• En Fanfare | The Marching Band: dir Emmanuel Courcol (2024)

    Germaine Tillion Garden, SUAD Campus Abu Dhabi

    The third feature film from screenwriter, actor and director Emmanuel Courcol is a sensitive work that matches music and meaningful relationships. Thibaut, an acclaimed orchestra conductor, diagnosed with leukaemia ,discovers that he is adopted when a DNA test to find [ ... ]

    Free
  • Laura Garcia Karras: Eidolon

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

    A solo exhibition by that French artist that explores "the spectral space between presence and absence, giving form to what lingers just beyond perception" (the ancient Greek word 'eidolon' means phantom, double, or apparition). Karras’s works appear as delicate traces [ ... ]

    Free
  • Flower Shop

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

    A group show – with Maria Andrievskaya, Almendra Bertoni, Katie Hector, Jen Hitchings, and John Denniston II– that invites us to think of colour not just as a visual element but as a language of its own. "Colour is what [ ... ]

    Free
  • April Acts 2025: to carry new formations

    vrs SB16 locations Sharjah

    The inaugural edition of April Acts, a weekend initiative expanding on the curatorial framework of Sharjah Biennial 16 and held across various  SB16 venues, has the title to carry new formations – an extesion of SB16's theme, to carry. The [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Art Dubai 2025

    Madinat Jumeirah Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Art Dubai’s core gallery programme will feature over 120 participants across four sections as befire: Contemporary, Modern, Bawwaba (featuring exclusively new work) and Art Dubai Digital. Works on sale are included in the excellent online catalogue for browsing. Away from [ ... ]

    AED 100
  • Curators Talk: Shabbir Hussain Mustafa

    The latest in the NYUAD Art Gallery's series of conversations with curators features Shabbir Hussain Mustafa, Senior Curator and Head of Exhibitions at the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi In this conversation with the Art Gallery's curator Duygu Demir, he will discuss [ ... ]

  • Korean National University of Arts Symphony Orchestra: Jaewon Wee and Sang Hyeok Park

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

    The KNUA Symphony Orchestra have their Arab World Premiere with this Abu Dhabi Festival performance under the baton of Chung Chi-Yong, one of the country’s most celebrated conductors. For this evening, KNUA Symphony Orchestra the soloists the award-winning violinist Jaewon [ ... ]

    AED 175
  • Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

    The Agenda Abdullah Omran Taryam St, Media City, Dubai

    April's Laughter Factory tour features Montreal's Just For Laughs festival favourite Eman El Husseini, about-to-be-big US standup Maher Matta, and top local talent Valentina Danubio, 2023 winner of Survival of the Funniest. Here are the other upcoming gigs: 19 Apr [ ... ]

    AED 160
  • Abdullah Al Othman: Structural Syntax

    Iris Projects Studio 20, Madar 39, MiZa, Port Zayed, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    The Saudi artist has long been developing a highly characteristic visual language rooted in the Arabian urban landscapes, architecture, and linguistic history. In his work, In his monumental installations and sculptures Al Othman reflects on the layers of history embedded [ ... ]

    Free
  • The Little Mermaid

    Jumeirah Beach Hotel Dubai

    H2 productions and the Dubai Panto team return to Jumeirah Beach Hotel with their unique adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's well-loved tale of the mermaid who yearns for a life above the waves – only to be ensnared by the [ ... ]

    From AED 110
  • Mayar Obeido: Ever in Reform

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

    Fann À Porter's second solo exhibition for Syrian artist Mayar Obeido features his signature reconfigured table, presented as an independent element for the first time in his practice, with an accompanying series of black ink and coloured paper studies. While [ ... ]

    Free
  • SAT Research Initiative – Living Continuity: Urban Workshop 2

    Old Al Jubail Vegetable Market 8 Bujair Bin Abi Bujair St, Sharjah

    Sharhah Arcitecure Triennial's Living Continuity: Urban Workshop Series brings together artists, researchers, and writers whose practices are deeply rooted in lived experiences to explore "our role as urban actors within the layered histories and evolving ecologies of a neighborhood". This [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Une part manquante | A Missing Part: dir Guillaume Senez (2024)

    Germaine Tillion Garden, SUAD Campus Abu Dhabi

    Belgian filmmaker Guillaume Senez has always been fascinated with personal responsibility and family dynamics. His latest film, which premiered at last autumn's Toronto Film Festival, fits the mould; it tells the story of a father’s struggle to reconnect with his [ ... ]

    Free
  • ROFL@TGIF Comedy Night

    TGIFriday's at the Rove Hotel Downtown 312 Al Mustaqbal Street, Dubai

    Dubomedy gigs are usually pretty good, especially when the price is free (with a minimum spend of one drink or one food item) and a "fantastic" (their judgement) bill of stand-ups – "you never know who will drop by!" It's [ ... ]

    Free
  • Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

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

    April's Laughter Factory tour features Montreal's Just For Laughs festival favourite Eman El Husseini, about-to-be-big US standup Maher Matta, and top local talent Valentina Danubio, 2023 winner of Survival of the Funniest. Here are the other upcoming gigs: 24 Apr [ ... ]

    AED 160
  • LAST CHANCE Marcos Marín

    ME by Meliá The Opus by Omniyat, Al Amal Street, Business Bay, Dubai

    The second edition of ME by Meliá Dubai's Cultural Connection exhibition series features more than 60 pieces by Brazilian artist Marcos Marín in his signature style – optical and kinetic art panels and sculptures with portraits of world figures, royals, [ ... ]

  • LAST CHANCE Ali Pasandideh: Love Is the Beginning of Humanity

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

    A solo exhibition by the noted Iranian calligrapher Ali Pasandideh. Inspired by the poetry of Hooshang Ebtehaj (aka HE Sayeh) this collection of more than two dozen works in Nastaliq calligraphy explores the timeless link between love, humanity, and the [ ... ]

    Free
  • The Little Mermaid

    Jumeirah Beach Hotel Dubai

    The last chance to catch the return of H2 productions and the Dubai Panto team with their adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's well-loved tale of the mermaid who yearns for a life above the waves – only to be ensnared [ ... ]

    From AED 110
  • Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial: Bik Van der Pol’s The poem that jumps the fence

    Abu Dhabi Beach Al Hisn Street, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    Artist duo Bik Van der Pol (Liesbeth Bik and Jos Van der Pol) engage in collaborative projects on how art constructs public spaces for speculative thought and collective creativity. The poem that jumps the fence features weekly performances on Abu [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Remote Abu Dhabi by Rimini Protokoll

    Rimini Protokoll pushes the boundaries of conventional theatre. During this performance walk within the collective’s ‘Remote X’ series (2013–ongoing), you are invited to explore the growing presence of artificial intelligence in future cities; for this tour, designed specifically for Abu [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Remote Al Ain by Rimini Protokoll

    Rimini Protokoll pushes the boundaries of conventional theatre. During this performance walk within the collective’s ‘Remote X’ series (2013–ongoing), you are invited to explore the growing presence of artificial intelligence in future cities; for this tour, designed specifically for Al [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Korean National University of Arts Symphony Orchestra: Jaewon Wee and Sang Hyeok Park

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

    This second Abu Dhabi Festival performance for the KNUA Symphony Orchestra is conducted by the Italian-Lebanese maestro Toufic Maatouk and features star soprano Jessica Pratt and top tenor Javier Camarena, singing arias and duets from Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini, Mascagni, Massenet [ ... ]

    AED 175
  • LAST CHANCE It Awakens (At Night) The Thought

    Sima Collective 11 21C Street, Al Quoz 3, Dubai

    "An intimate group show interrogating the nocturnal psyche", featuring Shamsa Al Mansoori, Farah Maktari, Ashna Malik and Jude Samman. This is the first show to be organised by a new name to us, @Vertygo.art, and curated by Nicolo Venelli.

    Free
  • LAST CHANCE Hadieh Shafie: Resonant Turns

    The Mine Warehouse 46, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Hadieh Shafie uses ink, paint and paper as material for works that abstract text into form, evoking different optical perspectives; her reliefs comprise circular or cone-shaped scrolls inscribed with Farsi poetry and her own writing in acts of concealment, fragmentation [ ... ]

    Free
  • Creative Convergence: the role of artists in expanding scientific inquiry and UAE’s vision for innovation

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

    The lengthy title covers an interesting-looking panel discussion on interdisciplinary collaboration – how integrating art, science and engineering can foster innovation, broaden perspectives, and drive societal contributions. The panel: Iyad Rahwan Director of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Augustin Hadelich

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

    The virtuoso violinist Augustin Hadelich is known for his technique, insightful interpretations, and ravishing tone. In a contrasting programme of old and new music for the Abu Dhabi Festival, Hadelich plays works by Bach, Coleridge-Taylor, Ysaÿe and David Lang. He [ ... ]

    AED 175
  • Hors d’haleine | Breathing Underwater: dir Eric Lamhene (2024)

    Germaine Tillion Garden, SUAD Campus Abu Dhabi

    This emotional, character-driven drama is set in the secretive world of a women's shelter. It tells the story of Emma (Carla Juri) who arrives at the shelter in the dead of night, covered in bruises and unexpectedly pregnant. As she [ ... ]

    Free
  • Pencil In

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

    A 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 [ ... ]

    Free
  • All Star Ballet Gala 

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

    Abu Dhabi Festival's ballet gala features some of the world’s most celebrated dancers from some of its top companies – Jinhao Zhang and Madison Young of Bayerisches Staatsballett (both Prix de Lausanne winners), Stuttgart Ballet’s Principals Martí Paixà and Elisa [ ... ]

    AED 175
  • Back To Alexandria: dir Tamer Ruggli (2023)

    Germaine Tillion Garden, SUAD Campus Abu Dhabi

    After 20 years in Switzerland, Sue (Nadine Labaki) returns to her homeland Egypt to visit her dying mother (Fanny Ardant). Their complicated relationship is revealed on a road trip from Cairo to Alexandria; during their journey through Egypt's beautiful landscape, [ ... ]

    Free
  • Poetry Evening with Nujoom Al Ghanem

    Alliance Française Dubai Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    A leading voice in contemporary Arabic literature, Al Ghanem blends tradition and modernity in exploring themes of identity, freedom, and cultural dialogue; this event will feature a bilingual reading in Arabic and French, accompanied by musical interludes with Elena Thedvall [ ... ]

    Free
  • Timur D’Vatz, Timur Akhmedov, Alfiz Sabirov: Dreams of Spring

    Al Habtoor Palace Al Habtoor City, Sheikh Zayed Rd, Dubai

    Andakulova’s pop-up group show for three noted Uzbekh artists majors on their shared exploration of storytelling through art, wth works – painting, sculpture, and mixed media – that offer an immersive experience into worlds both real and mythical. Timur D’Vatz [ ... ]

    Free
  • Synchrony: From New York to Nigeria

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

    This is a rather special evening for the second edition of NYUAD's The City and the Writer series, featuring an extraordinary lineup of writers, directors, actors, and musicians and centred around Awam Amkpa's 2024 film The Man Died (above). That [ ... ]

    AED 105
  • Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

    The Club Al Mina, Abu Dhabi

    April's Laughter Factory tour features Montreal's Just For Laughs festival favourite Eman El Husseini, about-to-be-big US standup Maher Matta, and top local talent Valentina Danubio, 2023 winner of Survival of the Funniest. Here are the other upcoming gigs: 25 Apr [ ... ]

    AED 160
  • Sunday Morning

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

    Successful 40s-ish photographer Mat takes us on a heart-warming, epiphanic journey in this one-man show, written by Nick Warren and directed by Jenine Collocott. On learning that his girlfriend is pregnant, a stunned Mat (James Cuningham) goes for a run [ ... ]

    AED 120
  • Fragments from Heaven: dir Adnane Baraka (2022)

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

    In the bleak emptiness of the Moroccan desert, a nomad shepherd called Mohamed lives in a tent with his family. His way of life is disappearing; the land is so dry (presumably as a result of climate change) that there [ ... ]

    Free
  • Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

    Radisson DAMAC Hills Hessa Street Dubailand, Dubai

    April's Laughter Factory tour features Montreal's Just For Laughs festival favourite Eman El Husseini, about-to-be-big US standup Maher Matta, and top local talent Valentina Danubio, 2023 winner of Survival of the Funniest. (The final stop is tomorrow, 26 April, at [ ... ]

    AED 160
  • Women in Contemporary Arab Art

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

    "A rare journey through modern and contemporary Arab art” in the form of more than 35 original works by artists including Ismail Fattah, Najat Makki, Khaled Al Jader, Louay Kayali, and Salah Taher that represent women in a variety of [ ... ]

    Free
  • Makers’ Month

    Earth Roastery 6th St, Al Quoz 3, Dubai

    Dubai Culture is running its third Makers’ Month this weekend at Earth Roastery in Al Quoz – panel discussions, talks, and hands-on workshops "designed to sharpen skills and foster collaboration between manufacturing and the creative industries". The principles are sound: [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • Abu Dhabi International Book Fair

    ADNEC Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    This year’s ADIBF – remarkably, it’s the 34th edition – has the theme ‘Knowledge Illuminates our Community’, a sentiment which brooks no argument. There are 90 participating countries, the 'Focus Personality’ is Avicenna (Ibn Sina), the ‘Book of the World’ [ ... ]

    Free, but pre-register
  • LAST CHANCE Men’s Rings: the Yves Gastou Collection

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

    The late dealer / collector Yves Gastou (he passed away in 2020) was known for his educated eye, eclectic tastes, and an ability to discover lost gems and new talents in art, design, jewellery and exquisite taste generally. From an [ ... ]

    Free
  • Unique Encounters with Rising Stars

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

    Violinist Yamen Saadi returns to the Abu Dhabi Festival with a lineup of exceptional young talent, playing alongside the violist Sara Ferrandez and cellists Kian Soltani and Pablo Ferrandez. Saadi, born in Nazareth, joined the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra at 11, [ ... ]

    AED 175
  • Tango After Dark

    Dubai Opera

    World Tango Champions German Cornejo and Gisela Galeassi dance to the music of Astor Piazzolla. Accompanied by an ensemble of ten dancers and a seven-strong live band, the spirit of Buenos Aires should infuse Dubai Opera with passion and drama [ ... ]

    From AED 330
  • National Youth Orchestra

    Dubai Opera Studio Downtown Dubai, Dubai

    The Encore Performing Arts Series continues with the National Youth Orchestra (NYO) via its Senior Strings Camerata and Concert Band, with prizewinning soloists and Concerto Competition finalists. The Camerata will be conducted by the UAE-based conductor and composer Jonathan Barrett [ ... ]

    AED 250
  • Laughter Factory Premium Comedy Club

    Dukes The Palm Palm Dubai, Dubai

    Last stop for April's Laughter Factory tour, which features Montreal's Just For Laughs festival favourite Eman El Husseini, about-to-be-big US standup Maher Matta, and top local talent Valentina Danubio, 2023 winner of Survival of the Funniest.    

    AED 160
  • Culture Summit Abu Dhabi

    Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    The seventh edition of the Summit, which runs 27-29 April, again brings together "thought leaders" from art, heritage, media, museums, music, public policy and technology to debate the role of culture. This year's theme is the catch-all 'Culture for Humanity [ ... ]

    Invitation only