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Saturday
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10 events,
The ninth edition of the region's largest, broadest and generally most impressive festival of photography. It is based around a the exhibitions, solo and group, but importantly incudes a very full programme of authoritative talks and useful workshops; portfolio reviews [... more]
Free
The 12th edition of Sikka runs from 23 February to 3 March 2024 at the Al Shindagha Historic Neighbourhood (it’s moved from Al Fahidi to simplify access and increase the range and number of exhibits and event spaces – all [... more]
Free
A weekend of regional films that explore the climate crisis, cureated for 421 by Cinema Akil. As well as . This expansive program includes film screenings, talks, workshops, activations, and family-friendly screenings too. The mini festival includes screening of feature-length [... more]
Free. but pre-register for individual screenings
The always enjoyable Alserkal Art Week, a taster for Art Dubai that has become established in the own right, runs this time from 25 February to 3 March. All the Alserkal Avenue galleries seem to be committed, along with guest [... more]
Free
This show looks like something of a coup for Alerkal Avenue. Widely considered the pioneer of video art in India, and embodying the role of the artist as social activist, Malani has a 50-year multimedia practice that includes photography, painting, [... more]
Free
Montazeri's solo show emphasises the mirror's role as a time capsule, capturing time layer by layer – "with a single gaze, time halts, letting the audience see themselves in the present, amid past moments and a myriad of images within [... more]
Free
This exhibition of carpets designed by artists and curated by Behrang Samadzadegan is described by the gallery as "a territory where artists navigate unbridled fantasies ... Like architects of dreams, they go beyond the surface, delving into the unseen, weaving [... more]
Free
A group show, curated by Sanaz Askari, that brings together artists whose works explore nature's sanctuary amidst the urban sprawl, forging an intimate connection. The starting point is Mark Foster Gage's proposal that urbanisation has transformed architectural edifices into the [... more]
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Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Olivia de Havilland and Hattie McDaniel star in one of the classic American movies. It won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. A genuine bucket-list movie, another good pick by the inestimable Cinema Space, and good [... more]
Free
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For this Abu Dhabi Festival appearance the American bel canto tenor will sing operatic selections from Rossini to Verdi, to the piano accompaniment of Fabio Centanni.
AED 100
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7 events,
The first solo exhibition in the MENA region for the Finnish artist. Her work draws inspiration from ancient basilicas, cathedrals, and other Scandinavian wooden structures. Using wood as her primary medium, Lappi establishes a direct connection to her homeland and [... more]
Free
Sotheby's has an upcoming London auction devoted to artists from or inspired by Lebanon's capital, and Dubai is getting a preview in the form of a selection of the works that will be in the sale. The full complement includes [... more]
Free
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Graduates of Dubomedy's Winter Stand-up Workshops take the stage to perform new stand-up material. It's free, but you're advised to preregister as space is limited ...
Free
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Amid the ruins of war-torn Berlin immediately after the Second World War, 12-year-old Edmund struggles to support his ailing father; he gets caught up in black market schemes and falls to a Nazi-sympathising former teacher – with tragic consequences. The [... more]
Free
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17 events,The Brazilian artist has been given regular solo shows at Green Art Gallery every couple of years, and they're always interesting. Her widely (and sometimes wildly) experimental practice appropriates different materials, connecting to the environments in which she works; art, [... more]
Free
Paintings and drawings by Manjit Bawa (1941-2008), a modernist master of 20th-century Indian figuration whose work is distinguished by expressive line and colour. To 30 April. The exhibition marks the inauguration of Volte Art Projects’ new Alserkal Avenue space under [... more]
Free
A group exhibition of 20 artists and designers in the central atrium of ICD Brookfield Place, curated by Michèle Lamy and presented in collaboration with Carpenters Workshop Gallery. The exhibition “finds inspiration in the city’s starkly contrasting landscape as it [... more]
Free
A group exhibition curated by Faridah Folawiyo, showcasing artists of African origin across the world and examining how artists from Africa and the diaspora see the restrictive concepts of Eurocentric cultural superiority. The show aims to stretch audiences’ limits and [... more]
Free
The latest work from the Zimbabwean artist is described by the gallery as "a vibrant celebration of life's unexpected lessons, captured through a fusion of neo-expressionism, Japanese Manga, Pop Art, and African art influences ... Her art – alive with [... more]
Free
The Third Line's fourth solo exhibition with Farah Al Qasimi, Brooklyn based but Abu Dhabi born, is a collection of still and moving images in colour and – for the first time – black and white too. “Black and white [... more]
Free
A solo exhibition with examples of many of the disciplines and media that made up Koraïchi's practice, all "showcasing his abiding fascination with the creation of deeply layered seams within the spiritual, political and intellectual". Koraïchi often speaks of belonging [... more]
Free
Two UAE-based artists reflect on "identity and the eternal quest for belonging within the ebb and flow of time ... the longing for connection amid the bittersweet journey of loss. Sara Al Haddad creates delicate yarn and fibre works that [... more]
Free
The first solo exhibition in the region for the Bolivian artist is a group of six new and five existing works that represent "a journey into a dreamlike universe where her dreams blend vivid memories with powerful symbolic language". The [... more]
Free
Two of the most distinctive Dubai-based artists with works that explore the intricate relationship between labour, rest, and the ever-evolving urban landscape of the UAE. "Considering the dynamics of human existence, alternating between cycles of depletion and restoration, the exhibition [... more]
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A solo exhibition with the second body of work from Faisal Samra’s Immortal Moment project, artworks created through the accumulation of instances that push the viewer to question the opportunities of a single moment. In the first chapter of this [... more]
Free
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Alserkal Lates takes place in the middle of Alserkal Art Week, so there should be more than two dozen exhibitions in Avenue galleries open till 10pm (half of them taking the opportunity to open on the night) – with the [... more]
Free
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The Russian-American concert pianist promises an energetic, interesting and imaginative Abu Dhabi Festival recital spanning various musical traditions. Programme: Chopin Polonaise-Fantasie in A flat major, Op.61 Fauré Nocturne No.13 in B minor, Op.119 Poulenc Three Intermezzi (FP71/118) Liszt Polonaise in [... more]
AED 100
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Abu Dhabi's regular comedy night at an undoubtedly great location ("the UAE’s first Jamaican Restaurant & Lounge"). The AED 95 charge includes two drinks. ...
AED 95
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This eight-month-long Simple Minds tour genuinely is global (they started in January in New Zealand: Dubai is a stop between Australasia and Europe) and they expect to play to over one million people worldwide, showcase their eighteenth studio album Direction [... more]
From AED 195
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9 events,Trevor Noah’s current world tour called in at Dubai last October, and now another UAE date has been added. Noted for his sharp wit and intelligent commentary on people, politics, racism and nationalism, and occasionally himself, he’s also good at [... more]
From AED 250
The eighth and biggest edition of what is arguably the world’s largest in-person photography festival (20,000+ visitors last year) runs 28 February to 5 March in Expo Centre Sharjah. More than 400 photographers from over 50 nations will be showing [... more]
Free
You wouldn't normally put these two artists together; but the gallery describes this show as “a platform that showcases a compelling dialogue between their distinct artistic visions”, one that “celebrates abstract and profound concepts while highlighting the intriguing harmony between [... more]
Free
A solo exhibition for the noted Egyptian artist's vivid and poignant paintings exploring ancient Egyptian beliefs regarding enlightenment and the afterlife. As the artist puts it: “In The world of Mirrors we say what is above is what is below, [... more]
Free
Toni Morrison's novels have reshaped American literature, exploring themes of identity, the human experience, and cultural understanding with remarkable depth. The Africa Institute is inaugurating its Toni Morrison Senior Fellowship in African Diaspora Literature and Cultural Studies with a two-day symposium [... more]
Free, but pre-register
An exhibition of 23 works by the Italian art director/publisher of high fashion magazines. They're highly graphic in style, with bold lines and strong colours, and as the title implies they consider women through the hair, the only precise detail [... more]
Free
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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 [... more]
Free but donations welcome
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8 events,
New and existing 3D work by the Egyptian artist, whose practice aims to explore the intersection of tradition and globalisation and the impact of political and economic development. The title Bottle Neck reflects “the overload of information that creates a [... more]
Free, but pre-register
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Emel Mathlouthi, the Tunisian songwriter, composer, guitarist, and singer, is in Abu Dhabi for a concert at the weekend. In this interactive workshop for local musicians and songwriters she aims to explore the importance of music as an act of [... more]
Free, but pre-register
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A last summer of nanny-child togetherness is detailed in this small but acutely affecting story, a debut made dazzling by an astonishingly intricate performance from its six-year-old star Louise Mauroy-Panzani. The opening film in a short Francophone season (with English [... more]
Free
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One of the most consistently funny of the Courtyard's classic improv gigs: the speakers have to give a presentation on a slide deck they’ve never seen before, with the topic determined at random by the Wheel of Destiny. Each presentation [... more]
Free, but donations welcome
|
11 events,Sharjah Art Foundation’s annual convening of artists, curators, scholars and arts practitioners from around the world to discuss issues in contemporary art focuses this time on collectives whose practice intertwines artmaking and community building in various forms of collaboration that [... more]
Free, but pre-register
The New-York based artist gets her first show in the UAE, featuring works she created in Dubai during her time at the NIKA Project Space Research and Residency programme – monumental watercolour triptychs that relate to the narratives and histories [... more]
Free
The self-styled "World’s Biggest Book Sale” is returning to Sound Stages, Dubai Studio City, from 1-10 March, open daily 10am to midnight with something like two million titles in various genres on sale at discounts of up to 75 percent [... more]
Free
"A poetic merging of two distinct artistic voices, each echoing the beauty and spirit of the Arabian landscapes ..." Watercolours explorating the natural and cultural landscapes of the UAE and Oman by two painters who have been integral members of [... more]
Free
Boogie Box has scheduled another of its superlative back-to-the-best-of-yesterday nights – yep, a six-hour warehouse rave in an actual warehouse. It’s another of the Box’s leftfield venue finds, this one The Hangar at JA The Resort, which is actually an [... more]
AED 200
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Four young siblings find themselves abandoned in a house in the woods in Belgian writer-director Michèle Jacob's creepily atmospheric suspense thriller. For much of its running time, The Lost Children has the ominous atmosphere of a slow-burn horror film; "the forest [... more]
Free
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Abu Dhabi's new open-air venue Saadiyat Nights is winding up its three-month programme with two big names -- tomorrow night sees John Legend, tonight we get Sir Thomas Jones Woodward OBE. He's into his 80s now, but the voice is [... more]
From AED 245
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The rich melodic culture of Egyptian music from Dina El Wedidi is set alongside the harmonically sophisticated sounds of American jazz mixed with RnB and post-rock by Samora Pinderhughes. It’s an intimate, cross-boundary double bill, the first of two this [... more]
AED 105
|
13 events,
—
The Global Notes series – the sponsored replacement for Amira Fouad's long-running Opera Studio recital programme, and now presented by Dubai Opera with Encore Performing Arts and Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai – continues with the National Youth Orchestra in [... more]
AED 265
—
Samora Pinderhughes and his ensemble are in Abu Dhabi for a concert this weekend. In this session for local musicians and songwriters, Samora will discuss his approach to composing and creating music and lyrics, and then work with participants on [... more]
Free, but pre-register
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Dina El Wedidi shares a bill at The Arts Center this weekend with Samora Pinderhughes, but is also leading this workshop which aims to explore the relationship between music, self, common struggles, and more. Working with the idea that music [... more]
Free, but pre-register
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A round trip to the Sikka Art and Design Festival for Abu Dhabi residents. You'll get three hours on site: 3.30pm: Depart from 421 5.30pm: Arrive at Sikka 8.30pm: Depart 10.30pm: Arrive at 421 Get there 10 minutes before departure [... more]
AED 30
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A programme of four shorts in this season of free Francophone films at Sorbonne Abu Dhabi, showing in the Sorbonne's rather nice outdoor garden: A Broken Fan dir Assaad Khoueiry (2021) 13 min Somewhere In Between dir Dahlia Nemlich (2023) [... more]
Free
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The last gig in the inaugural three-month series at Abu Dhabi's new open-air venue Saadiyat Nights sees the uber-smooth multi Grammy award winner John Legend on the stage.
From AED 295
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The groundbreaking vision of the iconic Tunisian artist is spotlighted in a performance ranging from folk music to electronica via straight-up rock. Mathlouthi is a songwriter, composer, guitarist, and singer with an otherworldly voice that sounds equally at home in [... more]
AED 105
|
8 events,The sixth edition of the Summit, which runs 3 to 5 March, again brings together "leaders from fields of art, heritage, media, museums, music, public policy and technology from over 90 countries". Under the theme A Matter of Time, this [... more]
tbc
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Graduates of Dubomedy’s Improv’ Workshop and Pro-Troupe Members will perform a high energy, on-the-spot comedy show filled with short form games complete with audience participation.
Free
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“Cinema has a fascination with sexist violence. We like to see women suffer, getting kidnapped or raped,” said Avdija in a Variety interview. These are the scenes the stuntwomen protagonists of her telling documentary – Virginie Arnaud, Petra Sprecher and [... more]
Free
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5 events,
The inaugural exhibition of the brand new Bassam Freiha Art Foundation is curated from the private collection of Bassam Said Freiha to offer a perspective into how the Middle East has been perceived, portrayed and romanticised over time – particularly [... more]
Free
—
The comedian, actor and multifaceted entrepreneur (“I work hard!!! That pretty much sums me up!!! Everybody wants to be famous but nobody wants to do the work”) is back again with his latest live show. A regular visitor to the [... more]
From AED 295
|
4 events,
—
A regular monthly evening of improv and stand-up hosted by Rushdi. The bar's set pretty high: "from side-splitting stand-up to mesmerising improv, the finest comedic artists from near and far come to showcase their talent."
Free, but pre-register
|
4 events,A conversation in the recently inaugurated Bassam Freiha Art Foundation's Art Dialogues series, featuring four Emirati artists – Najat Makki, Latifa Saeed, Sumayyah Al Suwaidi and Azza Al Qubaisi – and led by BFAF’s Curator, Michaela Watrelot. Coinciding with International [... more]
Free, but pre-register
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A celebration of multicultural, multilingual authorship; a diverse lineup of award-winning writers come together to celebrate and share their writing. The evening is inspired by the column “The City and the Writer” for Words without Borders magazine, the most important [... more]
Free, but pre-register
—
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 [... more]
Free but donations welcome
|
5 events,
—
A 40-minute site-specific project that adapts to each location in which it’s performed – the movement sequences by the four dancers are predetermined, and it uses a bodily vocabulary that choreographer Noé Soulier has been developing over the last 10 [... more]
Free
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In this 55-minute this work for three dancers, choreographer Ola Maciejewska draws inspiration from the innovative early 20th century work of modern dance pioneer Loïe Fuller. Bombyx Mori explores movement as a result of the interactions between the body and [... more]
AED 105
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The Laughter Factory says it is flying in "three of the best live stand-up comedians that are currently touring the world", though since one of them already lives here presumably that's humorous hyperbole. On the bill are American-Egyptian Maria Shehata, [... more]
AED 160
|
2 events,
—
The second night of three for this Laughter Factory bill. On it are American-Egyptian Maria Shehata, making her debut in Dubai and trailing a CV that includes Comedy Central shows and some writing credits ("she is quite comfortable performing in [... more]
AED 160
|
7 events,
—
Now this looks like a fun evening: the Take 5 Jazz Ensemble promise lively swing and jive rhythms along with Abu Dhabi's two established jazz a cappella groups, Blue Fever and Voices of Harmony – both excellent. And there will [... more]
Non-members AED 160
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A second night for this show: the Take 5 Jazz Ensemble promise lively swing and jive rhythms along with Abu Dhabi's two established jazz a cappella groups, Blue Fever and Voices of Harmony – both excellent. And there will be [... more]
Non-members AED 160
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A programme of monologues and duologues by members of Dubai Drama Group – "enjoy a night of comedy and drama where we celebrate the inclusivity and joy of live theatre". Should be a good evening.
AED 100
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The UAE debut of the phenomenally successful Dutch violinist and conductor leading his Johann Strauss Orchestra, chorus, and a lineup of international soloists through a repertoire spanning classical masterpieces, waltzes, show tunes, and iconic songs from film, opera, and musicals. [... more]
From AED 215
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UAE-based Shawn Chidiac – known as myparents_are_divorced on Instagram – is great at character skits, thanks in part to his excellent imitations of just about any accent from the region. The results have apparently offended some people, but don't come [... more]
From AED 350
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Last chance to see this particular Laughter Factory bill. On it are American-Egyptian Maria Shehata, making her debut in Dubai and trailing a CV that includes Comedy Central shows and some writing credits ("she is quite comfortable performing in a [... more]
AED 160
|
2 events,
—
Continuing its policy of attracting established blue-chip touring performances, Dubai Opera is running Broadway Entertainment Group's production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's critically acclaimed musical for a three-week run. The story is based on Gaston Leroux's classic novel of a musical [... more]
From AED 350
|
1 event,
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Exactly what it says: a regular Monday evening two-parter – scenes, stories and narrative improvisation influenced by audience suggestions and featuring the Courtyard Playhouse's most experienced improv performers plus guests, then a break followed by a hilarious improvised office drama [... more]
Free but donations welcome
|
0 events,
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1 event,
—
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 [... more]
Free but donations welcome
|
1 event,
—
A pioneer in reviving Islamic chanting heritage in modern arrangements and western harmony, El Tohamy is the son of the noted Sufi chanter Sheikh Yassin El-Tohamy. For this Abu Dhabi Festival concert he presents the world premiere of The Carpenter's [... more]
AED 100
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0 events,
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1 event,
—
A late-night gathering for film fans under the stars – “a suhoor filled with favourite cinema moments, trivia challenges and connecting with other like-minded creatives”.
Free, but pre-register
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1 event,
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An evening of music between the seafaring Arabian Gulf and Swahili coastal communities. Informal evening gatherings on three consecutive nights (15-17 March) will introduce the Kuwaiti diwaniya, where members from traditional groups including the Hamad Bin Hussein Ensemble and the [... more]
Free, but pre-register
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1 event,
—
Exactly what it says: a regular Monday evening two-parter – scenes, stories and narrative improvisation influenced by audience suggestions and featuring the Courtyard Playhouse's most experienced improv performers plus guests, then a break followed by a hilarious improvised office drama [... more]
Free but donations welcome
|
0 events,
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2 events,
—
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 [... more]
Free but donations welcome
—
The Vagina Monologues may have had the title toned down for wider public consumption – the original was hardly likely to get past the censors, even in this French-language version – but it still packs a powerful piece of feminist [... more]
AED 100
|
1 event,
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A lecture by Saleh Barakat, a Beirut-based gallerist (he founded Agial Art Gallery and then Saleh Barakat Gallery) who specialises in modern and contemporary art from the Arab world. His talk considers the way Western artists have portrayed the Middle [... more]
Free, but pre-register
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1 event,
—
Sisters Nora and Zora Novotná are the latest artists in Stéphane Ferrault's series of recitals for UAE-based classical musicians. They perform together regularly, both in four hands on one piano, or in two-piano recitals as here. The programme includes works for [... more]
AED 130
|
1 event,
—
The Vancouver-based Japanese standup brings her Edinburgh Fringe show to Dubai; expect sharp, deadpan observational comedy from the viewpoint of a sassy young immigrant woman. She's good. Also on the bill: Dubai favourite Imah Dumagay
AED 95
|
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0 events,
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0 events,
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2 events,A group show, curated by Mara Firetti, Ali Cha'aban and Celine Azem and featuring Aidha Badr, ARE Studios, Ghaleb Hawila, Jason Seife, Khalid Zahid, Salmah Al-Mansoori and Sawsan Al Bahar. The exhibition explores the mythology of where the oral culture [... more]
Free
A showcase for the power of fables from different cultures and eras, providing “the opportunity to explore the universal themes and lessons found in these stories and understand the significance they hold in shaping our world”. It’s divided into three [... more]
AED 60
|
0 events,
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3 events,Outsider artist CC, better known to his mum as Alireza Asbahi, shows his latest collection of carpets and hangings. It's quirky, interesting art that collages and layers materials and shapes. His works have the same kind of raw energy that [... more]
Free
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One of the most consistently funny of the Courtyard's classic improv gigs: the speakers have to give a presentation on a slide deck they’ve never seen before, with the topic determined at random by the Wheel of Destiny. Each presentation [... more]
Free, but donations welcome
—
Another of 421’s Ramadan specials – a gathering for wordsmiths to exchange writings, makes zines, and connect over food. “The perfect chance to share your experiences and exchange ideas while connecting with fellow writers who understand your unique journey ...” [... more]
Free, but pre-register
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2 events,
—
The end-0of-the-month Laughter Factory bill includes Dubai debutant Brian Aylward, winner of a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Stand-Up Comic; South Londoner Jack Skipper, described by Chortle Comedy as an act whose “delivery commands the room a no-nonsense outlook that [... more]
AED 160
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An evening of all-female standup comedy to celebrate the spirit of International Women’s Day. Imah Dumagay MCs a strong lineup – Sahar Ali, Valentina Danubio, Noha Bashir, Roula Kurban, Roxy Yekta, and Denise Alexe.
From AED 100
|
1 event,
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The end-0of-the-month Laughter Factory bill includes Dubai debutant Brian Aylward, winner of a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Stand-Up Comic; South Londoner Jack Skipper, described by Chortle Comedy as an act whose “delivery commands the room a no-nonsense outlook that [... more]
AED 160
|
2 events,
—
An evening of music, poetry and Dervish dancing in tribute to the poetic wisdom of Rumi, delivered by a small ensemble within ToDA’s 360° impressive immersive visuals.
From AED 190
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Stand up comedy, spoken word, and suhoor under the stars in TGI Friday's Outdoor Garden at Rove Downtown – "fun people, good bites, great vibes". The show itself is free (space is limited, so pre-book) but you'll be required to [... more]
Free, but pre-register
|
1 event,
An in-hotel exhibition for a young award-winning Nigerian artist who defies the barriers of autism; 20 of his works will be on show to 5 April. (World Autism Day falls on 2 April, and an (unstated) percentage of proceeds from [... more]
Free
|
2 events,
—
This Dubai Comedy festival gig claims to be an “insane once-in-a-lifetime comedy battle with an onslaught of comedians from India and Pakistan” – divided by borders, hopefully united by humour. In English, Urdu and Hindi. Features Varun, Sameera, Yash, Nitinn, [... more]
AED 100
|
3 events,
"Amidst the unsettled times of an uprising in Iran, grappling with uncertainties, sadness, and paradoxes, artist Amir Khojasteh sought solace in his studio and tried to make sense of what was happening ... In this topsy-turvy world, the artist persisted [... more]
Free
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The end-of-the-month Laughter Factory tour includes Dubai debutant Brian Aylward, winner of a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Stand-Up Comic; South Londoner Jack Skipper, described by Chortle Comedy as an act whose “delivery commands the room a no-nonsense outlook that [... more]
AED 160
|
2 events,
—
The end-of-the-month Laughter Factory tour includes Dubai debutant Brian Aylward, winner of a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Stand-Up Comic; South Londoner Jack Skipper, described by Chortle Comedy as an act whose “delivery commands the room a no-nonsense outlook that [... more]
AED 160
|
2 events,The first solo exhibition in the region for the Bolivian artist is a group of six new and five existing works that represent "a journey into a dreamlike universe where her dreams blend vivid memories with powerful symbolic language". The [... more]
Free
—
The final gig of the end-of-the-month Laughter Factory tour includes Dubai debutant Brian Aylward, winner of a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Stand-Up Comic; South Londoner Jack Skipper, described by Chortle Comedy as an act whose “delivery commands the room [... more]
AED 160
|
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