• Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein: dir Charles Barton (1948)

    Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    Gratifyingly, this does exactly what it says on the tin (or rather, in the title): the world of railroad baggage handlers Chick Young (Bud Abbott) and Wilbur Grey (Lou Costello) is turned upside down when they receive a strange shipment [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • The Mummy: dir Stephen Sommers (1999)

    Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    Action-packed tongue-firmly-in-cheek adventure. Deep in the Egyptian desert, a band of explorers searching for long-lost treasure have accidentally unearthed and resurrected a 3,000-year-old Egyptian priest. Adventurer Rick O' Connell (Brendan Fraser) pairs up with librarian (?) Evelyn (Rachel Weisz) and [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Imah Dumagay: Rice and Sand

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

    A mash-up of expat life, identity crises, marriage survival, and the everyday chaos of being too polite and too tired at the same time, the funniest Filipina in Dubai dives deep into what it means to be a woman navigating [ ... ]

    AED 150
  • Laser Kiwi: Rise of the Olive

    New Covent Garden Theatre Mall of the Emirates, Dubai

    A second Dubai Comedy Festival performance for "the world’s only surreal sketch circus". Expect world-record bounce juggling, jaw-dropping aerial acts, Jenga stunts, and plenty of pimento-stuffed olives in a wildly inventive show that blends next-level circus skills with a lot [ ... ]

    From AED 100
  • Riaad Moosa & Joey Rasdien: Brother from Another Mother

    Dubai Opera

    The South African comedy reunite on stage for this Dubai Comedy Festival show. Expect witty takes on identity, politics, and family, with contrasting styles that make for very good on-stage chemistry ...

    From AED150
  • PechaKucha: On Noise

    Etihad Museum 1 Jumeirah St, Dubai

    Sound is a force we rarely notice, yet it shapes our spatial, emotional, and cultural experiences in profound ways. This PechaKucha explores the unseen aspects of sound, spanning audiology, vinyl technology, architectural acoustics, voice as branding, and early childhood communication [ ... ]

    Free
  • The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

    Studio One Hotel Dubai Studio City, Dubai

    The October Laughter Factory tour looks a good one. The acts: Jimmy McGhie Gold-plated comedy from a UK standup who's performed all round the world (he's been a hit in Dubai too). Highly recommended Karen Bayley Well-established (over a decade [ ... ]

    AED 160
  • Redouane Bougheraba

    Dubai Opera

    French comedy icon Redouane Bougheraba is back in Dubai, headlining a Dubai Opera show for the Dubai Comedy festival. French comedy doesn't get much better than this ...

    From AED195
  • The Teachers’ Lounge: dir İlker Çatak (2023)

    Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    Carla Nowak (Leonie Benesch) is an idealistic new high-school teacher. She seems to have connected with her Year 8 students, who are engaged and eager to learn in her maths class. But something is bubbling underneath the surface, and she’s [ ... ]

    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 plus guests. Classic Courtyard improv. It's free, but you need to put your name on [ ... ]

    Free
  • The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

    Aura Skypool Palm Tower 50th floor, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai

    The October Laughter Factory tour looks a good one. The acts: Jimmy McGhie Gold-plated comedy from a UK standup who's performed all round the world (he's been a hit in Dubai too). Highly recommended Karen Bayley Well-established (over a decade [ ... ]

    AED 250
  • Slava’s Snowshow

    Slava’s Snowshow
    New Covent Garden Theatre Mall of the Emirates, Dubai

    It might be a bit early for Christmas, but this really is one of the best seasonal shows around – a whimsical blur of laughter, awe, and magic that has already been seen by more than 12 million theatregoers in80 [ ... ]

    From AED 225
  • Happy Holidays: dir Scandar Copti (2024)

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

    Studying away from home has given Fifi (Manar Shehab) a new sense of autonomy, but waking up in a hospital room after minor car accident in Jerusalem and surrounded by her family she will have to decide how much of her [ ... ]

    AED 30
  • Slava’s Snowshow

    Slava’s Snowshow
    New Covent Garden Theatre Mall of the Emirates, Dubai

    It might be a bit early for Christmas, but this really is one of the best seasonal shows around – a whimsical blur of laughter, awe, and magic that has already been seen by more than 12 million theatregoers in80 [ ... ]

    From AED 225
  • Silvio Porzionato and Laurence Jenkell: Sweet Faces

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

    Italian painter Silvio Porzionato offers monumental oil portraits, "transforming everyday faces into universal icons of humanity" as the gallery has it. French sculptor Laurence Jenkell brings a colourful and dynamic style, her 3D works suggesting "playful symbols of memory and [ ... ]

  • 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
  • The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

    The Strand Palm Wesy Views, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai

    The October Laughter Factory tour looks a good one, and this looks an interesting gig for them – "the world’s first-ever, dog-friendly, live stand-up comedy event". Yep, bring your dog. Thendoor price includes a drink. The acts: Jimmy McGhie Gold-plated [ ... ]

    AED 185
  • LAST CHANCE 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.

    Free
  • Slava’s Snowshow

    Slava’s Snowshow
    New Covent Garden Theatre Mall of the Emirates, Dubai

    It might be a bit early for Christmas, but this really is one of the best seasonal shows around – a whimsical blur of laughter, awe, and magic that has already been seen by more than 12 million theatregoers in80 [ ... ]

    From AED 225
  • The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

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

    The October Laughter Factory tour looks a good one. The acts: Jimmy McGhie Gold-plated comedy from a UK standup who's performed all round the world (he's been a hit in Dubai too). Highly recommended Karen Bayley Well-established (over a decade [ ... ]

    AED 160
  • 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
  • Slava’s Snowshow

    Slava’s Snowshow
    New Covent Garden Theatre Mall of the Emirates, Dubai

    It might be a bit early for Christmas, but this really is one of the best seasonal shows around – a whimsical blur of laughter, awe, and magic that has already been seen by more than 12 million theatregoers in80 [ ... ]

    From AED 225
  • Friday Night Spotlight – Month of Magic Edition

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

    The Courtyard's community theatre night, described as "a celebration of creativity, experimentation, and theatrical wizardry" with community members and in-house performers taking the stage to try out fresh ideas and showcase their talents. The first half features performances from the [ ... ]

    Free
  • The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

    Radisson DAMAC Hills Hessa Street Dubailand, Dubai

    The October Laughter Factory tour looks a good one. The acts: Jimmy McGhie Gold-plated comedy from a UK standup who's performed all round the world (he's been a hit in Dubai too). Highly recommended Karen Bayley Well-established (over a decade [ ... ]

    AED 160
  • Slava’s Snowshow

    Slava’s Snowshow
    New Covent Garden Theatre Mall of the Emirates, Dubai

    It might be a bit early for Christmas, but this really is one of the best seasonal shows around – a whimsical blur of laughter, awe, and magic that has already been seen by more than 12 million theatregoers in80 [ ... ]

    From AED 225
  • World Stage Design

    [various Sharjah locations]

    The international festival of design for performance, held every four years, is coming to the UAE for its 2025 edition. It features exhibitions, performances, workshops, talks and panels where professionals share ideas and mingle with the consumers; read our preview [ ... ]

    Day pass AED 50
  • The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

    Dukes The Palm Palm Dubai, Dubai

    The final gig for the October Laughter Factory tour. The acts: Jimmy McGhie Gold-plated comedy from a UK standup who's performed all round the world (he's been a hit in Dubai too). Highly recommended Karen Bayley Well-established (over a decade [ ... ]

    AED 160
  • Sugar Sammy

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

    A welcome visit from the Canadian comic known to his mum as Samir Khullar, a veteran of the international stand-up circuit whose comedy still comes across as fresh and fearless "with a talent for provoking both laughter and outrage” (New [ ... ]

    From AED 190
  • Shakespeare for Kidz: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

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

    First staged to critical acclaim at the Edinburgh Festival in the late 1990s, Shakespeare 4 Kidz’ A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a lively, funny and accessible musical retelling of Shakespeare’s timeless classic. The comed follows the Duke of Athens as [ ... ]

    From AED 135
  • Slava’s Snowshow

    Slava’s Snowshow
    New Covent Garden Theatre Mall of the Emirates, Dubai

    It might be a bit early for Christmas, but this really is one of the best seasonal shows around – a whimsical blur of laughter, awe, and magic that has already been seen by more than 12 million theatregoers in80 [ ... ]

    From AED 225
  • The Wanted 18: dir Amer Shomali and Paul Cowan (2014)

    Maraya Art Centre Al Qasba, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

    As part of its current SILA: All That Is Left To You exhibition, Maraya Art Centre is hosting two film screenings that extend the exhibition's exploration of Palestinian memory, resistance, and cultural legacy. The Wanted 18 is a film about [ ... ]

    Free
  • Mina and Friends Go Pink

    Social Distrikt The Pointe, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai

    Dubomedy's 15th annual gig in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month promises "a STELLAR ensemble of performing artists" curated and hosted by Mina Liccione. They include poet Nathalia Khawand, singer La Rudche, Beatbox Ray with Shilpa Ananth, and Dubomedy's own Funny [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-registration recommended
  • Sugar Sammy

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

    A second show by the Canadian comic, a veteran of the international stand-up circuit whose comedy still comes across as fresh and fearless "with a talent for provoking both laughter and outrage” (New York Times) – his crowdwork is especially [ ... ]

    From AED 190
  • Shakespeare for Kidz: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

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

    Two more performances of Shakespeare 4 Kidz' lively, funny and accessible musical retelling of Shakespeare’s timeless classic There are performances at 9am-10.30am and 11.45am-1.15pm, with two more tomorrow (21 October) at the same time.      

    From AED 135
  • Monday Night Comedy: This Is Impro & Sing It! feat. Andrew Gentilli

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

    A two-act evening of improvised spells, scenes, and songs, entirely based on audience suggestions and featuring the Courtyard Playhouse's most experienced improv performers plus guest performer and improv instructor Andrew Gentilli from the UK. It's free, but you need to [ ... ]

    Free
  • Shakespeare for Kidz: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

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

    Two final performances for Shakespeare 4 Kidz' lively, funny and accessible musical retelling of Shakespeare’s classic. There are shows at 9 – 10.30am and 11.45am – 1.15pm    

    From AED 135
  • LAST CHANCE 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
  • Slava’s Snowshow

    Slava’s Snowshow
    New Covent Garden Theatre Mall of the Emirates, Dubai

    The second week for one of the best seasonal shows around – a whimsical blur of laughter, awe, and magic that has already been seen by more than 12 million theatregoers in80 countries around the world, including a near sellout [ ... ]

    From AED 200
  • 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
  • Slava’s Snowshow

    Slava’s Snowshow
    New Covent Garden Theatre Mall of the Emirates, Dubai

    The second week for one of the best seasonal shows around – a whimsical blur of laughter, awe, and magic that has already been seen by more than 12 million theatregoers in80 countries around the world, including a near sellout [ ... ]

    From AED 200
  • Thomas Dillon: The Raw and the Cooked

    Opera Gallery DIFC, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    This is Dillon's first solo exhibition in Dubai; and it is claimed to be a milestone in the artist’s career, featuring a body of work conceived and created specifically for this show. In Claude Lévi-Strauss’s influential text of the same [ ... ]

    Free
  • 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
  • Comedy Night @ Ting Irie Abu Dhabi

    Ting Irie, Mamsga al Saadiyat Mamsha Al Saadiyat, Cultural District, Abu Dhabi

    The return of Ting Irie's standup gigs, with great Jamaican vibes and up-and-coming local comedians including Saaniya Abbas, Anand Raman, Maher Barwany and Roxy. The entrance price includes one free drink, which you were probably going to buy anyway ...

    AED 95
  • LAST CHANCE Talal Al Najjar: Mesh & Mayhem

    Tabari Artspace Gate Village Level 2, DIFC, Dubai

    Talal 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 [ ... ]

  • Slava’s Snowshow

    Slava’s Snowshow
    New Covent Garden Theatre Mall of the Emirates, Dubai

    The second week for one of the best seasonal shows around – a whimsical blur of laughter, awe, and magic that has already been seen by more than 12 million theatregoers in80 countries around the world, including a near sellout [ ... ]

    From AED 200
  • Nja Mahdaoui: the Choreographer of Letters

    Bassam Freiha Art Foundation Cultural District Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi

    This focused retrospective surveys over six decades of practice by the Tunisian multimedia artist Nja Mahdaoui, an influential figures in Arab modern art who repurposed Arabic calligraphy into a visual and abstract contemporary art form. This show, o-curated by Michaela [ ... ]

  • Constructing the Orient: Fragments of a Western Dream

    Bassam Freiha Art Foundation Cultural District Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi

    Drawn from the private collection of Bassam Said Freiha plus key loans from the Ary Jan Gallery, this exhibition of Orientalist works  unfolds across five thematic sections, each focusing on a central motif within Orientalist visual language and examining how [ ... ]

    Free
  • SCHLiNGEL Abu Dhabi: day one

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

    After a successful debut in 2024, SCHLiNGEL returns to Abu Dhabi. It's an international film festival for children that has been running since 1996 in Chemnitz, Germany, showcasing the most exciting new productions for young people. The Abu Dhabi edition [ ... ]

    AED 25
  • The Ugly One

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

    When the extent of his ugliness is revealed, Lette turns to a plastic surgeon for help – but when the bandages come off, Lette soon learns that there is such a thing as too beautiful ... Translated from the original [ ... ]

    AED 130