This major exhibition marks the ten-year anniversary of 421 Arts Campus and offers a chance to reflect on emergent artistic practices in the UAE, their possibilities, and challenges for the future. Featuring video, performance, installation, and multimedia works, it invites [ ... ]
Events
Calendar of Events
Sunday |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
9 events,
Free For its inaugural exhibition, SAF's Photography Gallery presents a panorama of artistic experimentation and engagement drawn from the Sharjah Art Foundation Collection of photography. Says the Foundation: "the works navigate the sociopolitical terrain of the last six decades against a [ ... ]
Free A group show for six contemporary artists of Arab descent: Gilbert Halaby, Hanibal Srouji, Hussein Baalbaki, Richard Hearns, Sarah Alagroobi, and Soraya Abu Naba’a. Says the gallery: "At the heart of Memoryscape lies a shared inquiry into how our surroundings [ ... ]
Free Second day of the second weekend of the festival of 10-minute plays – each of the S+S Dubai weekends (9-10 May is a break) features afternoon and evening sessions for 10 plays, meaning you could see something around 80 microplays [ ... ]
AED 100 – AED 120 In this exhibition of a new body of work, curated by Cima Azzam, Noor Al Suwaidi approaches colour as a field of sensation where form appears and dissolves within shifting tonalities – "figures hover at the edge of abstraction; colour [ ... ]
Free Curated by Cima Azzam and featuring artworks loaned by Firetti Contemporary, this exhibition reflects an ongoing exploration of memory, material, and place by Salmah Al Mansoori, an Emirati artist from Abu Dhabi. Her practice begins with acts of noticing: fragments, [ ... ]
Free
—
Dubomedy's highly successful Sunday gig at Hushh in Social Distrikt gets a bit of a makeover to celebrate its 18 years of comic activity in Dubai. We're promised "a night of laughs, fits, and unforgettable vibes" with Stand-Up Comedy Game [ ... ]
Free, but min spend of one item
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A Mad Cat Comedy Sunday night regular, featuring the group's main man and mates in "a night of ridiculous stand up comedy" at one of Al Quoz's hidden gems (no alcohol, but good mocktails and t brilliant shots). The cover [ ... ]
AED 99
—
The second weekend for the Junction's short play festival: each weekend features 10 to 11 original 10-minute plays, meaning audiences will get the chance to see a diverse lineup of stories, styles and performances in a single evening. Essentially you [ ... ]
AED 120 |
1 event,
—
A two-act evening of spontaneous scenes and songs based on audience suggestions, by some of our most experienced players and guests. After warming up with some fun games and scenes, the improvisers will entertain you with an evening of high [ ... ]
Free |
1 event,
—
Mad Cat’s standup team at their regular stop at the Easy Tiger bar in Abu Dhabi's Al Ain Palace. The door price of AED 99 includes two drinks ...
AED 99 |
2 events,
—
The third annual showcase presented by graduates of the Musical Theatre Programme at University of the Arts Sharjah (was SPAA until it integrated into UAS). Past editions have been genuinely exhilarating, a blend of song, dance and drama performance curated [ ... ]
AED 60
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The Courtyard's popular 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 |
4 events,A solo exhibition for Shamsa Al Omaira, an Abu Dhabi based multidisciplinary artist and designer. Evocations of duality occupy a prominent position in her work; childhood bedding and memories of jelly desserts morph into soft-looking sculptures laced with hidden or overt [ ... ]
Free
—
"An immersive mini-festival" to celebrate International Jazz Day, featuring a variety of artists and style from trad to contemporary via Cuba, R&B, and beyond. The roster includes Tona & Friends, Nikolai Mishchenko, Sincopa Ti, Nuvo Soul, and Errico Cutolo for [ ... ]
From AED 180
—
Comedy Kix is bringing a Thursday night stand-up gig to the InterCon Abu Dhabi's Belgian Café (magpie remembers fondly when it was the Belgian Beer Café) promising "killer comics, cold drinks, and zero chill". On the bill: Imah Dumagay, Josh [ ... ]
Free |
3 events,
—
The revived UAE Phil – originally formed back in the Noughties, and reinvented a couple of years ago under the baton and direction of Nicholas Mann – continues its 2025/26 concert series at ToDA. We're promised "a musical journey across [ ... ]
From AED 170
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"Mind-blowing magic" meets sharp standup comedy. Recommended – this guy is *very* clever, especially at close-up work ...
From AED 125
—
A standup special by MadCat Comedy's main man, Miqdaad Dohadwala. Expect some guests.
AED 80 |
7 events,Third weekend of the festival of 10-minute plays – each of the S+S Dubai weekends (9-10 May is a break) features afternoon and evening sessions for 10 plays, meaning you could see something around 80 microplays if you attended all [ ... ]
AED 100 – AED 120 As part of its ongoing institutional programming, Sharjah Architecture Triennial presents what it terms a “new chapter” in a long-term research initiative dedicated to architectural archives in the Arab world. Building on the inaugural 2023 exhibition, which focused on Beirut, [ ... ]
Free
—
The inaugural auction of what is described as “a secondary market platform focused on mid-range contemporary works from the UAE and the wider region” will consist of a “tightly curated” sale of 21 lots. The organisers, from the Bayt AlMamzar [ ... ]
Free
—
The third weekend for the Junction's short play festival: each weekend features 10 to 11 original 10-minute plays, meaning audiences will get the chance to see a diverse lineup of stories, styles and performances in a single evening. This weekend [ ... ]
AED 120
—
Classics from an icon of Francophone music, whose songs from a career of six decades seem filled with warmth, nostalgia, and humanity ... This performance may be one of his last international appearances, too.
From AED 295
—
Improvised comedy from two very sharp standups – expect quick wit, superfast comebacks, and exemplary crowd work from Noha Bashir and Denise Alexe.
From AED 130 |
4 events,Alamoudi’s snapshots of contemporary Khaleeji aesthetics playfully capture the give-and-take between developmental goals and their real-world manifestation. Viral memes, talking falcons, automated toy cars and insect light traps all function as tools to process accelerating change; together, these works explore [ ... ]
Free Second day of the third weekend of the festival of 10-minute plays – each of the S+S Dubai weekends (9-10 May is a break) features afternoon and evening sessions for 10 plays, meaning you could see something around 80 microplays [ ... ]
AED 100 – AED 120
—
Early evening Sunday comedy in Al Quoz from the Mad Cat team. The cover charge of AED 99 includes one drink.
AED 99
—
The third weekend for the Junction's short play festival: each weekend features 10 to 11 original 10-minute plays, meaning audiences will get the chance to see a diverse lineup of stories, styles and performances in a single evening. This weekend [ ... ]
AED 120 |
0 events,
|
4 events,A great idea from Foundry Downtown – a group exhibition featuring artists based in the UAE who are not (currently) represented by galleries. The organisers describe it as “for the first time, a selling exhibition structured around accessibility, discovery, and [ ... ]
Free Nemr's latest stand up comedy special considers the craziness of the world today in the context of fatherhood – what he fears and what he looks forward to are very different now than before. In a world full of Rampant [ ... ]
From AED 195
—
Mad Cat’s standup team at their regular stop at the Easy Tiger bar in Abu Dhabi's Al Ain Palace. The door price of AED 99 includes two drinks ...
AED 99
—
A Palestinian-Lebanese singer-songwriter, dancer, life coach and clothing-line owner, Domina has spent nearly a decade writing music about the same territory she works in professionally – mental health, shadow work, and the slow process of becoming yourself. Her sound draws [ ... ]
AED 100 |
5 events,Throughout his practice, White approaches sculpture as a kind of material alchemy – discarded substances are reworked forms that appear uncannily animate: industrial debris becomes wave, tree, or cosmic surface, revealing unexpected continuities between natural forces and technological systems. Two [ ... ]
Free Described by the gallery as "a significant new exhibition" and "a return to the essential experience of art as presence, encounter, and shared space", this show features a curated selection of 50 newly arrived 2D and 3D works by Annalù, [ ... ]
Free A series of guided tours with curator George Arbid that offer his perspective on the Journey into Architecture Archives: Baghdad, Damascus, Tunis exhibition currently running at Al Qasimiyah School (to 12 July). Arbid will provide insight into the research, archival [ ... ]
Free, but pre-register
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Writer-director Annika Pinske’s debut feature tells the story of Clara, a middle-aged college lecturer and doctoral candidate who seems somewhat uncomfortable with her life in Berlin. That gets put into focus when she pays a weekend visit to her hometown [ ... ]
Free |
5 events,
—
Classic improv comedy – no preparation, no plan, no script, just audience suggestions. These guys are good ...
AED 100
—
Mad Cat Comedy's regular Thursday stop in Silicon Oasis promises "insane laughs every week". The door price of AED 99 includes one drink and popcorn.
AED 99 |
9 events,This exhibition explores the quiet logic of annexed spaces and the peripheral architectures that shape everyday life across the Gulf. Through documentation, case studies, and spatial narratives, it reflects on how these overlooked structures mediate between privacy, family, and urban [ ... ]
Free Described as "the UAE’s first collaborative gallery exhibition", this 14-day selling show features more than 50 artists represented by 20 of the UAE’s leading contemporary art galleries. The intention is to provide a commercial opportunity for the galleries, which have [ ... ]
Free A sharp, witty, very urban contemporary comedy of relationships. Worn down by 25 years together, Xavier and Sophie seem to be running on empty: neighbours Adèle and Alban come round for dinner, and these uninhibited people offer a somewhat risqué [ ... ]
AED 150
—
The UAE National Orchestra and choir puts the emphasis on 'national' with "an evening where we come together in love for the nation, sharing moments of pride and belonging ... a space where we gather as sons and daughters of [ ... ]
From AED 150
—
The bill for the Laughter Factory's May tour: Rory O'Hanlon as Irish as his name suggest: described by Chortle as having “presence, poise and timing”, he's famous for his rapid-fire delivery and the sheer quantity of jokes in his set [ ... ]
AED 140
—
The Comedy Kix folk take over the Radisson Blu Deira Creek's Marbles Karaoke Bar. On the bill: Amr Elassal, Emaad Siddiqui, Moncef Boumaza, Faizan Bhat, Saeed Alnahdy and Anton Galvez. It's free, but with a minimum spend of AED 75 [ ... ]
Min spend AED 75
—
Top Italian-style standup from the comic better known to his mum as Stefano Mozzicato. We're promised hilarious stories and relatable observation, delivered with signature Italian humour ...
From AED 150 |
15 events,Without formal art schooling, Nihad Al Turk has developed a distinctive visual language that blends colours, forms, and patterns, "preserving his naïve sensibility while conveying his philosophical outlook and artistic vision". His paintings typically feature anthropomorphic shapes and figures, a [ ... ]
Free A new series of images by the Ethiopian art photographer, her second solo exhibition at the gallery. The show includes 10 works that have never been seen before. Muluneh has been a distinctive voice in contemporary photography throughout her 25-year [ ... ]
Free A group exhibition that approaches 'ground' as "something continuously produced: fractured, inscribed, and held in tension between erasure and persistence ..." The first of two spaces has works by Mandy El Sayegh, Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim, Omar El Gurg, and Rand [ ... ]
Free In 2014, an exhibition was held in Hong Kong under the title The importance of staying quiet; conceived by Saira Ansari and Umer Butt, it was an attempt to find a minimal vocabulary within Pakistani art. A decade later, The [ ... ]
Free True immersive theatre: the audience is the jury at the heart of a live trial – hear the testimonies, consider the evidence, weigh the arguments ... and deliver a verdict. The case also seems very now: a driverless car is [ ... ]
From AED 150 An ambitious large-scale group exhibition dedicated to mapping and navigation systems, "telling stories of fast cars and donkeys, spinning globes and street barricades, cosmic highways and broken bridges ... delves into topographies, transit lines and simulated landscapes to engage critically [ ... ]
Free Here’s the schedule for the fourth weekend of Alserkal Avenue's Art Month: SATURDAY 9 MAY 4-5pm start at The Yard TOUR Slow Art Walk with Camilla Singh Artist, curator, and cultural strategist Camilla Singh leads a tour of three selected galleries [ ... ]
Free
—
A new stop for the Laughter Factory's May tour – note the earlier-than-usual start. On the bill: Rory O'Hanlon as Irish as his name suggest: described by Chortle as having “presence, poise and timing”, he's famous for his rapid-fire delivery [ ... ]
AED 140
—
The fourth weekend for the Junction's short play festival: each weekend features 10 to 11 original 10-minute plays, meaning audiences will get the chance to see a diverse lineup of stories, styles and performances in a single evening. Overall you [ ... ]
AED 150
—
Young performers take the stage for a mini version of Keith Johnstone’s competitive improv format with scenes, songs, and games inspired by audience suggestions. Performers are rated on a scale of 1 to 5 after each round; the player with [ ... ]
Free
—
Something of a rarity in Dubai – Spanish-language standup. Jorge offers sharp storytelling about everyday life, relationships, and the chaos of modern work culture
From AED 190 |
8 events,Khozema Al‑Aaed's solo exhibition reimagines cartographies, reminding us that land absorbs our movements, our wounds, our hopes, "becoming a living archive of human presence" as the gallery puts it. "The compositions resemble traces of cities once inhabited, imagined, or departed. [ ... ]
Free A close look at Dubai’s urban fabric through the lens of architect and photographer Robert Powers. The exhibition traces the patterns and repetitions in architecture, streetscapes, industry, and infrastructure that shapes the character of a city; taken between 2013 and [ ... ]
Free
—
The regular Abu Dhabi stop for the Laughter Factory's May tour, with an earlier-than-usual start: Rory O'Hanlon as Irish as his name suggest: described by Chortle as having “presence, poise and timing”, he's famous for his rapid-fire delivery and the [ ... ]
AED 140
—
Dubomedy's highly successful comedy gig at Hushh in Social Distrikt. We're promised "a fantastic lineup of comedians, big laughs, and great vibes"; and indeed much of that seems to be the case ... It's free, but there's a minimum spend [ ... ]
Free, but min spend of one item
—
The fourth weekend for the Junction's short play festival: each weekend features 10 to 11 original 10-minute plays, meaning audiences will get the chance to see a diverse lineup of stories, styles and performances in a single evening. Overall you [ ... ]
AED 150 |
2 events,An interesting concept: "art can be 'seeded' into the urban environment, where it evolves over time through interaction with people, space, and context ... Rather than presenting finished works within gallery walls, the festival invites artists to engage directly with [ ... ]
Free |
8 events,A group show for three artists whose work here explores the dialogue that emerges between generations of artists, revealing how personal histories, cultural memory, and individual artistic languages intersect. Through painting and illustration, the artists reflect on themes of identity, [ ... ]
Free A descendant of Armenian Genocide survivors and raised in Syria, Mourad approaches his work with a profound sense of responsibility to preserve culture and history; his practice aims to give voice to places that no longer exist, offering an interpretation [ ... ]
Free This exhibition by the Saudi artist embraces the experimentation of jazz, commemorating its role as an audiovisual gathering for culture to flourish from and exact its designs on the world as it moved from older models of audiovisual art – [ ... ]
Free
—
This new screen adaptation of the Dumas novel premiered at last year's Festival de Cannes. The critics liked it: The New York Times called it "stirringly acted and gorgeously filmed" and said "this swashbuckler leaves previous versions of Dumas's famous [ ... ]
AED 30
—
Mad Cat’s standup team at their regular stop at the Easy Tiger bar in Abu Dhabi's Al Ain Palace. The door price of AED 99 includes two drinks ...
AED 99
—
The very cool, very classy Cuban artist Sandra Ivette plays bass and sings at the same time, leading her six-piece band through son, trova, danzón, and jazz. She's premiering her debut album Comienzo, never performed live until now ... Advance [ ... ]
AED 100
—
"A comedy show where you are the joke." Live crowd work at its most aggressive; "no scripts, no filters, no safe spots". Mad Cat Comedy's main man Miqdaad D pushes the boundaries ... and he says he's taking a break [ ... ]
AED 80 |
9 events,Three more performances of this sharp, witty, very urban contemporary comedy of relationships. Worn down by 25 years together, Xavier and Sophie seem to be running on empty: neighbours Adèle and Alban come round for dinner, and these uninhibited people [ ... ]
AED 150 A group exhibition based around site-specific installations and considering ecological, feminist, philosophical, and postcolonial concerns. The core inspiration however is “philosophical reflections of time as growth rather than movement ... Time, as humans experience it, is inseparable from the vegetal. [ ... ]
Free A solo show featuring works that Petr Kirusha developed during his residency at Dom Art Projects. At a time of heightened geopolitical tension between the US and Iran, Kirusha documented the landscapes of Al Quoz and the rapidly changing cityscape [ ... ]
Free Combining language, heritage, and expression, the world of Arabic calligraphy offers centuries of tradition for artists to draw upon. Curated by DiarBid ArtHouse and presented by Dubai Culture and Alliance Française Dubai, this exhibition features established artists, calligraphers, and instructors [ ... ]
Free Selected works from the Farjam Collection. Through a refined language of Minimalist abstraction, the London-based artist blurs the boundaries between sculpture, painting and architecture – "bringing together works that explore light, colour, perception, and spatial experience, the exhibition reflects Rana [ ... ]
Free A solo exhibition by Noritoshi Mitsuuchi, whose paintings "unfold as living worlds where forms gently emerge from within one another, expanding, dissolving, and reappearing in a continuous state of becoming". Drawing on motifs that evoke plant life, his imagery suggests [ ... ]
Free
—
A quiet, compassionate story of human connection. Sentaro runs a small dorayaki shop, living a routine life until Tokue, an elderly woman, asks to help in the kitchen. Her exceptional skill in making sweet red bean paste transforms the business [ ... ]
AED 30
—
The Courtyard's popular 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 |
10 events,The spectacular (and spectacularly successful) Andrew Lloyd Webber musical settles into Etihad Arena for two consecutive long weekends. Look for decent songs, great choreography and staging, and a well-paced plot (not always the case with musicals ...) Friday/Saturday prices start [ ... ]
From AED 90 A solo exhibition promising “a rare and intimate journey into a visual language shaped by the intersections of Egyptian and Syrian modernities”. Born in Egypt and long based in Syria, Ibrahim’s practice is informed by the visual traditions of the [ ... ]
Free
—
The UAE National Orchestra's first family concert promises to take us "into a world where music becomes story, and imagination takes centre stage". It looks a well-constructed programme: Part 1: Introduction to Music Children are invited to explore what music is [ ... ]
AED 65
—
First of two consecutive nights at the Radisson for the Laughter Factory's May tour – note the earlier-than-usual start: Rory O'Hanlon as Irish as his name suggest: described by Chortle as having “presence, poise and timing”, he's famous for his [ ... ]
AED 140
—
Maktaba is 421's monthly gathering dedicated to collective reading, viewing, and discussion across disciplines. For this second iteration, multidisciplinary and performance artist Yoonsik Chico Park leads a dialogue around performance studies: together, participants will "examine, synthesise, and speculate the alternative [ ... ]
Free, but pre-register
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Set in 1950s Baghdad, this highly-rated film follows a schoolteacher who moves his family to a modest new neighbourhood after being forced to leave their former home. As tensions with a neighbour escalate from childhood disputes into open conflict, Said [ ... ]
AED 30
—
"A playful, interactive experience where style meets reflection, connection, and a whole lot of fun ..." It all hangs on the Shift Happens cards, which encourage you to explore your wardrobe and fashion preferences with dares, truths, and prompts that [ ... ]
Free
—
The Junction's comedy-plus-improv evening features two top Dubai standups, Viswajit Dilip and Luca Cupani; then there's live improv with Adi Thomas and his troupe. "Expect an evening of laughter, surprises, and pure comedic energy ..."
AED 100 |
8 events,A group exhibition that reflects on continuity, resilience, and quiet optimism at a time when the world can feel uncertain. Says the gallery: "All at Once speaks to the coexistence of multiple realities – personal and shared, fleeting and enduring, [ ... ]
Free Art Dubai’s rescheduled 2026 incarnation has a basic shape as before – a fair with Contemporary, Modern and Digital gallery sections – but there are some significant changes. For a start, of course, there are many fewer commercial galleries involved: [ ... ]
Free, but pre-register This first solo exhibition by the Emirati artist explores memory, loss, and the passing of time, inviting reflection on how personal and inherited experiences leave their mark on who we are. She uses photography as her primary means of documentation, [ ... ]
Free
—
Winner of the Grand Prix at the Festival de Cannes, followed by the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film and BAFTA recognition, this is something of a masterpiece from Trier: the Rotten Tomatoes summary is to the point – [ ... ]
AED 30
—
A second night at the Radisson for the Laughter Factory's May tour: Rory O'Hanlon as Irish as his name suggest: described by Chortle as having “presence, poise and timing”, he's famous for his rapid-fire delivery and the sheer quantity of [ ... ]
AED 140 |
16 events,Otieno’s first solo presentation with Efie centres on her signature transformation of reclaimed and distressed materials. Working across wood, metal, and mixed media, her semi-abstract forms explore layered narratives of history, memory, human interaction, and environmental survival.
Free The semi finals weekend of the festival of 10-minute plays, today being for the People's Choices. The best playlets will return to compete for the top prizes on the Gala Weekend, 23-24 May. Times, dates, prices: 3.00-5.00pm 16 May AED [ ... ]
AED 150 The semi finals weekend of the festival of 10-minute plays, today being for the Judge's Choices. The best playlets will return to compete for the top prizes on the Gala Weekend, 23-24 May. Times, dates, prices: 3.00-5.00pm 17 May AED 150 [ ... ]
AED 150 Safwan Dahoul’s most recent body of work continues his Dream series – an ongoing body of work investigating the dream state that he began back in the late 1980s, exploring "the physical and psychological effects of alienation, solitude, and longing [ ... ]
Free A summer-long group show for Luke Agada, Tunji Adeniyi-Jones, Ludovic Nkoth, and Naila Opiangah, curated by Brice Arsène Yonkeu – whose curatorial statement defines the show as "an encounter with works on paper and paintings that move between visibility and [ ... ]
Free More than 70 artworks for 43 artists, included those who responded to an open call – "a bold exploration of contemporary collage art" says Kutubna, promising "work with paint, paper, textiles, photography, digital collage, and found materials to build layered [ ... ]
Free
—
Writer and poet Balqees Alhawamdeh invites participants to explore poetry in an approachable and creative way by crafting a short poem as a visual composition using colour, collage, and form. It starts with a line from a poem or a [ ... ]
Free, but pre-register
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An absolutely stunning low-budget (and largely handmade) antidote to Disneyfication – a wordless animated fable about a cat reluctantly making friends with a dog, a ring-tailed lemur, a capybara and a secretary bird in a post-apocalyptic world. There's a strong [ ... ]
AED 30
—
Mo Gawdat – entrepreneur, author, podcaster, software engineer, and one-time Google X exec – talks with former Sky News presenter Sally Lockwood. Expect a conversation exploring creativity, technology, optimism, and what it means to stay human in an increasingly artificial [ ... ]
Free
—
The penultimate weekend for the Junction's short play festival: if you've been attending all performances, you could have seen something like 70 original 10-minute plays by now ... The strongest return to the stage to compete for the top honours [ ... ]
AED 150
—
The penultimate weekend for the Junction's short play festival: if you've been attending all performances, you could have seen something like 70 original 10-minute plays by now ... The strongest return to the stage to compete for the top honours [ ... ]
AED 150
—
The final gig for the Laughter Factory's May tour: Rory O'Hanlon as Irish as his name suggest: described by Chortle as having “presence, poise and timing”, he's famous for his rapid-fire delivery and the sheer quantity of jokes in his [ ... ]
AED 140 |
4 events,
—
Set in a Venetian boarding school for orphaned girls at the end of the 18th century, Gloria! tells the story of a group of talented young musicians who are determined to make music. There's a mischievous musical anachronism at the [ ... ]
AED 25
—
Dubai comedy heavyweight Miqdaad Dohadwala (main man at Mad Cat Comedy) explores stand-up as a serious creative craft, has some practical advice to would-be comics, and offers thoughts about why Dubai’s comedy scene is so strong right now. This chat [ ... ]
Free
—
An evening of the best-known arias and orchestral moments from Bizet's evergreen opera: "the concert brings to life the spirit, passion, and dramatic intensity that have made one of the most beloved operas in the world ... Performed as a [ ... ]
From AED 225 |
7 events,
—
This free programme screens as part of the European Film Festival, organised by the Delegation of the European Union to the UAE in partnership with the Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah Art. The films: Guardians of the [ ... ]
Free
—
This French comedy-drama, written as well as directed by Lilti, tells the story of Benjamin, a PhD student in need of money and under parental pressure. He becomes a substitute teacher in a surburban middle school but without any experience [ ... ]
AED 25
—
Misunderstood by the world, 14-year-old Elvis searches for his place within a broken family and in a school where he's bullied. He wants to become an inventor, swears by comics, chemistry and Hana, the most beautiful girl in the school. [ ... ]
AED 25
—
A satirical comedy of the near future: unemployed Max (Blanche Gardin) struggles to earn a living by selling stolen robot parts on the black market. But her latest ‘acquisition’, T-0, is too old for the fence; her 10-year-old daughter Paula [ ... ]
AED 45
—
Mad Cat’s standup team at their regular stop at the Easy Tiger bar in Abu Dhabi's Al Ain Palace. The door price of AED 99 includes two drinks ...
AED 99
—
The Dubai-born French-Indonesian singer-songwriter is fluent in several languages, writes much of her own material, has performed for heads of state and royalty, earned praise from Shania Twain at the Forbes 30/50 Summit in Abu Dhabi, and was spotted by [ ... ]
AED 100 |
5 events,A group show of works by emerging, mid-career and established artists priced at $3,000 and below, conceived as an accessible entry into collecting "whether you’re just starting or looking to expand your collection with thoughtful additions". The artists: Ahmad Kasha [ ... ]
Free
—
The first Somali film to be featured at the Cannes Film Festival (in 2024), The Village Next to Paradise tells the story of Mamargrade who is struggling to raise his son Cigaal in their rural Somali village amidst conflict, natural [ ... ]
AED 25
—
The global plastic crisis is dismantled and reassembled in a well-researched, cinematic film that not only points to the problems, but also to possible solutions ... This German film shows as part of the European Film Festival, organised by the [ ... ]
AED 25
—
The Courtyard's popular 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 |
6 events,The annual Faculty exhibition of the Academy of Visual Arts at the University of the Arts, Sharjah. The curator is Tor Seidel, filmmaker and lecturer in photography and video at the Academy, and his statement includes this summary of the show: [ ... ]
Free
—
"This is not a talk, and it is not spectacle for spectacle’s sake. It is an intervention (or perhaps, a contemplation) inviting audiences to negotiate artists and their practices more critically and dynamically, to engage with them, and to enter [ ... ]
Free, but pre-register
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A young cook runs away from home to pursue her dream of becoming a chef at a prestigious restaurant in the city – but when she stumbles upon a cookbook from 1929, authored by the legendary chef Olga Franko, her [ ... ]
AED 25
—
The Spirit of the Beehive director’s first feature in 30 years used a film-within-a-film structure to ruminate on memory, ageing and cinema itself. A famous Spanish actor, Julio Arenas, disappears while filming; although his body is never found, the police [ ... ]
AED 25
—
Lebanese-born NYC-based comic, a regular at Gotham Comedy Club and Union Hall shows in Brooklyn when she's not touring – which she does a lot. This is a new show, touring around Europe and North America as well as this [ ... ]
From AED 200 |
6 events,
—
An animated adventure based on the 1999 children's novel by Michael Morpurgo. On a worldwide sailing trip with his family, young Michael and his dog are swept overboard during a storm in the Pacific. They wash ashore on a desert [ ... ]
AED 25
—
Lev is an insecure boy who leads a dull life with restrictive parents. But then his cool, rebellious grandma shows up to sweep him away on an exciting adventure to discover his own superpowers. The film combines a great family-friendly;y [ ... ]
AED 25
—
Cutting-edge AI-driven therapy has revolutionised treatment for depression; but Alesia's subconscious embarks on a virtual journey where reality and fantasy intertwine, forcing her to confront past demons to reclaim her mental health ... This Romanian film shows as part of [ ... ]
AED 25
—
Jarmusch's Golden Lion winner is a comedy-drama anthology that follows three estranged family relationships in three different countries around the world, exploring the closeness and awkwardness of parents and their grownup children in US, Dublin and Paris. The stellar ensemble [ ... ]
AED 30
—
"A live transmission from Dubai’s alternative underground ... a night dedicated to alternative, rock and experimental sounds shaping a new wave of music and culture in Dubai", taking over Rooted's Warehouse 34 for one night only. Past Alterna.tiv gigs have [ ... ]
AED 30 |
8 events,
—
This dramatic thriller explores the themes of self-sacrifice, love, and toxic relationships. After her boyfriend Vytas experiences a psychotic episode and disappears, Maria is determined to find him; chasing down every clue about his whereabouts, she embarks on a fast-paced [ ... ]
AED 25
—
This sports movie, inspired by real events from the 2019 para-hockey world championships, follows three men at crossroads in their lives: an advertising agency owner trying to save his family, a retiring coach whose sport faces extinction, and a promising [ ... ]
AED 25
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A mystery drama inspired by one of Malta’s most compelling unsolved crimes, the 1984 disappearance of a Caravaggio from St John’s Cathedral in Valletta. Priest Orpheus is woken by the police with the news that a priceless Caravaggio has been [ ... ]
AED 25
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Luis and his son Esteban travel to a rave held in the deserts of southern Morocco in search of his missing daughter. They hand out her photo again and again; hope is fading, but they hear from a group of [ ... ]
AED 30
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With more than four decades of music-making behind him, Lulu Santos has a catalogue of iconic Brazilian hits that continues to resonate with audiences through sincerity, melody, and timeless songwriting – songs such as Tempos Modernos, Toda Forma de Amor, and [ ... ]
From AED 299
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The Emirati singer and his band brings his signature blend of old-school soul and contemporary neo-soul to the TODA stage.
From AED 200
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An evening of cinema and live music at the Manarat's restuarant Taparelle, featuring a screening Chaplin's silent masterpiece – comedy, emotion, and unforgettable storytelling – with a DJ gig by Amin Fari. The result "reimagines a timeless cinematic masterpiece through [ ... ]
AED 30 | |
7 events,Durags are stretchable fabrics worn over the head to shape and protect the hair; in Akinbola’s practice, they are both culturally loaded objects and a material he can reconfigure. For this solo show, Akinbola assembles durags into compositions that are [ ... ]
Free
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Cian is a dairy farmer, amateur sportsman and committed hedonist never slow to hit the pub after training. After roping two pals into yet another nightclub bender, he’s subjected to a brutal alleyway beating that leaves him with concussion and [ ... ]
AED 25
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Sehiri’s intimate drama follows four generations of Ivorian immigrant women as they find solidarity, conflict and sometimes a sense of displacement in one another’s company. We're dropped into the lives of Marie (Aïssa Maïga), Naney (Debora Lobe Naney) and Jolie [ ... ]
AED 30
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In a bustling seaside town, Miecia – known as “Queen" – has run her smokehouse for over forty years: a beloved fixture in the community, it is a meeting place for all, a lifeline for some, and a small empire [ ... ]
AED 25
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This film is a tribute to the near-legendary singer, Stelios Kazantzidis, whose voice touched the hearts of all Greeks around the world; it’s a touching story of a refugee child from Pontus in northeastern Anatolia, who managed to survive and [ ... ]
AED 25
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Another hit for the Steinway Series bookers, with the exciting French pianist in a programme that pays homage to Haydn via some of the master's own piano works and pieces from composers that he inspired. The programme: George Benjamin Meditation [ ... ]
AED 250 |
0 events,
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1 event,
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Mad Cat’s standup team at their regular stop at the Easy Tiger bar in Abu Dhabi's Al Ain Palace. The door price of AED 99 includes two drinks ...
AED 99 |
2 events,
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Manuel Falco is a young actor who, after an early success, finds himself avoided by everyone because of his excessive disrespectfulness. He is forced to start over, taking on modest jobs — among them caring for Vittorio, an elderly man [ ... ]
Free
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The Courtyard's popular 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 |
0 events,
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4 events,
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Part of Guggenheim Abu Dhabi’s City Circles programme, this talk from two regional experts focuses on how architecture design in some of the world’s most demanding environmental conditions has to go beyond aesthetics to respond intelligently to climate, material, and [ ... ]
Free, but pre-register
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The Comedy Kix folk take over the Radisson Blu Deira Creek's Marbles Karaoke Bar. On the bill: Amr Elassal, Emaad Siddiqui, Moncef Boumaza, Faizan Bhat, Saeed Alnahdy and Anton Galvez. It's free, but with a minimum spend of AED 75 [ ... ]
Min spend AED 75
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An evening with Zarooni Sound Society, aka indie pop/rock singer-songwriter Mohamed Al Zarooni who may or may not have his band with him
Free
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Improvised crowd work comedy from two very sharp standups – expect quick wit and superfast comebacks from Noha Bashir and Denise Alexe.
From AED 130 |
2 events,
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"A darkly funny and deeply human exploration of modern relationships, told through interconnected stories of love, loneliness, heartbreak, and the strange emotional chaos of being with someone". Rasika Agashe directs this portfolio production of "ten intimate stories of love, heartbreak, [ ... ]
AED 120 |
5 events,How do borders and ideologies attempt to contain open stretches of land and water, and segregate those who inhabit them? What ties us to a place, and what severs us from it? Which ways of living and knowledge can move [ ... ]
Free 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 A landmark monographic exhibition that traces Picasso’s lifelong preoccupation with the human form. Included are more than 130 artworks from the Musée National Picasso-Paris and other institutions, as well as Louvre Abu Dhabi, DCT Abu Dhabi, and other regional collections [ ... ]
General admission AED 70 Modern and contemporary works from Syria, Lebanon, North Africa, and the UAE selected from the private collection of Fairouz and Jean-Paul Villain – a pair of collectors for whom the acquisition of works has been a way of engaging with [ ... ]
Free Sara Naim’s fourth solo show at the gallery is also her first public exhibition of paintings, large-scale works produced between 2023 and 2026 that move between figuration and abstraction. The exhibition is accompanied by a new video performance, Mother Practices [ ... ]
Free |
4 events,Khalaf explores the relationship between self, object, and other through a focus on 'steel' in public spaces: The Field of Dreams, or "dreams as minefields", remind us of the modern structures of unbridled capitalism and the transformative domination of life. [ ... ]
Free "All the lands from sunrise to sunset", a phrase attributed to the Mesopotamian king Sargon of Akkad, graphically invoked his claim to total dominion. Taking this assertion as both point of departure and provocation, this exhibition includes works by Alla [ ... ]
Free
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A mystery drama inspired by one of Malta’s most compelling unsolved crimes, the 1984 disappearance of a Caravaggio from St John’s Cathedral in Valletta. Priest Orpheus is woken by the police with the news that a priceless Caravaggio has been [ ... ]
Free
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A two-act evening of spontaneous scenes and songs based on audience suggestions, by some of our most experienced players and guests. After warming up with some fun games and scenes, the improvisers bring the 1950’s Film Noir genre to life [ ... ]
Free |
2 events,
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This French comedy-drama, written as well as directed by Lilti, tells the story of Benjamin, a PhD student in need of money and under parental pressure. He becomes a substitute teacher in a surburban middle school but without any experience [ ... ]
Free
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Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania has created a docudrama that reconstructs the horrifying true story of five-year-old Hind Rajab as she is bombarded by the Israeli army in Gaza in 2024. Rajab survived the original assault by the IDF, which [ ... ]
AED 31.50 |
2 events,
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Cutting-edge AI-driven therapy has revolutionised treatment for depression; but Alesia's subconscious embarks on a virtual journey where reality and fantasy intertwine, forcing her to confront past demons to reclaim her mental health ... This Romanian film shows as part of [ ... ]
Free
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The Courtyard's popular 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 |
9 events,A group show of new and archival works on paper selected by Judy Karkour that brings together 14 artists with distinct material and artistic backgrounds – Sarah Almehairi, Faris Alshafar, Olaf Breuning, Bernhard Buhmann, André Butzer, Nadine Ghandour, Monika Grabuschnigg, [ ... ]
Free A rare selection of early works on paper by Mohammed Kazem. The 1990s was a period that shaped the foundations of his artistic practice; created during years of experimentation under the mentorship of Hassan Sharif, these works reveal Kazem’s early [ ... ]
Free Alia Zaal’s first exhibition with the gallery features new paintings – on canvas, paper, and ceramic tiles – depicting intimate fragments of landscapes loved by the artist. Highlighting details of familiar plants, trees, and flora from the scrublands and forest [ ... ]
Free
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Lev is an insecure boy who leads a dull life with restrictive parents. But then his cool, rebellious grandma shows up to sweep him away on an exciting adventure to discover his own superpowers. The film combines a great family-friendly;y [ ... ]
Free
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Art historian Rose Balston leads a deep dive into Van Gogh's life, art and legacy with a talk that goes behind the myth of the “tortured genius”, the madman, the failure "into the real story of an artist whose convictions [ ... ]
AED 495
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An intimate artist talk that offers a closer look into Samar Hejazi’s evolving artistic practice and the conceptual threads that shape her work – particularly her exhibition In Circulation, currently showingat this gallery. The evening will unfold around the themes [ ... ]
Free, but pre-register
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Cinema Akil has been active in promoting the principle that we should get behind the small entrepreneur, both for support and because they provide the roots of growth; and it's difficult to argue with that, on so many levels. This [ ... ]
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Mad Cat Comedy's regular Thursday stop in Silicon Oasis promises "insane laughs every week". The door price of AED 99 includes one drink and popcorn.
AED 99
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A stand-up show that delves into "life, travel, identity, and the everyday struggles we all face". Abdi is definitely an engaging storyteller, so this should be a good night ...
From AED 150 |
6 events,Combining language, heritage, and expression, the world of Arabic calligraphy offers centuries of tradition for artists to draw upon. Curated by DiarBid ArtHouse and presented by Dubai Culture and Alliance Française Dubai, this exhibition features established artists, calligraphers, and instructors [ ... ]
Free
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An animated adventure based on the 1999 children's novel by Michael Morpurgo. On a worldwide sailing trip with his family, young Michael and his dog are swept overboard during a storm in the Pacific. They wash ashore on a desert [ ... ]
Free
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A chance to see a genuine Dubai-grown prodigy: born with Irish and Turkish roots and raised in the UAE, 14-year-old pianist and composer Nial Dursun offers a concert programme that reflects both his heritage and his upbringing – drawing on [ ... ]
From AED 125
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Presented by Malhaar in association with the Indian Embassy, this spectacular production brings alive the golden eras of Hindi cinema through live music, dance, and theatre. More than 40 artists revisiting the songs and style that continue to shape Bollywood across [ ... ]
From AED 150
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Mad Cat Comedy's regular standup night at Xandros in Signature 1 Hotel, TECOM. The cover charge of AED 80 includes one drink.
AED 80
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The razor-sharp Dubai-based comedian with a high-energy standup show packed with sharp observations, relatable stories, and dry wit "My mother always said I’d go to hell, so I figured I might as well write a show about it". Recommended.
From AED 160 |
9 events,Centred on the concept of 'interoception', the body’s ability to sense and process its internal state, this exhibition examines how moments of crisis are internalised and transformed into material expression. Developed in response to the first missile attacks reported in [ ... ]
Free Lawrie Shabibi's summer show is always a good one, bringing together a good range of artists – in this case a group whose practices, as the gallery has it, "move fluidly between categories, resisting the distinctions that have traditionally separated [ ... ]
Free
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This free programme screens as part of the European Film Festival, organised by the Delegation of the European Union to the UAE in partnership with the Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah Art. The films: Guardians of the [ ... ]
Free
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"An intimate, process-based session exploring calibration through sound, an ongoing negotiation with feedback, error and environment" organised by Assembly 2025-2026 member Saiki Padhy as part of the Youth Takeover 2026. Visitors are invited behind the scenes of music creation, where [ ... ]
Free, but pre-register
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In this hands-on workshop with Meera Abdulrahim Salem, organised by Assembly 2025-2026 member Poorvaja Subramanian as part of the Youth Takeover 2026, visitors will decode their own emotions, routines and data into maps, symbols and form – using colour, grids [ ... ]
Free, but pre-register
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The June Laughter Factory tour again has the usual mix of international visitors and local stars: Michael Shafar – the headliner is the London-based Australian comedian, a fast-rising name on the circuit who combines fearless observation in his razor-sharp writing [ ... ]
AED 140
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Dubai's only Italian-language comedy night, we think. These two (Luca Cupani and Valentina Danubio) are comedy naturals ...
From AED 160 |