10 shows coming to Dubai Opera in December, from The Nutcracker to King Farouk

December will be a special month at Dubai Opera. The venue has hosted impressive shows in the past year, including Footloose The Musical and performances by Spanish opera singer Placido Domingo and French crooner Enrico Macias. But the city’s premier platform for world-class opera, concerts and theatre is ending the year with a bang. Here are 10 events being held at Dubai Opera in the next month: Moroccan comedian EKO, whose real name is Abdul Rahman Ouaabed, will mark his UAE debut at Dubai Opera on December 2. The show is organised by Tunes Arabia and will feature stand-up comedy and singing. EKO became an instant favourite in the Moroccan comedy scene when he made his debut at the festival Marrakech of Laughter. Since then, he has become an international name, performing in venues around the world including the Royal Theatre, where he presented his show Ch’tatata to an audience of 1,400. From 8pm; tickets from Dh250 Lebanese-Armenian composer Guy Manoukian has become a staple on Dubai Opera’s calendar. He will be returning to the venue on December 9 after a particularly busy year, performing in a sold-out concert at L'Olympia in Paris and packed houses at the Sydney Opera House, Greek National Opera, and London Palladium. Manoukian's new show Ya Ashikata Al Wardi promises to bring a renewed vigour to his signature fusion of modern and classical melodies from the East. From 8pm; tickets from Dh275 Belgian pop group Hooverphonic will be performing at Dubai Opera on December 10. For nearly three decades, the trio found success in Europe and Francophone countries through their catchy and psychedelic pop tunes, which include hits such as Mad About You , 2 Wicky , and Badaboum. The group's music has appeared on popular US television series CSI , Entourage and Cold Case. From 8pm; tickets from Dh275 Palestinian group Le Trio Joubran — three brothers who are all maestros on the oud — will play their biggest UAE show to date on December 11. Samir, Wissam and Adnan have won numerous awards for their new spin on the instrument, including the Arab Muhr Award at the 2009 and 2011 Dubai International Film Festival, and the Palestinian Order of Merit and Excellence in 2013. The show at Dubai Opera will present some of their most popular compositions, including those that feature Mahmoud Darwish’s poetry. From 8pm; tickets from Dh195 A regal celebration of the golden age of classical Arabic music, the event will feature music and performance vignettes based on the 19th-century period during King Farouk's reign in Egypt. Egyptian stars will take part in the production, including actors Yousra and Sawsan Badr, as well as singer Najma Abdulla. From 8pm; tickets from Dh350 Guitarists Kamal Musallam and Mercedes Lujan will be presenting an unforgettable blend of Arabic and Flamenco music on December 13. Musallam is renowned for his idiosyncratic fusion of Arabic sounds and rhythms with jazz. The guitarist and oud player released eight albums since he moved to the UAE in 2002, including two official Grammy Award Selections. He has also collaborated with Sting, Yo-Yo Ma, Billy Cobham, Bobby McFerrin and George Benson. Meanwhile, Lujan is one of the foremost flamenco guitarists in the contemporary scene. She has accompanied several luminary flamenco singers and artists, including Rocio Marquez, Sorderita, Luis Aguile and Chano Lobato. From 8pm; tickets from Dh190 The Sugar Plum Fairy and all her friends will visit the UAE this year, for a limited run of The Nutcracker at Dubai Opera. Performed by the acclaimed Moscow Ballet company La Classique, this two-act show, created by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, was first performed in 1892 at the Mariinsky Theatre in Russia's St Petersburg. It has since gone on to become one of the world's most popular dance shows, performed by myriad ballet companies around the world, particularly around the festive period. Showtime is 8pm; tickets from D250. Christmas jingles will be given the big band treatment on December 21 and 22. Led by UK artist Adam Long, the Dubai Opera Big Band will perform all the top songs of the season, including Santa Baby , Jingle Bell Rock , Winter Wonderland , Feliz Navidad , All I Want for Christmas Is You , and Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree . Tickets also include a complimentary Santa hat and a welcome glass of Christmas beverage. Showtime is 8pm; tickets from Dh215. With an epithet like the Caesar of Arabic Music, Kadim Al Sahir needs little introduction. The Iraqi crooner has sold more than 100 million albums and has one of the highest concert attendance rates of any artist from the region. The Zidini 'ishqan singer will be returning to Dubai Opera for a double concert on December 23 and 24. Showtime is 9pm; tickets from Dh550 Where better to celebrate the turn of the year than in the heart of Downtown Dubai? A gala dinner and disco-themed party will take place in the auditorium of Dubai Opera with performances by internationally acclaimed dancers and the 2020 finalists of Britain's Got Talent Jasmine and Aaron. DJ Bliss and DJ Keza will also take to the decks to keep the party in full swing. Tickets include a three-course set menu along with free-flowing beverages, and when it’s time to mark the New Year, you can head out outside the venue to enjoy the famed Burj Khalifa fireworks . Event starts at 06.30pm; tickets from Dh1,850

10 shows coming to Dubai Opera in December, from The Nutcracker to King Farouk

Catch the best of musical and dance performances to year-end celebrations at the city's premier concerts and theatre venue