• 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
  • Tarek Elkassouf: Boundaries & Lines from Letters

    BFAF Culture District, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi

    In BFAF's Annex Gallery, Lebanese sculptor Tarek Elkassouf is showing his 29-piece sculptural series, Boundaries, alongside concept drawings and writings. The limestone sculptures explore the tension between limitation and liberation. To mid-February.

    Free
  • 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
  • LAST CHANCE Mouza Al Hamrani: Homepage

    FN Designs Unit 26 Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    The first solo show by the Emirati illustrator and multimedia designer reflects the duality of the digital age — “celebrating the opportunities the internet has provided, while also expressing the exhaustion and apprehension that come with a prolonged digital presence. [ ... ]

    Free
  • Dubai Design Week

    Ten years is always a good time to see how far we’ve come. The tenth edition of Dubai Design Week  runs 5-10 November in d3, and this year’s festival will apparently reflect on a decade of design and its influence [ ... ]

  • The Fridge Concert Series Season 44: Chinua Hawk

    The Fridge Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    The Fridge gig series continues with the hard-working singer, writer, and "professional entertainer" Chinua Hawk. He has appeared around the world, featured on the Kanye West-produced Talib Kweli hip hop classic 'Get By', and has been a backup singer for [ ... ]

    AED 80
  • LAST CHANCE Magnus Gjoen: The Future of The Past

    Mestaria Gallery Unit 35, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

    Gjoen invites the viewer to explore the delicate balance between history and modernity, as envisioned through a distinctive style that fuses street art influences with pop culture and fine art – symbols and themes from the Renaissance and Baroque are [ ... ]

  • Post-Impressionism: Beyond Appearances

    Louvre Abu Dhabi Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi

    An exhibition of masterpieces from the Post-Impressionist period that is organised into in nine sections, each celebrating both the individual styles and the shared themes that connect this transformative era in art – visitors can follow paths dedicated to Neo-Impressionism, [ ... ]

    AED 63
  • 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
  • LAST CHANCE Sébastien Labrunie: Brèche

    kanvas Dubai Unit 1, Al Khayat Art Avenue, 19th Street Al Quoz 1, Dubai

    "An organic dive through matter, light and memory," says the blurb. "This hybrid narrative sculpture blurs the line between macro and micro perspectives while connecting moments and places of the past." Labrunie’s first large-scale immersive installation (first seen back in [ ... ]

    Free
  • Areej Rajab: Interwoven

    Mestaria Gallery Unit 35, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

    New work by the Bahraini artist, based on an interplay of colours and emotions where the intricate patterns of human behaviour are delicately overlapped with the rhythms of nature: "she reveals the intricate beauty of natural forms and how they [ ... ]

    Free
  • Siena Jazz Festival

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

    SUAD is collaborating with the Italian Ministry of Culture, the Italian Cultural Institute and Accademia Nazionale del Jazz (Siena Jazz) to host a concert "with the goal of promoting young talent and contemporary jazz music". The Academy, the only academic [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • The Tunnel: dir Kim Seong-hun (2016)

    Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    An intricate thriller woven into a story of unthinkable disaster and one man’s fight for survival in the claustrophobic darkness of a tunnel collapse. Presented by the Korean Cultural Center; in Korean with English subtitles

    Free, but pre-register
  • LA Dance Project: Romeo & Juliet Suite

    Dubai Opera

    Benjamin Millepied is a former principal dancer at New York City Ballet whose raison d’etre is to make classical ballet accessible: that's the essential purpose of his dance company, LA Dance Project, and his condensed version of Shakespeare’s story is [ ... ]

    From AED 330
  • 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
  • Dracula

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

    Kate Hamill's "feminist revenge fantasy" infuses the familiar vampire tale with post-modern wit and "a stake through the heart of toxic masculinity", as the New York Times put it when it was first performed. "The world women inhabit in this [ ... ]

    AED 120
  • Siena Jazz Festival

    The Fridge Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    The Italian Ministry of Culture, the Italian Cultural Institute and Accademia Nazionale del Jazz are brining us a taste of the Siena Jazz Festival (which runs for two weeks in Siena each summer). Three good young Italian bands will be [ ... ]

    AED 190
  • The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

    Mövenpick Hotel JBR Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    This month's Laughter Factory tour kicks off at the Mövenpick as usual. The acts: Paul McCaffrey hard-working British comic, a.great storyteller who deserves wider exposure (and will probably get it RSN, so catch him while you can) Hassan Phills dynamic [ ... ]

    AED 160
  • LAST CHANCE 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
  • Dracula

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

    A second performance for Kate Hamill's "feminist revenge fantasy" – which infuses the familiar vampire tale with post-modern wit and "a stake through the heart of toxic masculinity", as the New York Times put it when it was first performed. [ ... ]

    AED 120
  • Classical & Beyond

    Theatre of Digital Arts Souk Madinat Jumeriah, Dubai

    The UAE Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Nicolas Mann delivers the immersive 360º ToDA experience as it "explores hidden stories behind classical masterpieces by Haydn, Beethoven, and more". Specifically, this semi-educational evening for a chamber orchestra looks at the [ ... ]

    From AED200
  • The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

    Mövenpick Hotel JBR Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    The usual second night at the Mövenpick for this month's Laughter Factory tour. The acts: Paul McCaffrey hard-working British comic, a.great storyteller who deserves wider exposure (and will probably get it RSN, so catch him while you can) Hassan Phills [ ... ]

    AED 160
  • Ardal O’Hanlon: The Showing Off Must Go On

    Theatre by QE2 Queen Elizabeth 2, Port Rashid, Dubai

    Ardal O’Hanlon, whose CV includes such notable hits as Father Ted and Death in Paradise as well as more recent stints on Taskmaster and Would I Lie to You, has been touring this widely acclaimed (and very silly) show around the [ ... ]

    From AED 195
  • Dracula

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

    The final performances for Kate Hamill's "feminist revenge fantasy" are at 2pm and 7.30pm today. The familiar vampire tale is infused with post-modern wit and "a stake through the heart of toxic masculinity", as the New York Times put it [ ... ]

    AED 120
  • Performance Co/Lab

    421 Arts Campus Mina Zayed, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    An ongoing programme of performance exercises such as contact improvisation, breath work, acting warm-ups, games, and techniques aimed at "performing artists, creatives, and curious individuals looking to explore movement practices. Instructors are multidisciplinary theatre artist and game designer Carlos Páez [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Politically Incorrect Comedy # Creekside

    The Copperhead Marriott Marquis Dubai, Business Bay, Dubai

    Mad Cat Comedy returns to the Copperhead pub at the Marriott Marquis in Business Bay with a strong lineup of local standups: Miqdaad Dohadwala (above): Mad Cat's main man, razor-sharp comedy Sunny: high energy, big punchlines, big personality Liz Bains: [ ... ]

    AED 85
  • LAST CHANCE Majd Kurdieh: Butterflies

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

    A solo show for the Aleppo-born Lebanese-based artist with a very distinctive practice – he paints with cartoon-like characters to talk about the current state of the world, usually a boy (Fasoon) and a girl (Fasooneh) who are always smiling [ ... ]

    Free
  • 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
  • LAST CHANCE Alia Ahmad: Aspects [مظاهر]

    Lawrie Shabibi Unit 21, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

    The first solo exhibition in the UAE for the Saudi Arabian artist presents a new body of paintings and watercolours that seeks to "peel back the layers in order to expose her personal vocabulary". Her point of departure is the [ ... ]

    Free
  • Animal: dir Cyril Dion (2021)

    Alliance Française Dubai Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    16-year-old Bella and Vipulan are part of a generation that knows its very future is at risk – between climate change and the mass extinction of wildlife, their world could well be inhabitable 50 years from now. At the instigation [ ... ]

    Free
  • The Fridge Concert Series Season 44: Molham | Habiba

    The Fridge Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    The Fridge gig series continues with the Saudi-born Canadian-raised pop singer-songwriter who blends East and West easily in his music, borrowing from RnB, hip-hop, Afro and Saudi Arabia ('molham' is Arabic for 'inspired', incidentally).

    AED 80
  • Putting the Record Straight: The Lost Women of Art History

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

    Fourth 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 by [ ... ]

    AED 250
  • 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
  • Here We Are

    Italian Cultural Institute of Abu Dhabi Al Qasbah Street, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    A research-based group show presented by the Italian Cultural Institute of Abu Dhabi in collaboration with ZU's College of Arts and Creative Enterprises (CACE). The exhibition explores the subtleties of feeling at home within oneself, one's work, and one's environment; [ ... ]

    Free
  • PowerPointless Networking Night

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

    One of the most consistently funny of the Courtyard's classic improv gigs is back after a couple of months' hiatus: the speakers have to give a presentation on a slide deck they’ve never seen before, with the topic determined at [ ... ]

    Free, but donations welcome
  • The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

    The Club Al Mina, Abu Dhabi

    This month's Laughter Factory tour calls in on Abu Dhabi as usual. The acts: Paul McCaffrey hard-working British comic, a.great storyteller who deserves wider exposure (and will probably get it RSN, so catch him while you can) Hassan Phills dynamic [ ... ]

    AED 160
  • Against the Tide (dir Sarvnik Kaur, 2023)

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

    Winner of the Sundance 2023 Vérité Filmmaking Prize, this captivating documentary of class, climate change, and overfishing centres on the lives of two indigenous fishermen. Best friends Rakesh and Ganesh both grew up in the Koli caste, both entered their [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Délicieux: dir Éric Besnard (2020)

    Jardins Germaine Tillion Hazza Bin Zayed St, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    The French do films about food really rather well. This tale of a pioneering restaurant around the time of the Revolution is a sweet and savoury tribute to food, pleasure and égalité at a particularly piquant moment in French history, [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Merci Charles

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

    Hayk Petrosyan’s Merci Charles project, initiated in May 2021, pays homage to Charles Aznavour through his iconic songs – more than 20 of them in this concert, with a jazz-flavoured interpretation delivered by the Armenian singer and his band (Vahagn [ ... ]

    From AED 160
  • The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

    Radisson DAMAC Hills Hessa Street Dubailand, Dubai

    This month's Laughter Factory tour is back in Dubai for its final weekend. The acts: Paul McCaffrey hard-working British comic, a.great storyteller who deserves wider exposure (and will probably get it RSN, so catch him while you can) Hassan Phills [ ... ]

    AED 160
  • Authentic Flamenco: Daniel Casares

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

    The award-winning flamenco guitarist brings this explicitly titled show to the UAE for two nights in Dubai (26 and 27 October) and two in Abu Dhabi (Cultural Foundation, 1 and 2 November). This is the Teatro Real de Madrid production [ ... ]

    From AED 190
  • Arda Aslanian: Obscured / Untold Stories

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

    A solo exhibition for the self-taught Armenian-Jordanian artist who uses her meticulously crafted works to explore the intricacies between visibility and concealment, using drapery as a metaphor for the complexities of human experience. This series of works delves into the [ ... ]

    Free
  • What the Food

    Alserkal Avenue Al Quoz 1, Dubai

    Alserkal Avenue's two-day celebration of all things food is back for its third edition, promising "the city’s most exciting homegrown chefs, artisanal makers and creative culinary minds ... pushing boundaries, showcasing cutting-edge culinary experiments and sparking critical conversations about food [ ... ]

    Varies
  • Kes (dir Ken Loach, 1969)

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

    Bullied at school and ignored and abused at home by his indifferent mother and older brother, Billy is a 15-year-old working-class Yorkshire boy who discovers his own private means of fulfilment when he adopts a fledgling kestrel and proceeds to [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • The Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

    Vintage Grand Hotel Al Fay Road, Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    First of two shows this evening for this month's Laughter Factory tour (it then moves to Dukes The Palm at 8.30pm for the finale). The acts: Paul McCaffrey hard-working British comic, a.great storyteller who deserves wider exposure (and will probably [ ... ]

    AED 160
  • The Night Visitors (dir Michael Gitlin, 2023)

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

    A movie about moths; film and video artist Michael Gitlin emphasises their surreal beauty as well as their ecological relevance. He’s interested in moths as organisms, with fascinating life histories, staggering biodiversity, and a functional importance as indicators of climate [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Sophie Ellis-Bextor

    Dubai Opera

    The reinvented (and genuinely rejuvenated) pop sensation – Murder on the Dancefloor was a hit for her in 2001, for heaven's sake – drops in for one night only midway through an international tour that has seen sellouts around Europe [ ... ]

    From AED 290