the Emirates, DubaiA second Dubai Comedy Festival, show for Tape Face, a silent, eccentric character whose comedy transcends the boundaries of age, language, and culture; taking inspiration from silent film, mime, magic, and puppetry, Sam Wills' character makes shoes sing, empty dresses [ ... ]
From AED 100Con Coutis
Playhouse Studio Theatre New Covent Garden, Mall of the Emirates, DubaiA second performance for this wildly original Dubai Comedy Festival show flips traditional comedy on its head, delivering a futuristic, sonically charged, hilariously unexpected experience: 50 years after a meteor has wiped out every comedian but one, the Government revives [ ... ]
From AED 75MUSH
Playhouse Studio Theatre New Covent Garden, Mall of the Emirates, DubaiA second performance of this "weird but wonderful" ‘kids show for adults’ at the Dubai Comedy Festival – expect plenty of clown antics, character work, and audience interaction.
From AED 150
Omid Djalili: NAMASTE
Dubai OperaAn early-evening Dubai Comedy Festival gig for the British-Iranian funnyman – 30 years in comedy, and despite the Hollywood cameos and TV roles the live stage has always felt his true home. Acid wit and self-deprecating anecdotes plus belly laughs [ ... ]
From AED195DXB Theatre Awards
The Bagot, McGettigans JLT Bonnington, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, DubaiThe first ever DXB Theatre Awards has 116 nominations spread over 22 productions – which surely demonstrates the vitality of Dubai’s theatre scene. Leading the nominations are two musicals, Guys and Dolls by Music Theatre DXB and Romeo+Juliet (featuring the [ ... ]
FreeShawn Chidiac aka My Parents are Divorced
New Covent Garden Theatre Mall of the Emirates, DubaiA second Dubai Comedy Festival gig for the Lebanese-Canadian comedian, a genuine rising star known for his sharp wit blended with raw, relatable humour. SOLD OUT but there may be returns
From AED195Akaash Singh
Dubai OperaIn addition to his podcast success – Flagrant, with fellow comedian Andrew Schulz – and a burgeoning acting career, Akaash Sing is proving to be a canny and funny stand-up: he self-produced and directed his first stand-up special, Bring Back [ ... ]
From AED195Sharjah International Film Festival for Children & Youth (SIFF)
Vox Cinema, City Center Al Zahia University Road, Al Zahia, SharjahThe 12th Edition of SIFF takes place 6 to 11 October at VOX Cinemas in City Centre Al Zahia with what looks like a strong lineup – 76 films (chosen from 1,740 submissions!) representing 26 countries. South Korea is participating [ ... ]
tbc
La Llorona: dir Jayro Bustamante (2019)
Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesGuatemalan auteur Jayro Bustamante’s transfixing fusion of folklore, magical realism and searing political commentary was inspired by the real-life indictment of the authoritarian Efraín Ríos Montt for crimes against humanity. A notorious, indignant, ageing former military dictator, Enrique stands trial [ ... ]
FreeMonday Night Comedy: This Is Impro
Courtyard Playhouse Street 4B, Al Quoz 1, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesExactly 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 plus guests. Classic Courtyard improv. It's free, but you need to put your name on [ ... ]
FreeJoanne McNally
Dubai OperaTwo Dubai Comedy Festival shows in one evening for the Irish funnywoman, at 6.30pm and 9.30pm; catch one of them if you can, because she is very good. She's a regular on TV in Britain and Ireland, and she co-hosts [ ... ]
From AED195Nat Bowen: Chromology
Bassam Freiha Art Foundation Cultural District Saadiyat Island, Abu DhabiKnown for works of glossy, abstract resin poured on to acrylic, Bowen creates luminous, aqueous fields that transform colour into a language of emotion and presence. With this show, says the gallery, "viewers are invited into an intimate space of [ ... ]
FreeGolden Ink: A Journey through Arab and Islamic Manuscripts
Qasr Al Watan Ras Al Akhdar, Abu DhabiThis flagship travelling exhibition, run in collaboration with McGill University, Canada, is a great chance to explore the richness, inherent beauty, and global impact of the heritage of Arabic and Islamic manuscripts. The exhibition promises an exploration of the intellectual [ ... ]
General admission AED 65
Andrew Schulz: Flagrant Live
Coca-Cola Arena City Walk, DubaiKnown for its high-energy banter and unpredictability, US comic Andrew Schulz brings his hit Flagrant podcast to the Dubai Comedy Festival, Expect special guests and boundary-testing comedy in a live podcast taping.
From AED295
David Voinson
New Covent Garden Theatre Mall of the Emirates, DubaiDavid Voinson takes the stage with a sharp, hilarious look at the chaos of dating, friendship, and figuring life out in your twenties. Caught between staying single or searching for real love, he unpacks the confusion of his generation with [ ... ]
From AED 175Wednesday Night Impro: Maestro
Courtyard Playhouse Street 4B, Al Quoz 1, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesThe 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
Mo Amer
Dubai OperaFirst of two Dubai Comedy Festival nights with two shows per night (6.30 and 9.30m) for the Palestinian-American stand-up and writer. Expect reflections on family, fresh takes on fatherhood, and candid insights on today’s world.
From AED 295
Banafsheh Hemmati: Body Geometry
Satellite Gallery DIFC, DubaiThe first solo exhibition in the UAE for the Tehran-based artist-designer presents a collection of the artist’s jewellery and wearable sculptures. Body Geometry is a research-based project, where the design process is presented as well as the finished pieces. As [ ... ]
Free
