Comedy, musicals, hip-hop and classical music gigs are some of the events coming soon to the UAE.
A host of big names and star attractions from around the world will be taking centre stage in the coming months, from the Latin pop star Enrique Iglesias to Broadway musical Chicago and a concert by an Umm Kulthum hologram.
Rock concerts by Muse, Cas and Green Day are also on the cards in addition to comedy shows by Romesh Ranganathan and Matt Rife. Here, The National rounds up the best live events coming up.
1. Mikki: Wednesday to Sunday at Qs Bar and Lounge and Palazzo Versace Dubai
The Dutch singer found fame at home with her star turn on the television talent quest The Voice Holland. UAE fans can now hear the artist on a regular basis with Mikki's residency at the stylish jazz venue Q's Bar and Lounge. In addition to original tracks, her set will take on the jazz standards and favourites from RnB songbook.
7pm to 1am; prices begin from Dh250 minimum spend per-person; palazzoversace.ae
2. Majid Al Mohandis: May 31 at Dubai Opera
Iraqi-Saudi singer Majid Al Mohandis, often referred to as the “Voice of Diamond”, released his debut album in 2005 and is approaching 20 years in the industry. Some his notable hits include Shahd El Hourouf and Wahishni Moot.
Showtime is 9pm; tickets from Dh350; dubaiopera.com
3. Hans Zimmer: May 31 and June 1 at Coca-Cola Arena
Composer Hans Zimmer has promised to deliver an “unforgettable musical experience” when he returns to Dubai for another live extravaganza. The two-time Academy Award winner will perform selections from his more than 240 film compositions, including The Lion King, Interstellar, Gladiator, The Dark Knight, Top Gun: Maverick and the Pirates of the Caribbean films.
Showtime is 9pm on May 31 and 8pm on June 1; tickets from Dh399; coca-cola-arena.com
4. Ballet Hispanico: May 31 and June 1 at Cultural Foundation, Abu Dhabi
Performers from some of the largest Hispanic cultural organisations in the US will perform in the UAE with a programme fusing classical ballet with Latin dance culture.
Showtime is 8pm; from Dh100; culturalfoundation.ae
5. Jeff Chang: June 9 at Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai
Heralded as the “king of love ballads,” the Taiwanese crooner will perform a blend of Mandarin pop songs, including Love is Only One World and A Matter of Love, that earned him a devoted fanbase across South-east Asia.
Showtime is 7.30pm, tickets from Dh580; coca-cola-arena.com
6. Jason Derulo: June 15 at Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai
The Savage Love singer headlines the Earth Soul lifestyle festival and will perform hits including Whatcha Say, Wiggle and Swalla. Derulo recently released Nu King, his first album in nine years, and Dubai is one of the first stops on a new world tour.
Showtime is 9pm; tickets from Dh199; coca-cola-arena.com
7. Umm Kulthum Hologram: June 18 at Dubai Opera
The late Egyptian singer became the subject of the Arab world’s first hologram concert staged in Saudi Arabia's Al Ula in 2019. The show returns to Dubai, where a high-tech nostalgic affair is expected with the most updated version of the Umm Kulthum hologram performing the hits alongside a live band.
Showtime is 8pm; tickets from Dh300; dubaiopera.com
8. Amr Diab: June 18 at Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai
The Egyptian singer will make his concert debut at the Yas Island venue. Diab has been the reigning pop king in the Mena region since his 1983 debut album Ya Tareea.
He also made a mark beyond the Arabic-speaking world with his 1996 hit Nour El Ain, which became one of the most popular songs to come out of the Middle East.
Showtime is 9.30pm; tickets from Dh295; coca-cola-arena.com
9. Matilda, The Musical: June 20 to 23 at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi
The musical, now in its 13th year on London's theatre circuit, returns to the UAE after its successful run at Dubai Opera last year. Inspired by the children’s book by Roald Dahl, it tells the story of a little girl with a vivid imagination, a sharp mind and a hunger to devour knowledge as she takes control of her own life in the midst of hardship.
Evening, afternoon and matinée shows available; from Dh150; etihadarena.ae
10. French Montana: June 22 at Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai
The last time French Montana was on stage in the UAE, it was during a surprise appearance at Post Malone's 2018 gig at Etihad Arena. Since then, the artists has released enough hits to earn his own gig – expect to hear favourites including Unforgettable, No Stylist and Pop That.
Showtime is 8pm; tickets from Dh199; coca-cola-arena.com
11. Ahmed Saad and Tamer Ashour: June 29 at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi
Saad is known for breezy Arabic pop hits Eh Elyoum El Helw Da and Sayreena Donya. He will be joined by Egyptian singer Tamer Ashour, who is known for ballads Zikrayat Kaddaba and Ekhtrarna Leh.
Doors open at 7.30pm; from Dh250; etihadarena.ae
12. Xzibit, D12 and Obie Trice: June 29 at Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai
Hip-hop nostalgia will be in full effect when these vintage acts take the stage for separate sets celebrating their 20-year careers. While newer generations may know Xzibit from his starring role in drama series Empire and host of Pimp My Ride, the Los Angeles native is a fierce rapper who scored hits with tracks Multiply and X. Hailing from Detroit, D-12 and Obie Trice also made waves due to their associations with hip-hop superstar Eminem.
Showtime is 9pm, tickets from Dh199; coca-cola-arena.com
13. Chicago: September 12 to 22 at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi
A tale of passion, murder, greed, betrayal and redemption, Chicago is the longest-running musical in Broadway history, since premièring in 1975. Chicago follows two fiercely competitive women accused of murder – aspiring jazz performer Roxie Hart and vaudeville Velma Kelly – who fight for fame in an attempt to avoid the gallows. The show produced many popular songs, including All That Jazz, Cell Block Tango and Razzle Dazzle.
Evening and matinée shows available; from Dh185; etihadarena.ae
14. Enrique Iglesias: September 13 at Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai
After ringing in the new year in 2022 with an exclusive beach side gig at Nammos Dubai, pop-star Enrique Iglesias returns for full concert packed with crowd-pleasing English and Spanish language songs such as Balilando, Hero and Bailamos.
Showtime is 8.30pm, tickets from Dh299; coca-cola-arena.com
15. Apocalyptica: September 13 at The Agenda, Dubai
The Finnish cello trio will play select tracks from the Metallica songbook. Expect ethereal takes of classic metal hits including Ride the Lightning, One and Master of Puppets.
Doors open at 7pm; from Dh299; dubai.platinumlist.net
16. Take That: October 25 at Etihad Park, Abu Dhabi
Responsible for the hits Back For Good and Patience, Take That is one of the UK's most successful acts, with more than 15 chart-topping singles to their name. They return to the UAE on the back of their latest release, This Life, which came out last year and features the singles Windows and Brand New Sun.
Doors open at 6pm; from Dh299; etihadarena.ae
17. Romesh Ranganathan: October 25 at Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai
The British-Sri Lankan comic is a star on stage and screen, with sold-out tours across the UK as well as his own television variety shows The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan and The Ranganation.
Showtime is 8pm, tickets from Dh195; coca-cola-arena.com
18. KT Tunstall: October 26 at Bla Bla, Dubai
Born in Scotland and now based in Los Angeles, Tunstall arrived on the music scene with her fierce 2004 debut album Eye to the Telescope. It included the hit Suddenly I See, which won her the UK's prestigious Ivor Novello Award in 2006 for best song musically and lyrically. Her latest release is last year's Face to Face, a collaborative album with American singer-songwriter Suzi Quatro.
Doors open at 7pm; from Dh150; dubai.platinumlist.net
19. Matt Rife: October 27 at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi
American comedian Matt Rife will make his regional debut in Abu Dhabi. Known for his 2023 Netflix special Natural Selection, Rife was also part of the cast of US sketch show Wild'n Out and was a guest on the hit comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
Doors open at 6pm; from Dh295; etihadarena.ae
20. Lea Salonga: November 10 at Coca-Cola Arena
Besides winning Olivier and Tony Awards for Miss Saigon, Salonga is perhaps best known for providing the singing voices for two Disney princesses – Jasmine in Aladdin (1992) and Fa Mulan in Mulan (1998) and Mulan 2 (2004). Hailing from the Philippines, the singer has also performed in some of the biggest theatre productions around the world, including Les Miserables and Once on This Island.
Showtime is 7.30pm; tickets from Dh150; coca-cola-arena.com
21. AR Rahman: November 2 at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi
The two-time Oscar winner is a prolific composer, having worked on the music scores for nearly 200 films. That includes multi-award-winning Slumdog Millionaire and dozens of Bollywood movies, including the acclaimed Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India in 2001 and war drama Pippa last year.
Doors open at 6.30pm; from Dh100; etihadarena.ae
22. Life of Pi: November 15 to 17 at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi
Based on the 2001 best-selling lyrical novel by Yann Martel, the stage adaptation follows a shipwrecked 16-year-old boy's adventures on a lifeboat with four animals, including a Royal Bengal tiger, as companions.
Featuring stunning visuals and puppetry, the production has been performed in the New York's Broadway and London's West End.
Evening, afternoon and matinée shows available; from Dh250; etihadarena.ae
23. Marisa Monte: November 23 at Bla Bla, Dubai
The singer is a star of the Brazilian pop and samba music scene, selling more than 15 million albums and winning four Latin Grammy awards. In 2021 she released her Portas, her first album in a decade.
Doors open at 7pm; from Dh220; dubai.platinumlist.net
24. Ludovico Einaudi: January 19 at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi
After selling out all of his previous shows at Dubai Opera, Italian pianist and composer Ludovico Einaudi returns to the UAE for his biggest show to date. His haunting compositions, which can be best described as minimal, not only helped him build a successful solo career, but also afforded him the opportunity to score numerous Italian films in the 1980s, before landing international gigs, including 2011's French blockbuster The Intouchables and 2020 Oscar winner Nomadland.
Doors open at 6pm; from Dh250; etihadarena.ae
25. Green Day and The Offspring: January 27 at Expo City Dubai
The veteran American punk-rock bands will make their Middle East debut in a purpose-built open-air concert venue that will host up to 30,000 people. Expect to hear three decades worth of Green Day hits, including Holiday, Boulevard of Broken Dreams and Longview. The Offspring also have an extensive catalogue of tracks, including the 1998 hit Pretty Fly (For a White Guy), as well as early favourites Come Out and Play and Self Esteem.
Doors open at 5pm; from Dh445; dubai.platinumlist.net
26. CAS: January 31 at Coca-Cola Arena Dubai
The American rockers' UAE fanbase is getting bigger. After an intimate sold-out show at Hard Rock Cafe Dubai in 2022, CAS will bring their cinematic sounds to Coca-Cola Arena as they perform songs from new album Xs.
Showtime is 9pm, tickets from Dh295; coca-cola-arena.com
