The UAE’s live events season is nearing full swing, with a wave of rescheduled concerts joining newly announced shows to create another busy calendar.
From pop and rock to ballet, opera, comedy and musicals, the months ahead offer a packed line-up across Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Iraqi singer Kadim Al Sahir will perform in Abu Dhabi as part of Eid Al Adha celebrations, while the Offlimits Music Festival returns in November with retained headliners Shakira and the Jonas Brothers. Other major dates include The Beach Boys, Def Leppard and Christina Aguilera.
Abu Dhabi Festival will also bring a strong classical programme later in the year, including American Ballet Theatre, Dhafer Youssef and Sondra Radvanovsky, while Dubai audiences can look forward to shows by Richard Marx, Blue and Hiba Tawaji with Ibrahim Maalouf.
Here, we round up the concerts and live events still to come this year.
1. Domina: May 5 at The Fridge Warehouse, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai
Palestinian-Lebanese singer-songwriter Domina opens Season 49 of The Fridge Concert Series with a blues, soul and R&B-leaning set. Her second album, Bila Hudood (Without Borders), explores mental health, shadow work and personal change, with Grasshoppers featuring Al3s3s listed as support.
Doors open 7.15pm; tickets from Dh70
2. Sing for the Nation by the UAE National Orchestra: May 8 at Dubai Opera, Dubai
The UAE National Orchestra presents a concert of patriotic songs and national music, with works spanning from the 1970s to the present day. The programme includes Dar Zayed, We Will Protect the Union, Zanaha Zayed, Rijal Wallah Rijal and Hisn Al Watan.
Doors open 7.30pm; show starts 8pm; tickets from Dh150
3. Carl Cox: May 9 at Playa Pacha, Five Luxe JBR, Dubai
Carl Cox closes the Pacha Icons season with an open-air set at Playa Pacha. The British DJ remains one of electronic music’s most established live figures, known for extended sets across house and techno.
Doors open 7pm; tickets from Dh200
4. Sandra Ivette: May 12 at The Fridge Warehouse, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai
Cuban artist Sandra Ivette performs with a six-piece band for the live premiere of Comienzo, her debut album. The bassist and singer draws on Cuban music, jazz and world music, with a set shaped by years of performing across different formats and cities.
Doors open 7.15pm; tickets from Dh70
5. Swedish House Mafia: May 16 at Ushuaia Dubai Harbour Experience, Dubai
Swedish House Mafia headline the season closing show at Ushuaia Dubai Harbour Experience. The trio of Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso return with a catalogue that includes Moth to a Flame, Don’t You Worry Child and Save the World.
Doors open 7pm; tickets from Dh250
6. Tamer Ashour: May 16 at Space42 Arena, Abu Dhabi
Egyptian singer and composer Tamer Ashour returns to the UAE with a catalogue built around romantic ballads and break-up songs. His best-known tracks include Zikrayat Kaddaba, Ekhtarna Leh, Thania Wahda and Enta Ekhtart.
Doors open 6.30pm; show starts 9pm; tickets from Dh395
7. Svetlana Zakharova – Modanse: May 17 at Dubai Opera, Dubai
Internationally renowned ballerina Svetlana Zakharova returns to Dubai Opera for a one-night performance of Modanse, a double bill produced by MuzArts. Joined by dancers from the Bolshoi Theatre, the evening opens with Mauro Bigonzetti’s Come Un Respiro, set to music by George Frideric Handel, before moving into Gabrielle Chanel, a ballet tracing the life and influence of the French fashion figure through choreography by Yury Possokhov and music by Ilya Demutsky.
Show starts 8pm; tickets from Dh290
8. Celinedee Matahari: May 19 at The Fridge Warehouse, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai
Dubai-born French-Indonesian singer-songwriter Celinedee Matahari closes Season 49 with her first headline show in an intimate setting. Her profile has grown through endorsements and high-profile performances, while the Fridge concert focuses on her original music, including Stay.
Doors open 7.15pm; tickets from Dh70
9. Adam: May 28 at Dubai Opera, Dubai
Lebanese singer Adam performs at Dubai Opera with a catalogue that moves between Arabic pop, television soundtracks and romantic ballads. His songs include Ala Bali, Khelset El Hekaya and Ya Helou, while his early singles helped establish him as one of the more recognisable male voices in contemporary Arabic pop.
Doors open 8.30pm; show starts 9pm; tickets from Dh595
10. Ivan Vasiliev’s Farewell Performance: May 30 at Dubai Opera, Dubai
Dubai Opera will host the Alexandrite Gala, an international ballet evening built around the farewell performance of Ivan Vasiliev. The programme will bring together principal dancers from companies including the Bolshoi Theatre, La Scala Theatre Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet and Dutch National Ballet, with a bill of classical works and a tribute inspired by Freddie Mercury and Queen.
Show starts 8pm; tickets from Dh290
11. Rumi The Musical: June 4 to 7 at Dubai Opera, Dubai
Rumi: The Musical, from Qatari composer Dana Al Fardan and British-Lebanese actor Nadim Naaman, returns to Dubai Opera to tell the story of the 13th-century poet’s transformative bond with the mystic Shams Tabrizi.
Show starts 8pm, including a Saturday matinee at 2pm; tickets from Dh290
12. The Beach Boys: June 11 at Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai
Call it Surfin' UAE. Famous California band The Beach Boys are returning to Dubai, led by original member Mike Love for their 60 Years of Pet Sounds tour, a celebration of their most acclaimed album. Expect songs from the release including Caroline, No, Sloop John B and Wouldn't It be Nice from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.
Show starts 7pm; tickets from Dh199
13. Def Leppard: August 2 at Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai
Formed in Sheffield in 1977, Def Leppard have become leaders of the “new wave of British heavy metal” with early albums such as High ’n’ Dry (1981), which featured the breakthrough single Bringin’ on the Heartbreak. The group last performed in the UAE as part of the 2022 F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race-day concert.
Doors open 8pm; tickets from Dh299
14. Miami Band: August 29 at Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai
Kuwait’s Miami Band bring their career-retrospective, The Miami Show, to Dubai, featuring a catalogue that has been part of Gulf pop since the early 1990s. The set is expected to include songs such as Bastans, Ya Omri Ana and Ya Helwakom.
Show starts 8.30pm; tickets from Dh195
15. Christina Aguilera: September 25 at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi
Christina Aguilera will return to Abu Dhabi just more than a year after her Saadiyat Nights performance. The seven-time Grammy Award winner last appeared in the emirate in February 2025, a show that was described in The National as a masterclass in live performance, underlining her reputation as one of pop’s most formidable vocalists. Her return follows earlier UAE appearances including Expo 2020’s closing ceremony.
Doors open 7pm; tickets from Dh395
16. Richard Marx: October 3 at Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai
Grammy-winning singer Richard Marx will perform in the Middle East for the first time. He has sold more than 45 million albums, with hits including Right Here Waiting, Hazard, Hold On to the Nights and Satisfied.
Marx is also known for his role in writing hits for artists such as Luther Vandross, as well as for his work with Keith Urban, Nsync and Barbra Streisand. The Dubai event will feature selections from four decades of chart success alongside material from his latest album, After Hours.
Show starts 8pm; tickets from Dh225
17. Shawn Chidiac: October 5 at Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai
Comedian Shawn Chidiac will now bring his Laughing In Translation Remix show to Coca-Cola Arena on October 5 rather than on March 29. The Lebanese-Australian performer has built a following through online sketches before moving into stand-up, with the show drawing on cross-cultural humour. Tickets remain valid for the new date.
Show starts 9pm; tickets from Dh199
18. Sondra Radvanovsky and Vincenzo Scalera: October 17 at The Red Theater, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi
Soprano Sondra Radvanovsky will perform arias and songs by Bellini, Verdi and Puccini, accompanied by pianist Vincenzo Scalera. The programme, as part of the Abu Dhabi Festival also includes music by Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky and Richard Strauss.
Show starts 8pm; ticket and venue to be announced soon
19. Blue: October 25 at Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre, Expo City Dubai
British pop group Blue will celebrate 25 years of hits with a Dubai show built around fan favourites such as All Rise, One Love and Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word, alongside newer material from their Reflections album. The four-piece remain one of the UK’s most successful boy bands, with three number one albums and 11 Top 10 singles.
Doors open 6.30pm, show starts 8pm; tickets from Dh239
20. Russell Peters: October 25 at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi
Known for his rapid-fire delivery, crowd banter and cultural observations, Indian-Canadian comedian Russell Peters built an international following through specials such as Outsourced, Red, White and Brown and Deported. Peters remains one of the highest-grossing comedians globally, with a touring career spanning more than two decades.
Show starts 8.30pm; tickets from Dh275
21. American Ballet Theatre: November 20 at Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi
American Ballet Theatre will present works by three choreographers: Twyla Tharp’s playful Sextet, Alexei Ratmansky’s meditative Serenade after Plato’s Symposium, and George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, set to music by Tchaikovsky.
Doors 7pm, show 8pm, tickets from Dh125
22. Offlimits Music Festival: November 21 at Etihad Park, Abu Dhabi
The Offlimits Music Festival, originally scheduled for April, has been moved to November 21. The line-up is expected to remain intact, including Shakira and the Jonas Brothers, positioning the event as one of the season’s biggest pop-led concerts in the capital. Tickets remain valid for the new date.
Doors open 3pm; tickets from Dh495
23. Algarabia: November 26 at Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi
Algarabia presents a theatrical production blending flamenco with Arabic poetry, performed by musicians from Spain’s University of Navarra Symphony Orchestra alongside dancers and actors. The work follows the journey of an Arab girl drawn to ancient botanical theory and poetic tradition.
Show starts 8pm; show 8pm, tickets from Dh100
24. Hiba Tawaji and Ibrahim Maalouf: November 27 at Dubai Opera, Dubai
Hiba Tawaji and Ibrahim Maalouf will unite for a one-night performance at Dubai Opera, with the programme drawing on French musical heritage through a blend of chanson, jazz and contemporary composition. Tawaji’s emotive vocals and Maalouf’s genre-crossing trumpet work make this one of the more distinctive concert pairings on the calendar.
Show starts 8.30pm; tickets from Dh355
25. Tarkan: November 27 at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi
Known internationally for the global hit Simarik and a catalogue that has defined Turkish pop for more than two decades, Tarkan is making his Abu Dhabi debut is further proof of Turkish’s pop growing popularity in the region.
Doors open 7pm, show starts 8.30pm; tickets from Dh295
26. Verdi’s Opera Gala: November 29 at Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi
Marking 125 years since Giuseppe Verdi’s death, this programme is led by soprano Maria Agresta and tenor Giorgio Berrugi, and includes selections from Nabucco, I Vespri Siciliani, Otello and La Traviata, alongside overtures and duets drawn from Verdi’s wider catalogue.
Show starts 8pm; tickets from Dh125
27. Lewis Capaldi and Zara Larsson: December 3 at Etihad Park, Abu Dhabi
Lewis Capaldi and Zara Larsson will open the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2026 after-race concert series with separate sets at Etihad Park.
Capaldi returns to the capital following his Saadiyat Nights performance in January, bringing a catalogue that includes Someone You Loved, Before You Go and Forget Me. Larsson joins the bill with pop staples such as Lush Life, Never Forget You and Symphony, offering a high-tempo contrast to Capaldi’s ballad-driven set. The show launches the four-night programme running alongside the race weekend at Yas Marina Circuit.
Showtime yet to be announced; access exclusive to Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ticket holders
28. Lisa Batiashvili and Giorgi Gigashvili: December 10 at The Red Theater, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi
Georgian musicians Lisa Batiashvili and Giorgi Gigashvili will perform works by Beethoven, Bartok and Franck, alongside a contemporary piece by Israeli-Georgian composer Josef Bardanashvili.
Show starts 8pm; tickets from Dh150
29. Minsoo Sohn: December 11 at The Red Theater, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi
Pianist Minsoo Sohn will perform Book One of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, presenting the 24 preludes and fugues that explore every major and minor key. The recital highlights both the intellectual depth and emotional breadth of the landmark work.
Show starts 8pm; tickets from Dh150
30. Dhafer Youssef: December 19 at The Red Theater, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi
Oud maestro Dhafer Youssef will perform with his quintet, bridging sounds from the East and West through jazz, Arab and North African traditions, as well as European classical and electronic elements. He is expected to perform material from his latest album Shiraz, described as his most personal work to date.
Show starts 8pm; tickets from Dh150
