The Abu Dhabi Festival will begin its main programme in October after postponing its April 12 start because of the ongoing regional conflict.
According to the festival website, many of the announced artists and companies remain on the revised schedule, including Croatian cellist Hauser, American Ballet Theatre and Tunisian oud maestro Dhafer Youssef.
A new date for Grammy Award-winning jazz singer Jon Batiste has not been set, although his current tour schedule could accommodate a UAE appearance during the festival period.
Abu Dhabi Festival is among several major music and cultural events pushed to later in the year and early 2027, creating what industry figures predict to be one of the busiest live events periods the UAE has seen in years.
Abu Dhabi’s Offlimits festival has been rescheduled from April 4 to November 21, with headliners Shakira and the Jonas Brothers retained. Christina Aguilera’s concert has moved from April 24 to September 25 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island.
Here is who is performing at Abu Dhabi Festival, with ticketing details and venue information yet to be announced.
Sondra Radvanovsky and Vincenzo Scalera, October 17
American-Canadian soprano Sondra Radvanovsky will charge through arias and songs by Bellini, Verdi and Puccini, in a performance accompanied by Italian-American pianist Vincenzo Scalera. The duo will also present songs by Rachmaninoff, the famous Letter scene from Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, as well as three compositions by Richard Strauss.
Show starts 8pm
Hauser, November 15
Stjepan Hauser is a case study in how a classical musician can thrive in the age of the internet. The Croatian cellist, who has more than 3.6 million followers on YouTube alone, is known for adding a personal twist to famous classical and contemporary compositions.
Hauser’s concert at Abu Dhabi Festival will feature both ensemble and solo performances, presented with the personal flair and emotive playing that have made him a global figure.
Show starts 8pm
American Ballet Theatre, November 20
Dubbed one of the greatest dance companies in the world, the American Ballet Theatre will perform works by three American choreographers, each of whom brings a unique style and emotion. Expect Twyla Tharp’s Sextet, with its playfulness and unorthodox nature; the sombre and meditative work of Alexei Ratmansky’s Serenade after Plato’s Symposium; and George Balanchine’s classic Theme and Variations, cast against the music of Tchaikovsky.
Show starts 8pm
Algarabia, November 26
In a conflation between flamenco and Arab poetic traditions, musicians from Spain’s University of Navarra Symphony Orchestra will perform with dancers and actors from various disciplines.
The story revolves around an Arab girl who embarks on a journey to study ancient botanical theories. Her intellectual curiosity becomes a natural fit with a Spanish florist’s reverence for the scents and colours of flowers.
Show starts 8pm
Verdi’s Opera Gala, November 29
Marking 125 years since the composer’s death, this programme of Giuseppe Verdi’s work is led by soprano Maria Agresta and tenor Giorgio Berrugi, and includes selections from Nabucco, I Vespri Siciliani, Otello and La Traviata, alongside orchestral overtures and duets drawn from Verdi’s wider catalogue.
Show starts 8pm
Lisa Batiashvili and Giorgi Gigashvili, December 10
Georgian musicians Lisa Batiashvili and Giorgi Gigashvili will perform several classical compositions by Beethoven, Bartok and Franck. They will also present a new piece by Israeli-Georgian composer Josef Bardanashvili.
Show starts 8pm
Minsoo Sohn, December 12
The Well-Tempered Clavier by Bach was originally intended as a teaching exercise, showing the nuances of every major and minor key. Minsoo Sohn will take the 24 preludes and fugues from the first book, bearing the intricacies that make the compositions masterpieces beyond their pedagogical value.
The Korean-American pianist is known for his cerebral and poignant performances, taking listeners through a vast spectrum of human emotion through the different musical keys, expounding what each can evoke.
Show starts 8pm
Dhafer Youssef, December 19
Dhafer Youssef will bridge sounds from the East and West in a performance with his quintet. Known for his transcendental vocals and mastery of the oud, the Tunisian maestro is celebrated for merging jazz principles with Arab and North African musical traditions, while also drawing from European classical, Turkish and Indian sources.
His concerts are often cutting-edge, textured with electronic elements. He is expected to perform tracks from his latest album Shiraz, which has been described as his most personal, centred on his relationship with his wife, filmmaker Shiraz Fradi.
Show starts 8pm
