Your daily guide to community and cultural activities across the Emirates for December 17, 2016, including performances, festivals, art exhibitions, film screenings, health and fitness events, talks, classes, workshops and family fun.
Nationwide
New movie
Collateral Beauty stars Will Smith as Howard Inlet, a successful New York advertising executive, who has suffered a tragedy and retreats from life, spending his time writing letters to Love, Time and Death, hoping to find answers from the universe. When he begins to receive personal responses to his questions, he starts to understand how life brings beautiful moments, even in the face of despair. Drama, also starring Edward Norton, Kate Winslet, Helen Mirren, Keira Knightley and Naomie Harris.
Screening at cinemas across the UAE. (TBA)
Dubai
Performance
Get tickets now for the H2 Productions classic British pantomime-style performance of Peter Pan, the magical young boy who never grows up and keeps a simple outlook on life, full of fun and adventure. Hear the story of Peter's adventures with his friends as they outwit the evil Captain Hook.
December 20-27, 3pm and 7pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Monday; 11am and 3pm on Thursday, Saturday and Tuesday (no shows on Sunday), from Dh140, ages 3+, Centrepoint Theatre, Ductac, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, 04 341 4777, www.ductac.org
Abu Dhabi
Film screening
Catch a screening of Donkey Skin (Peau d'âne) as part of the Cinema Space series, this time held at Vox Cinemas in Nation Towers. The family-friendly 1970 French musical tells the story of a princess (Catherine Deneuve) who flees her kingdom to avoid an unwanted marriage. The film is based on a fairy tale by Charles Perrault and also stars Jean Marais, Jacques Perrin and Delphine Seyrig.
Today, 4pm, free with registration, Vox Cinemas, Nation Towers, Corniche, Abu Dhabi, register at cinemaspace-abudhabi.splashthat.com
Abu Dhabi
Winter market
Head to Yas Marina and enjoy the festivities of the Let It Snow event, including a Winter Market, where you can browse for gifts from a variety of stalls featuring handcrafted products from local artisans. Children will enjoy writing letters to Santa and sharing their wish lists under the tree, plus take part in the Real Snow Battle, with teams of seven making snowballs and heading to the battlefield.
Today, 1pm to 7pm; register for the Real Snow Battle at noon at the snow fort, Yas Marina, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, www.yasmarina.ae
Abu Dhabi
Heritage event
Visit the Al Dhafra Festival, a celebration of Bedouin heritage that includes a camel beauty pageant featuring more than 20,000 camels. Experience a traditional souq market with products and handicrafts, dates packaging competitions, a camel milk contest, an Arabian horse race, a falcon beauty show, a classic cars competition and a special children’s area with playgrounds and games from the age of the Emirati forefathers.
Daily until December 29, various timings, Al Dhafra Muzayanh, Madinat Zayed, Al Gharbia (Western Region), Abu Dhabi, www.aldhafrafestival.ae
Abu Dhabi
Kids’ camp
Register your children ages 4-14 for the Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort Children’s Holiday Camp, where they can make new friends, and enjoy a variety of sports and outdoor activities at the hotel’s palm-tree resort and health club, such as swimming, beach games, Zumba, boat trips, table tennis and arts and crafts.
December 18-22 and December 25-29, 9am to 2pm, Dh200 daily; Dh850 per week; Dh1,550 for all 10 days, Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort, Corniche, Abu Dhabi, register at 02 697 0272, sheraton.resort@sheraton.com
Dubai
Amusement park
Visit Motiongate Dubai, the Hollywood-inspired theme park that is part of Dubai Parks and Resorts. Enjoy rides and attractions based on top blockbuster films from Sony Pictures Studios, DreamWorks Animation and Lionsgate studios, including The Smurfs, Ghosbusters, Underworld, Hotel Transylvania and more. Plus a variety of food outlets, a live dance show, souvenir shops and the opportunity to see your favourite characters up close at meet-and-greets.
Open daily, 11am to 7pm, from Dh250, Motiongate Dubai, Dubai Parks and Resorts, E11, Dubai, www.motiongatedubai.com
Dubai
Christmas concert
Attend the Ovidio Chamber Orchestra Christmas Concert and enjoy a musical journey from Mozart to Billy Joel, plus a selection of the orchestra’s own award-winning compositions with a Christmas flavour. The concert will feature violin soloist Evgeny Morozov. Pictured: Chilean-born pianist and conductor Ovidio De Ferrari
Tonight, doors open at 7pm, concert starts at 8pm, from Dh250, Meyana Auditorium, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai, www.platinumlist.net
Dubai
Art exhibition
See the group exhibition See Saw Seeds at Tashkeel, which is the culmination of a residency exchange programme with CAP (Kobe Studio Y3), and features works by: Ruba Al Araji, who documented her daily life in Kobe, Japan; Tulip Hazbar, who produced zines to serve as memory exercises to help her recall her time in Kobe; Aya Sakoda, who conducted tea ceremonies at Tashkeel this month; and Yuki Tsukiyama, who combines his fascination with Dubai's roundabouts with Arabic script. Pictured: Roundabouts by Yuki Tsukiyama
Daily until December 29, 10am-10pm, Saturday to Thursdays (closed Fridays), Tashkeel, Nad Al Sheba Health Center, Dubai, 04 336 3313, www.tashkeel.org
Dubai
Festive market
Visit the Madinat Jumeirah Festive Market at Fort Island, featuring seasonal music performed by a live band, rides and games, a North Pole train for little ones, a bungee jump for teenagers and a snowball fight zone for the whole family. Take an abra tour with Santa and decorate a gingerbread house and cookie garden.
Daily until December 27, 3pm to 1am on weekdays; noon-1am on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, www.facebook.com/Madinat.Jumeirah