• Dalma: dir Humaid Alsuwaidi (2023)

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

    Dana moves to Dalma island when she inherits a house, renovates the property, and starts renting it out to tourists. An innocuous lunch at the only restaurant she finds sets her on a path of collision with many of the [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • The Fridge Concert Series Season 44: David Sagamon

    The Fridge Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    The Fridge gig series kicks off with the totally brilliant David Sagamon, aka SD Drum Show. He sometimes plays with a small band, sometimes alone with a rhythm box; he's great at just about all musical styles, but exceptional at [ ... ]

    AED 80
  • The Fascinating Colours of Diamonds

    L'ÉCOLE Middle East, School of Jewelry Arts Building 10, Dubai Design District, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    What is the origin of the colour of diamonds? Can it be measured, quantified and appraised? Is rarity the only aspect to explain their appeal? This talk in L'ÉCOLE Middle East's regular evening series, presented by gemologists Chandra Horn and [ ... ]

    AED 50
  • Preserving the Past, Embracing Change, Honoring Traditions

    NYUAD Campus, Conference Centre NYUAD Campus, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    Managing the tensions between traditions and progress (whatever that means) is a particularly acute issue for the Gulf states, awash with money and keen to welcome the world but concerned to maintain a culture rooted in the last. Zaki Aslan, [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Wednesday Night Impro: Maestro

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

    The Courtyard's regular 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 [ ... ]

    Free but donations welcome
  • Zineb Sedira: A way of surviving, a way of life …

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

    Sedira's films represent a profound archival exploration of identity, and cultural activism. Born in 1963 to Algerian parents, her work is deeply rooted in her self-narration but also sheds light on broader, interconnected global anxieties surrounding cultural emancipation and diaspora. [ ... ]

    Free
  • LAST CHANCE Sotheby’s Middle Eastern art week preview

    Sotheby’s Dubai DIFC Gate Village Building No3, Unit 01, Level B2, Dubai

    Ahead of Sotheby’s bi-annual London auctions of Middle Eastern art (Modern & Contemporary Middle East on 22 October; Arts of the Islamic World & India on 23 October) some examples of work to be sold are being shown in Dubai. [ ... ]

    Free
  • Roudaina Fardon: Whispers of Nature

    Zidoun-Bossuyt Gallery 796 Jumeirah Street, Dubai

    Roudaina Fardon's first solo exhibition in Dubai: "mosaic-inspired landscapes that highlight the beauty of nature", painted in acrylics with the precise application of different geometric shapes with a small brush. "Whispers of Nature is my way of sharing the quiet [ ... ]

    Free
  • Claude Cozens Trio feat. Ghazi Al-Mulaifi and Tonatiut Zardoìn

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

    The multi-faceted jazz-fusion Claude Cozens Trio from Cape Town performs in the UAE for the first time. The trio (Cozens on drums, Kyle Shepherd on piano and keyboards, Benjamin Jephta on acoustic and electric bass) is joined by new friends [ ... ]

    SOLD OUT but there may be returns
  • LAST CHANCE Mohamed Yousif and Maggie Otieno: Solace in Soil

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

    A duo exhibition for Emirati artist Mohamed Yousif and Kenyan sculptor Maggie Otieno that "celebrates the grounded connections between the practices of the two artists and the cross-cultural exchange between the Middle East and Africa". Or as curator Shamma Al [ ... ]

    Free
  • Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth (SIFF)

    Vox Cinema, City Center Al Zahia University Road, Al Zahia, Sharjah

    SIFF is back for its eleventh edition with an expanded official selection of 98 films (last year had just over 80) selected from 1,834 submissions from 73 countries. Zimbabwe takes part for the first time; Palestine’s selection as Guest of [ ... ]

    tbc
  • The Wizard of Oz: dir Victor Fleming (1939)

    Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    A newly restored version of the classic fantasy road-trip movie. The Guardian's summary says it all: "Victor Fleming has made ... the most delightful film of its kind since Disney's Snow White. The blend of old-fashioned, classic storytelling with cutting-edge [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Porous Paradigms: Arab Art in Global Context

    Fiker Institute 42 17th St, Al Quoz, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Part of a series of events organised by Dubai Culture and Fiker Institute to “exchange expertise, empower creative talent, and support Dubai’s cultural and creative industries”. This one features a panel of Emirati artists and creatives, including cultural researcher and [ ... ]

  • Politically Incorrect Comedy #Creekside

    The Coperhead Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Mad Cat Comedy, "the city’s leading collective for politically incorrect and unfiltered humour", makes its debut at this new standup venue (the Marquis's Creekside pub) on 6 October – and on alternate Sundays thereafter, so the next one is 20 [ ... ]

    AED 85
  • Estas Tonne

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

    This is the Dubai stop on Eastas Tonne's current international tour, with one concert in each city – Yerevan, Tbilisi, Athens, Istanbul, Limassol, and Dubai. Born in Ukraine, he does not identify himself with any particular nation; he says that [ ... ]

    From AED 200
  • Didi: dir Sean Wang (2024)

    Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    For his feature debut, winner of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award, Sean Wang has crafted a poignant and humorous narrative that captures the essence of adolescence in California circa 2008. Thirteen-year-old Chris navigates the treacherous waters of teenage [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Young Frankenstein: dir Mel Brooks (1974)

    Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    The cast and director are obviously having great fun in this affectionate tribute to the classic Hollywood monster movies of the 1930s and 40s. Gene Wilder is the titular inheritor of his grandfather's Transylvanian castle, where he attempts to recreate [ ... ]

    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: 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. Classic Courtyard improv. It's free, but you need to put your [ ... ]

    Free but donations welcome
  • Nigel Ng: The Haiyaa World Tour

    Dubai Opera

    The Malaysian stand-up and actor, progenitor of the wildly successful Uncle Roger YouTube sensation (a lockdown hit with Roger policing other people’s Asian cookery for laughs, it has over half a billion views and is currently being developed as an [ ... ]

    From AED 195
  • Siccità | Dry: dir Paolo Virzi (2022)

    Alliance Française Dubai Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    In a dystopian present, it hasn't rained in Rome for three years: the drought has reduced water reserves to a minimum and there's an epidemic of sleeping sickness carried by cockroaches. Through a city dying of thirst and prohibitions moves [ ... ]

    Free
  • The Fridge Concert Series Season 44: WYWY | Serge Volant

    The Fridge Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    The Fridge gig series continues with the Dubai-based Filipino dream/synth-pop band WYWY (X Alvarez on vocals and xylophone, Mckie on guitar and bass). They've been around for a while, not least at previous Fridge Concerts; but their rather good debut [ ... ]

    AED 80
  • Manolo Valdés: Domesticity

    Opera Gallery Atlantis The Royal Crescent Road, Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    A solo exhibition of small sculptures by the celebrated Spanish artist at the gallery’s Atlantis outpost. Noted for his ability to transform familiar forms and classical references into contemporary pieces, Valdés uses meticulous craftsmanship to recontextualise idioms from the art [ ... ]

    Free
  • Putting the Record Straight: The Lost Women of Art History

    Society Dubai Jumeirah Street, Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    The third in this seven-part lecture series by art historian Rose Balston on female artists from the 16th through to the 18th century – “women who have not only been side-lined, but literally (and shockingly) blocked out of history”, mainly [ ... ]

    AED 250
  • Odeya Nini: ODE

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

    An interdisciplinary solo vocal performance by Odeya Nini on her UAE Debut. Using the body as a conduit for a flow of sound that calls out and calls upon with desire, Odeya amplifies resonance, pure expression, and the dynamic dance [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Wednesday Night Impro: Maestro

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

    The Courtyard's regular 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 [ ... ]

    Free but donations welcome
  • Abdoulaye Konaté: Sambadio

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

    This solo show for the pioneering Malian artist Abdoulaye Konaté is inspired by the final track of Ali Farka Touré’s iconic 1976 album Le Jeune Chansonnier du Mali. The song Sambadio celebrates farmers with lyrics reflecting a father’s passionate plea [ ... ]

    Free
  • Samir Gharib: Half a century of art criticism

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

    The noted Egyptian art critic and author Samir Gharib will discuss art criticism and his writing on Egyptian modernism, particularly his approach to covering exhibitions in Egypt. The discussion, in Arabic, will be moderated by critic and poet Sameh Kaawach. [ ... ]

    Free
  • Psycho: dir Alfred Hitchcock (1960)

    Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    It doesn't get much better than the original if you want a psychological thriller dripping with suspense. Janet Leigh stars as Phoenix secretary Marion Crane, absconding with a small fortune of her employer’s money; she takes a wrong turn in [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Duo Mediterraneum: Voyage En Mediterranée

    Zayed Theatre, SUAD Campus Hazza Bin Zayed St, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    “A unique musical journey” promises the blurb for this recital of music and poetry with Duo Mediterraneum – Tunisian oud player and singer Fedia Khalfallah; and Gennaro Siena, an Italian classical guitarist and singer. Accompanied by violin, cello, keyboard, and [ ... ]

    AED 50
  • Comedy @ The Palm

    Riva Beach Club Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Mad Cat Comedy's regular Thursday standup gig on the Palm. The cover charge of AED 99 includes one drink.

    AED 99
  • LAST CHANCE Nika Neelova: Beghost

    NIKA Project Space Unit 11 Al Khayat Avenue, 19th Street Road — Al Quoz 1, Dubai

    A solo exhibition for the London-based artist that draws inspiration from Buhais Geology Park and Jebel Buhais archaeological site in Al Madam. Neelova's sculptures, crafted from a variety of materials including glass, clay, and fossilized shark teeth, offer a speculative [ ... ]

    Free
  • LAST CHANCE Ghizlane Agzenaï: Kaleidoscope

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

    The Moroccan artist's debut Middle East exhibition is described by the gallery as "a milestone event that offers a unique opportunity to experience Agzenaï’s vibrant and dynamic art in person". On show is a collection of Agzenaï’s signature totems and [ ... ]

    Free
  • Christiane Peschek: Fever

    NIKA Project Space Unit 11 Al Khayat Avenue, 19th Street Road — Al Quoz 1, Dubai

    The artist’s first solo in the UAE is a multisensory exhibition inspired by environmental and emotional desert landscapes, and more specifically "the consequences of global warming and the idea of planetary and bodily fever dreams"; or, as the gallery puts [ ... ]

    Free
  • La Lezione di Teatro | The Acting Class

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

    This 45-minute play is a joyful lesson in theatre and a tribute to the theatrical talent of Italians for connecting to anyone, transcending language barriers. Set partly in English and partly in Italian (and without subtitles), the show ironically demolishes [ ... ]

    AED 105
  • torn

    The Fridge Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Written and directed by award winning Australian writer/director Alex Broun, assisted by Alexander Rondel, torn is described as “a sexy, fast-paced, brutal, funny and at times moving dissection of post-millennium relationships ... With echoes of Patrick Marber’s Closer, torn is [ ... ]

    AED 120
  • The Zero Apologies Show

    The Clavichord Signature Hotel, Barsha Heights, Dubai

    Mad Cat Comedy's main man Miqdaad Dohadwala with an hour of unfiltered standup crowd work.

    Free
  • Alymamah Rashed: Mirrors from the Sidewalk

    Tabari Artspace Gate Village Level 2, DIFC, Dubai

    A solo exhibition of Alymamah Rashed’s latest work. A new series of large-scale watercolour and acrylic canvases, it's shaped by the belief that bodily connection to specific environments and elements can facilitate spiritual awakening. Rashed reflects on the immersion of [ ... ]

    Free
  • torn

    The Fridge Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Two more performances of this "sexy, fast-paced, brutal, funny and at times moving dissection of post-millennium relationships ... With echoes of Patrick Marber’s Closer, torn is about the impossibility and possibility of love in a modern world where choices abound [ ... ]

    AED 120
  • Seulgi Kim: Ride the Wave

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

    Seulgi Kim’s first solo exhibition in the Middle East brings to Volery Gallery a deeply personal exploration of her emotional journey,. The sea, which plays a central role in her work, becomes a metaphor for life’s turbulence and tranquillity; her [ ... ]

    Free
  • Creative Career Days

    Jameel Arts Centre Al Jaddaf, Dubai

    The Jameel's introduction to careers in the creative sector, aimed primarily at school and college students, is back. Under the (somewhat unwieldy) title Form = Function = Form = Function = Form, the 2024 edition focus on design careers "and [ ... ]

    Free
  • Emanuele Dascanio: Crafting Reality

    Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown Marasi Drive, Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    A two-day popup (only one for the public) for NFTs by Emanuele Dascanio, works that merge traditional techniques with cutting-edge digital experiences – so visitors will find physical artworks enhanced by AR plus some virtual-only pieces that need the AR [ ... ]

    Free
  • Umm Kulthum & The Golden Era

    Dubai Opera

    Saudi theatre producer Mona Khashoggi is bringing this acclaimed musical biography back to Dubai Opera after sell-out seasons in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Bahrain. For thousands of Arabs, Umm Kulthum's death in 1975 was particularly personal and shocking: “my family [ ... ]

    From AED 330
  • LAST CHANCE One Hundred Years of Painting: Arab Art from 1916 to 2017

    Kutubna Cultural Center Madina Avenues 17, Nadd Al Hamar, Dubai

    An explicitly-titled exhibition of 27 paintings selected from two Dubai collections, those of the International House Group and Al Noon Residence; included are works by Farid Aouad, Amine El Bacha, Saliba Douaihy, Farghali Abdel Hafez, Faek Hassan, Shaker Hassan, Emanuel [ ... ]

  • torn

    The Fridge Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    The final two performances (at 5pm and 8pm) of this "sexy, fast-paced, brutal, funny and at times moving dissection of post-millennium relationships ... With echoes of Patrick Marber’s Closer, torn is about the impossibility and possibility of love in a [ ... ]

    AED 120
  • Umm Kulthum & The Golden Era

    Dubai Opera

    Two final performances for this show telling the life story of Umm Kulthum, the most famous songstress of Egypt and the Arab world, from the 1920s to the 1970s – culminating in a grand concert at the Olympia in Paris. [ ... ]

    From AED 330
  • Fujairah Children’s Book Fair

    Al Bayt Mitwahid Hall Al Maktoum Road, Fujairah, Fujairah, United Arab Emirates

    The inaugural Fujairah Children's Book Fair will run 13-19 October 13 to 19 at Fujairah’s Al Bayt Mitwahid Hall. We know little about the event – it has Instagram and Facebook accounts, but right now they’re post-free and there’s no [ ... ]

  • Hour Eternal – Emirati Abstraction

    Bassam Freiha Art Foundation Cultural District Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi

    An interesting show of works by 14 Emirati artists who have played a role in shaping contemporary art in the Emirates. Curated by Michaela Watrelot, it has loans from the Ministry of Culture, private collectors, and the artists themselves. The [ ... ]

    Free
  • Visions of the Orient

    BFAF Culture District, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi

    A selection of works from the private collection of Bassam Freiha, founder of BFAF, including Orientalist works by Rudolphe Ernst, Paul Leroy, and Fabio Fabbi. To mid-February. Above: Théodore Frère, Outskirts of Minieh

    Free