All Day

CLOSING TODAY Afra Al Dhaheri: Restless Circle

Sharjah Art Foundation, Al Mureijah Square Sharjah

A selection of works by Afra Al Dhaheri that explore the structural effects of tension, repetition and time provides Sharjah Art Foundation's first show of Autumn. "Working with materials such as cotton rope, fabric, cement and hair, the artist emphasises [... more]

Free

Sharjah Film Platform 8

[various Sharjah locations]

Sharjah Art Foundation’s annual celebration of indie/experimental cinema returns for its eighth edition from 14 to 23 November 2025 with an expanded lineup of films, talks and artist development programmes. Screenings and events will take place at Mirage City Cinema, [... more]

Per screening: AED 15

Abu Dhabi Art

Manarat al Saadiyat Abu Dhabi

The 16th edition of Abu Dhabi Art will take place from 19 to 23 November, as usual at Manarat al Saadiyat. The fair element has more than 140 galleries from 37 countries, by far the largest number to date – [... more]

Free, but pre-register

NOMAD Abu Dhabi

Terminal 1, Zayed International Airport Abu Dhabi

A boutique alternative to the conventional art fair, NOMAD is a peripatetic showcase for collectible design and contemporary art that pops up in “extraordinary architectural settings”. Its next iteration is NOMAD Abu Dhabi, to be held in the decommissioned Terminal [... more]

Free by invitation

Whispers of Play

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

A group show for three young Japanese artists that celebrates the playful sensibility at the heart of contemporary Japanese expression – "a sensibility that transforms familiarity into wonder, nostalgia into dream" as the gallery has it. These artists have used [... more]

Free

CLOSING TODAY Gail Spaien: Arranging Flowers

Taymour Grahne Projects Warehouse 31A, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

The inaugural show of Taymour Grahne's new project space in Dubai features the Maine-based painter, the recipient of numerous fellowships amd now (after 30 years as faculty at the Maine College of Art and Design) a full time artist. Her [... more]

Free

Hussain Jamil: Refracted Life

Oblong Contemporary Art Gallery Al Khayat Art Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai

In this exhibition, Jamil presents a new body of work that explores how we see ourselves — and how we are seen — in an ever-changing world. Working with hand-formed polished steel wall sculptures, woven metal mesh, and mirrored sculptural [... more]

Free

POSTPONED Cindy Bernhard: When the Eternal Breaks Through

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

In the new body of work in this solo show, Bernhard continues her exploration of surface as revelation "where paint radiates, refracts, and breathes ... Each canvas becomes a threshold between the sacred and the screen, where baroque intensity meets [... more]

Free

Cirque Du Liban: Fontana

Circus Tent, Marina Mall Abu Dhabi

The second weekend for Cirque du Liban's acrobatics-plus-aquatics show, "the first travelling water circus in the Middle East ... live entertainment, breathtaking artistic performances in a tailor-made aqua theatre, waterfalls cascading, artists diving and performing mind-blowing Aquatic experience". There are [... more]

From AED 100

Art Thinking: The Intricacies of Corporate and Brand Patronage

Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi Reem Island, Abu Dhabi

What do Louis Vuitton, Marina Abramović and BMW have in common? According to cultural strategist Vadim Grigoryan in his newly published book, Art Thinking: Art, Meaning and Brand Leadership, they are all players in the evolving relationship between the art [... more]

Free, but pre-register

Dubai Singers & Orchestra: Music of the Isles

New Covent Garden Theatre Mall of the Emirates, Dubai

This concert celebrating “the best of the choral and orchestral works of the British Isles” features some 60 voices and a 30-piece orchestra conducted by musical director Howard Wong. “The best” is a grand claim, but certainly the programme features [... more]

tbc

The Fridge Open Mic

The Fridge Alserkal Avenue, Dubai

An open mic gig for local musicians; each act gets to perform one song. The Fridge's performance space is well equipped – you can use their drum kit, electric keyboard, amps for guitar and bass, and mics. And you can [... more]

Free

Rigoletto

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

A second performance for this lavish staging by St Petersburg Opera of Verdi’s most enduring masterpiece – a story of love, betrayal, and revenge told through some of the most celebrated music in the operatic repertoire. As with most shows [... more]

From AED350