• The Fridge Open Mic

    The Fridge Warehouse Warehouse 5, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

    Open to all singers, musicians, instrumentalists and performers -- register from 6.30pm on the night, and it's first come first served. We thinks it's free for performers and audience ...

    Free
  • Beyond the city – Chapter 1

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

    An “unseen collaboration” between local art gallery/consultancy kanvas and the French female artist collective Féminin Pluriel, where “the physical artworks of 10 artists will be immersed into the digital world of kanvas” to offer "a vision of opposition between the [ ... ]

    Free
  • Miwa Matreyek: This World Made Itself / I Infinitely Yours

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

    A second performance of these two works featuring Miwa Matreyek's signature projected animations and shadow silhouettes, both combining surreal and poetic narratives to depict the conflict between humans and nature. Matreyek is an animator, designer, and performer who creates live, [ ... ]

  • Coulrophobia (Fear of Clowns)

    Coulrophobia (Fear of Clowns)
    The Junction Unit H72, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Gaby Milky writes and directs this "musical-ish satire", first seen back in 2017. The king of Blinktonasia is imposing a strict regime that requires eradication of the clowns, the threat to his monarchy; so he orders the Professor to devise [ ... ]

    AED 120
  • Crossbones Trombones Ensemble

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

    Now this should be a lot of fun. The ensemble (usually five trombones, generally unaccompanied) are a group of young and driven Belgian musicians whose repertoire mixes classical and jazz styles infused with cinematic and pop elements. The short gig, [ ... ]

    AED 75
  • Rooftop Rhythms: The Sustainability Edition – Open Mic Night

    Marketplace, NYUAD Campus Abu Dhabi

    The Middle East’s longest-running poetry (and other performance) open mic event always features culturally-diverse voices with a lineup that includes spoken word artists, poets, and musicians presenting original material, typically on a first-come first-served basis (sign up by emailing info@rooftoprhythms.org) [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Laughter Factory: ‘The Good, the Bad and the Filthy’ Tour

    Mövenpick Hotel JBR Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    This month's standups are Kate Barron from Canada ("after a lifetime of being told she is too big, too loud and too vulgar, by everyone from strangers to teachers, she decided to step on stage and start wearing those labels [ ... ]

    AED 160
  • Gavin Jantjes: To Be Free! A Retrospective (1970–2023)

    Al Mureijah Square Sharjah

    Jantjes is recognised as a creative activist, artist, curator and critical thinker, furthering the discourses and representation of African and African diaspora art. The largest solo presentation of the artist to date, this retrospective for the UK-based South African artist [ ... ]

    Free
  • Miwa Matreyek: This World Made Itself / I Infinitely Yours

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

    The final two performances of these two works featuring Miwa Matreyek's signature projected animations and shadow silhouettes, both combining surreal and poetic narratives to depict the conflict between humans and nature. Matreyek is an animator, designer, and performer who creates [ ... ]

  • Dreamscape

    Total Arts at the Courtyard Al Quoz, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    From the press release: Dreamscape is "an immersive installation honouring the nurturing power of our Earth and emphasising the reverence it deserves as a sacred element of our existence. A sensory experience that seeks to bridge the intangible space between [ ... ]

    Free
  • Coulrophobia (Fear of Clowns)

    Coulrophobia (Fear of Clowns)
    The Junction Unit H72, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Gaby Milky writes and directs this "musical-ish satire", first seen back in 2017. The king of Blinktonasia is imposing a strict regime that requires eradication of the clowns, the threat to his monarchy; so he orders the Professor to devise [ ... ]

    AED 120
  • Laughter Factory: ‘The Good, the Bad and the Filthy’ Tour

    Mövenpick Hotel JBR Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    A second night at the Mövenpick for Kate Barron from Canada ("after a lifetime of being told she is too big, too loud and too vulgar, by everyone from strangers to teachers, she decided to step on stage and start [ ... ]

    AED 160
  • Hazem Harb: Dystopia is not a Noun

    Warehouse 58 Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

    Charcoal on paper holds profound significance for long-time Alserkal Avenue collaborator Hazem Harb – the black carbon dust echoes that which now settles in Gaza, his home. In this ‘intervention’ he’s returning to the medium after ten years; “combining elements [ ... ]

    Free
  • Al Ain Book Festival 2023

    Hazza bin Zayed Stadium Al Ain

    The 14th edition of the former Al Ain Book Fair, organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre under the theme All Eyes on Al Ain, is open 9am to 10pm from 19 to 25 November. It celebrates literature with [ ... ]

    Free
  • Fahd Burki

    Grey Noise Unit 24 Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    To 3 February  

    Free
  • Abu Dhabi Art

    Abu Dhabi Art
    Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    The fifteenth edition of Abu Dhabi Art, which runs 22-26 November 2023, will once again be the largest yet – there will be 92 gallery booths (a few galleries are in more than one section). They include 37 new and [ ... ]

    Free
  • Acoustic Sundays

    The Fridge Warehouse Warehouse 5, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

    A pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon: chilled Latin beats by Jose Ramon on piano, zero alcohol cocktails from TVM @ The Fridge ...

    Free
  • Coulrophobia (Fear of Clowns)

    Coulrophobia (Fear of Clowns)
    The Junction Unit H72, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Gaby Milky writes and directs this "musical-ish satire", first seen back in 2017. The king of Blinktonasia is imposing a strict regime that requires eradication of the clowns, the threat to his monarchy; so he orders the Professor to devise [ ... ]

    AED 120
  • Aida Garifullina: Opera Gala

    Dubai Opera

    The star Russian lyric soprano Aida Garifullina performs a programme that ranges across iconic arias from the classic Italian and Russian operas but also includes crossover hits. She's accompanied by the Northern Sinfonia under conductor Fabio Mastrangelo.

    from AED 350
  • Rashid Rana: It Lies Beyond

    Volte Art Projects Warehouse 13, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

    Rashid Rana characteristically challenges our perceptions of scale through the intermingling of both small and large imagery, exploring and revealing patterns and similarities. In It Lies Beyond (above), the imposing proportions invite viewers to immerse themselves in the intricate imagery [ ... ]

  • Gazelli Art House: Jawhar

    Jossa by Alserkal Warehouse 45, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

    A pop-up exhibition for Alserkal Art Week by London-based Gazelli Art House. The group show aims to spotlight pressing environmental concerns and features Recycle Group; Libby Heaney; Kalliopi Lemos; Aida Mahmudova; Elnara Nasirli; Aidan Salakhova; and Matteo Zamagni. Recycle Group [ ... ]

    Free
  • Juma Al Haj: The Return

    Warehouse 46 Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

    A short run for this pop-up solo exhibition by the Emirati artist, noted for his calligraphy-like abstracted text in paintings and drawings. His abstract notations appear unconscious, though his process is in fact method-based, calculated and always originating from his [ ... ]

    Free
  • Reviewing Landscape

    Elmarsa Gallery 23 Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    A group exhibition of landscapes from a genuinely eclectic list of painters – Alexis Delahogue (France, d.1936), Ammar Farhat (Tunisia, d.1987), Antoine ‘Mayo’ Malliarakis (Egypt, d.1990), Atef Maatallah (Tunisia, b. 1981), Baya Mahieddine (Algeria, d.1998), Cécile Bougourd (France, d.1941), Hedi [ ... ]

    Free
  • Clifford Ross: Hurricane Waves

    Leila Heller Gallery Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    The singular goal of the American multimedia artist’s solo show is work that relates to the sublime in nature. This exhibition is a collection of dramatic photographs depicting the power of the ocean manifesting through its ever-changing forms during storms [ ... ]

    Free
  • Maxi Cohen: The Poetry of Water

    Leila Heller Gallery Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Maxi Cohen’s first solo show in the UAE is a collection of water art captured in the UAE that includes paintings, large format photographs, multimedia works, immersive installations, mixed-reality, and video furniture. For 25 years Cohen’s engagement with water, as [ ... ]

    Free
  • Diane Tuft: Frozen in Time

    Leila Heller Gallery Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    The mixed media artist’s solo show is a collection of photographs documenting the expansive beauty of our planet and the dire situation that it continues to face if we do not provide a sustainable environment for its future. Diane Tuft [ ... ]

    Free
  • Alserkal Art Week

    Alserkal Art Week
    Alserkal Avenue Al Quoz 1, Dubai

    This year’s Alserkal Art Week runs from Monday 20 November to Sunday 26 November at Alserkal Avenue. It’s been refocussed at short notice on Gaza and related issues, in particular with a major exhibition in Concrete. The full programme is [ ... ]

    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 stuff. It's free, but you need to put your [ ... ]

    Free but donations welcome
  • A Musical Journey: Jordi Savall in Conversation

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

    The -award-winning Catalan-Spanish musicologist, music maker and conductor Jordi Savall is in town for a concert with a special focus on the Hispanic and Mediterranean musical heritage. Here he joins Maurice Pomerantz, Senior Director of NYUAD Institute and Professor of [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Art & Music Night

    Theatre of Digital Arts Souk Madinat Jumeriah, Dubai

    An immersive evening at the Theatre of Digital Art – digitised projected art ("the masterpieces of the greatest artists of the 20th century") is accompanied live by Soren Lyng Hansen on cello, double bass and piano. He is very good, [ ... ]

    AED 150
  • Wednesday Night Impro: Maestro

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

    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 the lowest score is eliminated. Eventually only [ ... ]

    Free but donations welcome
  • In the Dusky Path of a Dream: Notes from Abstracting the Real

    Rizq Art Initiative Leaf Tower, Al Reem Island, Abu Dhabi

    A group show for 27 Indian artists in this new art space on Al Reem Island; they are presenting works that examine the role that memory and identity plays in connecting the past and the future. “We constantly encounter situations [ ... ]

    Free
  • DIFC Art Nights

    DIFC Gate Village Dubai

    An open air exhibition of works on the theme of ‘Expressions for Sustainable Change’ has been selected from an open call; they join the DIFC galleries' late-evening opening on 23 and 24 November. It all makes for a pleasant amble, [ ... ]

    Free
  • NYU Abu Dhabi MFA Open Studios

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

    The NYU Abu Dhabi MFA in Art and Media programme is throwing its doors open (briefly) to coincide with Abu Dhabi Art; you're invited to meet MFA students and faculty, learn more about the MFA course (including scholarships), and see [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Silent Objects | An Interactive Storytelling Session by Shereen Saif

    Ishara Art Foundation Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

    Taking as its point of departure a folktale that inspired Sudarshan Shetty’s artwork ‘A Song A Story’, Shereen Saif's workshop invites participants to uncover stories layered in everyday objects. Touching on history, memory and silences, the workshop is a companion [ ... ]

    Free but pre-register
  • Russell Peters: Act Your Age World Tour

    Etihad Arena Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

    Russell Peters, recently honoured as one of Rolling Stone's 50 Best Comics of All Time, is in town with his new stand-up special ("a night of outrageous laughs from start to finish"). It will also be filmed, which does sometimes [ ... ]

    From AED 165
  • Laughter Factory: ‘The Good, the Bad and the Filthy’ Tour

    Hyde Hotel Dubai Marasi Drive, ​Business BayBusiness Bay, Dubai

    The second weekend for the November standups – Kate Barron from Canada ("after a lifetime of being told she is too big, too loud and too vulgar, by everyone from strangers to teachers, she decided to step on stage and [ ... ]

    AED 160
  • Masood Boomgaard: Self-Help Singh

    Theatre by QE2 Queen Elizabeth 2, Port Rashid, Dubai

    The rather good South African / Indian comedian is back in Dubai with his alter ego, Self-Help Singh, alternative life coach and de-motivational speaker (who apparently “first appeared to Boomgaard in a vision after he fell and hit his head [ ... ]

    From AED 125
  • Tanweer Sacred Music Festival

    Mleiha Archaeological Centre Sharjah

    Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi’s latest initiative is a three day festival (24-26 November) that aims to rediscover and celebrate traditional sacred music. Envisioned as “a testament to tradition, wisdom, and the power of togetherness”, it “aims to bring people closer [ ... ]

    From AED 554
  • Focal Point 2023

    FOCAL POINT 2023
    Sharjah Art Foundation, Bait Obaid Al Shamsi Arts Square, Sharjah

    The sixth edition of Sharjah Art Foundation’s Focal Point art book fair – the region’s only art book fair, we think – features local and international publishers with book launches, talks, workshops and musical performances during its run (24 to [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-booking is required
  • Focal Point 2023

    FOCAL POINT 2023
    Sharjah Art Foundation, Bait Obaid Al Shamsi Arts Square, Sharjah

    The sixth edition of Sharjah Art Foundation’s Focal Point art book fair – the region’s only art book fair, we think – features local and international publishers with book launches, talks, workshops and musical performances during its run (24 to [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-booking is required
  • Boeing-Boeing

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

    Marc Camoletti's farce, which first played in 1960, was a smash hit in his native country and (in the English translation by Beverly Cross and Francis Evans) on Broadway and the West End; it went to Hollywood too in 1965, [ ... ]

    AED 120
  • Jethro Tull: Seven Decades

    Dubai Opera

    Dating all the way back to the late 1960s, the darlings of quirky prog rock are still on the road with the Seven Decades tour. As with many long-lived bands, Jethro Tull has gone through many changes in its roster; [ ... ]

    from AED 295
  • Laughter Factory: ‘The Good, the Bad and the Filthy’ Tour

    Radisson DAMAC Hills Hessa Street Dubailand, Dubai

    Last couple of gigs for the November standups – Kate Barron from Canada ("after a lifetime of being told she is too big, too loud and too vulgar, by everyone from strangers to teachers, she decided to step on stage [ ... ]

    AED 160
  • Down to Earth 2023

    The Jameel’s annual day-long festival for culture enthusiasts, the eco-conscious and sustainability is back, just days ahead of COP28's opening. Expect activities for all ages themed around botanical, sustainable and eco-conscious living with hands-on workshops, tours, talks and demonstrations, plus [ ... ]

    Free
  • Mohannad OrabI: Coloured Shadows

    Urbanist Art Gallery Box Park, Al Wasl Road, Dubai

    Collage art by the Dubai-based Syrian artist whose work reflects his interest in spontaneity, the liberation of forms and colours, and the creation of art without specific guidelines. To 20 December.  

    Free
  • Focal Point 2023

    FOCAL POINT 2023
    Sharjah Art Foundation, Bait Obaid Al Shamsi Arts Square, Sharjah

    The sixth edition of Sharjah Art Foundation’s Focal Point art book fair – the region’s only art book fair, we think – features local and international publishers with book launches, talks, workshops and musical performances during its run (24 to [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-booking is required
  • Boeing-Boeing

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

    A second evening for Marc Camoletti's farce, adapted into English by Beverly Cross and Francis Evans) and now it's getting the Dubai treatment with a H72 production at The Junction. It has a classic farce plot: swinging bachelor Bernard is [ ... ]

    AED 120
  • Global Notes: Natalie Perez & Amira Fouad

    Dubai Opera Studio Downtown Dubai, Dubai

    Another impressive booking for the Global Notes series: the impressive young French mezzosoprano Natalie Perez is accompanied for this recital of songs and classical ariass by Amira Fouad on piano.      

    AED 265
  • Jim Gaffigan: Barely Alive

    Dubai Opera

    American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer brings his Barely Alive tour to Dubai. He's a hard worker – his ninth stand-up special premiered on Netflix in December and was nominated for a Grammy, his tenth comedy special will be [ ... ]

    From AED 250