Events
Joke Hub
Canopy by Hilton Dubai Al Seef Al Seef Street, Umm Hurair 1, DubaiA regular Mad Cat Comedy night – "Dubai's wildest comedy show on Saturday" at "the first purpose built comedy room in the country". The cover charge of AED 99 includes two F&B coupons.
AED 99The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club
Studio One Hotel Dubai Studio City, DubaiThe June Laughter Factory tour again has the usual mix of international visitors and local stars: Michael Shafar – the headliner is the London-based Australian comedian, a fast-rising name on the circuit who combines fearless observation in his razor-sharp writing [ ... ]
AED 140Luca & Valentina: Aire Condizionata
Pepperoni Comedy Club 25 Jump Street 25h Hotel, One Central World Trade Center, DubaiDubai's only Italian-language comedy night, we think. These two (Luca Cupani and Valentina Danubio) are comedy naturals ...
From AED 160LAST CHANCE Jorge Tacla: Time the destroyer is time the preserver
Al Mureijah Square SharjahWhile Jorge Tacla was only an adolescent during the 1973 coup against Chile’s democratically-elected socialist president Salvador Allende, the upheaval left an irrevocable mark on his politics and practice. Titled after a line from a TS Eliot poem, Tacla’s "most [ ... ]
FreeLAST CHANCE All Manner of Experiments: Legacies of the Baghdad Modern Art Group
NYUAD Art Gallery Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesCurated by Nada Shabout of NYUAD's al Mawrid Arab Center for the Study of Art, this exhibition investigates and celebrates the work and influence of one of the most important art movement of the mid-Century Middle East. Dr Shabout brings [ ... ]
FreeThe Jazz Room: A Journey to the Heart of New Orleans
Belcanto Restaurant, Dubai Opera Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Blvd, Downtown Dubai, DubaiNew Orleans jazz – ragtime, blues, brass – in an intimate, street-style bar setting. Shows last about an hour, and there are performances at 6.30pm and 9pm. Note that there's a AED 150 minimum spend on food and/or beverages in [ ... ]
From AED 140The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club
Bla Bla Dubai The Beach, DubaiThe June Laughter Factory tour again has the usual mix of international visitors and local stars. This lunchtime gig is an interesting departure for The Laughter Factory – enjoy a proper roast Sunday lunch before or after the 2pm comedy [ ... ]
AED 140
Imah Dumagay: Hey Daddy
Meyana Theatre Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Jumeirah Street, Dubai, United Arab Emirates"Dubai's funniest Filipina" (true dat) with 60 minutes of stand-up, live singing, and crowd work about beauty, confidence, and "the very specific joy of being a Filipina woman living her loudest life in this city".
From AED 165Imah Dumagay: Hey Daddy
Meyana Theatre Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Jumeirah Street, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesDubai’s powerhouse Filipina has a new show – 60 minutes of stand-up comedy, singing, and crowdwork about beauty, confidence, and "the very specific joy of being a Filipina woman living her loudest life in this city".
From AED 165LAST CHANCE Urdu Worlds
Ishara Art Foundation Alserkal Avenue, DubaiA contemporary art exhibition dedicated to the Urdu language: according to Ishara, "the show explores how language provides the tools with which we create and shape our internal ‘worlds’. Words, rather than simply describing our surroundings, give rise to our [ ... ]
FreeOcean with David Attenborough
The Climate Tribe MiZA, Abu DhabiA special TCT Screening Club evening in celebration of World Oceans Day featuring the stunning, visually immersive 2025 documentary, narrated by Attenborough, which explores the importance of the Earth's oceans and the threats. There'll be a discussion after the screening.
Free, but pre-registerMonday Night Comedy: This Is Impro / Film Noir Improvised
Courtyard Playhouse Street 4B, Al Quoz 1, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesA two-act evening of spontaneous scenes and songs based on audience suggestions, by some of our most experienced players and guests. After warming up with some fun games and scenes, the improvisers bring the 1950’s Film Noir genre to life [ ... ]
FreeAn Evening With Xu Zhong
The Arts Center @ NYUAD NYUAD Campus, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesXu Zhong, one of China’s most distinguished conductors and pianists, takes the baton with the UAE National Orchestra for a concert of shared artistry and cultural exchange. The programme: Liu Tieshan and Mao Yuan Dance of The Yao People Brahms Concerto for [ ... ]
From AED 100Arts Chat: Building a Life as a Musician
NYUAD Art Gallery Reading Room أبو ظبي, أبو ظبي, United Arab EmiratesThe latest in an excellent ongoing series on artistic practice, sustainability, and the practicalities of a creative life. Drawing from the panellist's individual experiences, the discussion will explore collaboration, visibility, creative development, navigating local and international scenes, and the opportunities [ ... ]
FreeThe Zero Apologies Show
Easy Tiger Al Ain Palace Hotel, Corniche St, Abu Dhabi"A comedy show where you are the joke." Live crowd work at its most aggressive; "no scripts, no filters, no safe spots". Mad Cat Comedy's main man Miqdaad D pushes the boundaries ... and he says he's taking a break [ ... ]
AED 99La Vallée des Fous (Sailing Home): dir Xavier Beauvois (2024)
Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesJean-Paul is not a bad guy by any means, but he is going through a rough patch – pp to his ears in debts, he pulls away from his family and takes refuge in the bottle. But, inside, he dreams [ ... ]
FreeWednesday Night Impro: Maestro
Courtyard Playhouse Street 4B, Al Quoz 1, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesThe Courtyard's popular 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 [ ... ]
FreeComedy Lounge
The Coterie Level 2, Ibn Battuta Mall, Jebel Ali, DubaiFlamingo Live's regular comedy club slot at the Coterie pub in Ibn Battuta Mall. The door price includes two drinks.
AED 99Made in the UAE
JD Malat Gallery ACT 2 Tower, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Blvd 13A ,Downtown Dubai, DubaiA group exhibition for seven UAE-based artists – Ahmed Emad (UAE/Egypt), Anila Ashraf (Pakistan), Camelia Mohebi (UAE), Elizaveta Pugacheva (Russia), Samo Shalaby (Egypt/Palestine), Sasan Nasernia (Iran) and Yousif Albadi (Sudan) – chosen from more than 300 submissions received through an [ ... ]
FreeYahael Camara Onono: Mandé Maqamāt
The Arts Center @ NYUAD NYUAD Campus, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesBeyond trade routes and history books lies a deeper current: shared rhythms, spiritual traditions, and cultural echoes that have travelled for centuries across deserts and oceans alike. Mandé Maqamāt invites audiences into a world where the Gulf meets the vast [ ... ]
AED 105The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club
Radisson DAMAC Hills Hessa Street Dubailand, DubaiThe June Laughter Factory tour again has the usual mix of international visitors and local stars. This is the first of two consecutive nights here. On the bill: Michael Shafar – the headliner is the London-based Australian comedian, a fast-rising [ ... ]
AED 140The Comedy Lab
Radisson Red Dubai Digital Park, Dubai Silicon Oasis, DubaiMad Cat Comedy's regular Thursday stop in Silicon Oasis promises "insane laughs every week". The door price of AED 99 includes one drink and popcorn.
AED 99ARTerials
Total Arts at the Courtyard Al Quoz, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesA popup exhibition celebrating artistic connections between Germany and the UAE via works from six German artists living and working here. Their diverse practices include painting, sculpture and photography. The artists Anja Bamberg Mirjam Collor Petra Kaltenbach Tor Seidel Amir [ ... ]
FreeGharam Electric
Dubai Opera Studio Downtown Dubai, DubaiGharam Electric, the Futuro-Arabe project of Lebanese musician and vocalist Wassim Bou Malham, plays the new album Afterlove / ما بعد الحب –eight tracks that fuse Arabic musical tradition with contemporary electronic production: maqam scales through synthesizers, falsetto vocals, soulful grooves, [ ... ]
AED 250100th Anniversary of Maya Plisetskaya
Cultural Foundation Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street, Abu DhabiMaya Plisetskaya (1925 – 2015) was a Bolshoi star as dancer and choreographer. As a dancer, she developed "an individual, iconoclastic style that capitalised on her electrifying stage presence" as ballet historian Tim Scholl put it. "Her very personal style [ ... ]
From AED 250The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club
Radisson DAMAC Hills Hessa Street Dubailand, DubaiThe June Laughter Factory tour again has the usual mix of international visitors and local stars: Michael Shafar – the headliner is the London-based Australian comedian, a fast-rising name on the circuit who combines fearless observation in his razor-sharp writing [ ... ]
AED 140LAST CHANCE Noritoshi Mitsuuchi: Bloom
Volery Gallery Maze Tower - 5201, Dubai International Financial Center, DubaiA solo exhibition by Noritoshi Mitsuuchi, whose paintings "unfold as living worlds where forms gently emerge from within one another, expanding, dissolving, and reappearing in a continuous state of becoming". Drawing on motifs that evoke plant life, his imagery suggests [ ... ]
FreeLaila Majid and Inaam Zafar: Body Quotidian
Al Mureijah Square SharjahRecent works by Laila Majid and Inaam Zafar that explore the human body and its presence in contemporary life through metaphor and symbolism. In Majid’s practice, sculptural and photographic works unfold through slow revelation; Zafar’s practice explores themes of death and [ ... ]
FreeLaugh Out Loud Sunday
Tipsy Tikka, Four Points by Sheraton Bur Dubai 4C، Street Al Mankhool, DubaiFirst of a new regular Sunday night stand-up gig for Bur Dubai, promising "a lively mix of fresh stand-up comedians, crowd interaction, open mic moments, and occasional performances by popular comedy acts". No word on who's on the bill, but [ ... ]
Fatima | MINOVA
The Arts Center @ NYUAD NYUAD Campus, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesTwo examples of the next wave of UAE artistry in one evening of deeply personal, genre-blurring performances. Fatima, better known as FAFA, is an artist from Abu Dhabi with roots in both the UAE and Honduras; through sonic storytelling that blends [ ... ]
AED 105Joke Hub
Canopy by Hilton Dubai Al Seef Al Seef Street, Umm Hurair 1, DubaiA regular Mad Cat Comedy night – "Dubai's wildest comedy show on Saturday" at "the first purpose built comedy room in the country". The cover charge of AED 99 includes two F&B coupons.
AED 99The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club
Dukes The Palm Palm Dubai, DubaiLast stop for the June Laughter Factory tour. On the bill: Michael Shafar – the headliner is the London-based Australian comedian, a fast-rising name on the circuit who combines fearless observation in his razor-sharp writing with great stage presence Obaid [ ... ]
AED 140The Dating Show by Noha & Denise
Pepperoni Comedy Club 25 Jump Street 25h Hotel, One Central World Trade Center, DubaiComedy from two very sharp standups who work really well together. From first dates to ghosting, situationships to heartbreak stories, Noha Bashir and Denise Alexe address the struggles of dating life via sharp humour, relatable stories, and a brilliant chemistry [ ... ]
From AED 150Space Cadet: dir Kid Koala (2025)
The Arts Center @ NYUAD NYUAD Campus, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesA music-filled dialogue-free feature-length animation about a young astronaut and her guardian robot. Based on Kid Koala’s award-winning graphic novel, it deals poignantly with love, loss, memories and the bonds that connect us ... The film has an original score [ ... ]
AED15Respiriting: The Water Diviners
Jameel Arts Centre Al Jaddaf, DubaiA free public performance, presented in conjunction with Jumana Emil Abboud’s solo exhibition The Storyteller and the Obedient Tide (on show to 28 June), that continues the Jameel's exploration of water, folklore and collective storytelling with a new iteration of [ ... ]
Free, but pre-registerComedy at the Speakeasy
Moon Bar Mina Al Salam, Madinat Jumeriah, DubaiThe Mad Cat team does the rather cool Moon Bar at the Sana Restaurant in Mina Al Salam – a great venue: quite intimate, few distractions. Featuring surprise drop-ins, fresh material, and "the kind of moments that only happen in [ ... ]
AED 99The NYO & National Youth Choirs Dubai Annual Concert 2026
Dubai OperaThe National Youth Orchestra (conducted by Jonathan Barrett) with the NYO Strings Camerata (Eva Gräsbeck, conductor) are joined by the National Youth Choirs Dubai (Rob Johnston, conductor) for what promises to be an exciting showcase for the region's best young [ ... ]
From AED 200Monday Night Comedy: This Is Impro / Film Noir Improvised
Courtyard Playhouse Street 4B, Al Quoz 1, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesA two-act evening of spontaneous scenes and songs based on audience suggestions, by some of our most experienced players and guests. After warming up with some fun games and scenes, the improvisers bring the 1950’s Film Noir genre to life [ ... ]
FreeThe Comedy Lab @ Easy Tiger
Al Ain Palace Hotel Corniche Road, Abu DhabiMad Cat’s standup team at their regular stop at the Easy Tiger bar in Abu Dhabi's Al Ain Palace. The door price of AED 99 includes two drinks ...
AED 99Une Part Manquante (A Missing Part): dir Guillaume Senez (2024)
Alliance Française Dubai Dubai, United Arab EmiratesEvery day, Jay travels the length and breadth of Tokyo in his taxi, looking for his daughter Lily. In the nine years since he has separated from his wife, he has never been able to get custody of his daughter; [ ... ]
AED 35Wednesday Night Impro: Maestro
Courtyard Playhouse Street 4B, Al Quoz 1, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesThe Courtyard's popular 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 [ ... ]
FreeKarak After Dark
The Junction Unit H72, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesTall Tales Production and The Junction is bringing us what it calls “a new concept of Improvisational Comedy Nights” – we’re not sure where the newness resides, given that the setup is described as “a few hyperactive comedians trying to [ ... ]
AED 89Charlie Koolhaas: AFTER THE IMAGE
XVA Gallery Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood, Bur Dubai, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesDeveloped in relation to the UAE Modern Architectural Heritage Grant, AFTER THE IMAGE transforms a gallery presentation and a room of the XVA Art Hotel into an immersive archive of Dubai’s modern architectural heritage. Through photography, sculpture, textiles, and garments, [ ... ]
Free2nd Desert Architecture Forum
Habtoor Grand Resort Al Falea Street, DubaiThe second edition of this potentially significant gathering for architects, sustainability leaders and "urban innovators" promises a stronger vision and expanded scope to underscore the vital role of 'desert architecture' in shaping climate-smart cities, resilient infrastructures, and self-sufficient communities across [ ... ]
$ 25The Story of Art: A Story with an Open End – Contemporary Art
Bassam Freiha Art Foundation Cultural District Saadiyat Island, Abu DhabiBassam Freiha Art Foundation's monthly lecture series, led by Dr Michaela Watrelot, BFAF Curator and Director of Exhibitions, continues with an exploration of the diversity of artistic practices that have shaped art since 1970, reflecting a period in which artists [ ... ]
Free, but pre-registerCity Circles Talk: The Museum as an Urban Anchor
Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesPart of Guggenheim Abu Dhabi’s ongoing City Circles programme exploring the connections between architecture, the environment, and urban life, this conversation looks at the ways museums operate within the urban fabric, exploring their role in shaping movement, gathering, and the [ ... ]
Free, but pre-registerPencil In
421 Arts Campus Mina Zayed, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesA writers’ group intended for writers to practice their craft without the pressures of producing a final outcome, designed to provide a supportive environment for writers to write alone yet in a group. You're invited to polish your writing skills [ ... ]
FreeLAST CHANCE Samar Hejazi: In Circulation
Aisha Alabbar Gallery Warehouse C19, Alserkal Avenue, DubaiFor her first solo exhibition in the UAE, curated by Nadine Khoury, Samar Hejazi presents a body of work that explores how forms shift, unravel, and reassemble over time. Working across textile, printmaking, and spatial intervention, her practice suggests that [ ... ]
FreeFoundation Game Night
Emirates Literature Foundation Dar Al Adaab, Al Shindagha, DubaiELF is partnering with Superheated Neurons, local maker/distributor/translator of board games, for another Game Night. Bring any board game you want to play; discover new favourites, meet new people, and "enjoy an evening of fun and connection".
Free, but pre-register
