Upcoming Events
September 2023
Spoken word, poetry, live music
Rooftop Rhythms Poetry Open Mic
12th Season
Speak your truth from the roof!
Arab World Debut
Bebel Gilberto - Songs My Father Loved
Heartfelt Brazilian Music
Brazilian chanteuse Bebel Gilberto presents a series of heartfelt and personal songs dedicated to her father, bossa nova originator João Gilberto.
October 2023
Arab World Premiere
Koyaanisqatsi Live - Film by Godfrey Reggio, Music by Philip Glass
Film Screening with Live Score
Watch Godfrey Reggio’s groundbreaking film Koyaanisqatsi, set to a score by Philip Glass, performed live by the Philip Glass Ensemble, in a hypnotic exploration of nature, urbanization, and a world out of balance.
Middle East Premiere
FRONTERA - Dana Gingras / Animals of Distinction
Presented with the support of Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels
A visually stunning spectacle of propulsive dance, powerful live post-rock, and dazzling lighting.
November 2023
Award winning writers and poets
The City and the Writer: A Global Gathering
Curated by Nathalie Handal
A Words Without Borders celebration of multicultural, multilingual authors reading their works.
Arab World Premiere
This World Made Itself | Infinitely Yours - Miwa Matreyek
Multimedia Live Performance
Performance meets animation at the intersection of cinematic and theatrical, fantastical and tangible, and illusionistic and physical in evocative explorations of the earth and the environment.
Arab World Premiere
Our Island - Small Island Big Song
Multimedia concert of a cross Indo-Pacific collaboration
Discover the shared & distinct musical collaborations of islander songkeepers from the Pacific and Indian Ocean as they voice concerns of a changing ocean.
December 2023
Featuring La Capella Reial De Catalunya and Hespèrion XXI
Al-Andalus & the Ancient Hesperia conducted by Jordi Savall
Co-presented by Abu Dhabi Festival and The Arts Center
Grammy-award-winning Catalan-Spanish conductor and musician Jordi Savall vividly performs the finest music of the Spanish Golden Age, spanning 500 years of Arabic cultural and historic roots in Andalusia.
February 2024
World Premiere, commissioned by The Arts Center
Mehek - Aakash Odedra & Aditi Mangaldas
Presented with the support of Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels
An enchanting exploration of the human heart, its desires, courage, and resilience, masterfully brought to life by the artistry of Aakash Odedra and Aditi Mangaldas
March 2024
Boundary shattering global sounds
Barzakh Festival 2024
Four bands over two nights
Discover new global sounds as powerful tradition-bearers and genre-shattering musicians converge over two evenings that blend cultures, styles, and genres.
Past Events
September 2023
Arab World Premiere
Asian Dub Foundation
Live in Concert
Tough jungle rhythms, dub basslines, wild guitar, and forceful high-speed raps drawn from South Asian roots
Arab World Premiere
Asian Dub Foundation: La Haine
Film screening with live score
A landmark film gets a new live soundtrack of searing junglist beats, indo-dub bass lines, and funked-out guitars, for a unique and powerful journey between music and frames.
Arab World Premiere
N O W I S W H E N W E A R E (the stars) - Andrew Schneider
Immersive Multimedia Theatrical Installation
Explore a one-of-a-kind immersive experience with thousands of reactive lights and hundreds of speakers creating an interactive theatrical cosmos.
Arab World Debut
Betsayda Machado and La Parranda el Clavo
Opening: Liwa Maritime Ensemble
Venezuelan Afro-Soul ‘Tambor’- a spirit-shaking percussion and voice celebration. The UAE’s Liwa Maritime Ensemble opens with a performance of Emirati cultural heritage
April 2023
UAE Debut
FIQ! - Groupe Acrobatique de Tanger
Acrobatic Circus
An otherworldly collection of acrobatic feats, figures, colors, music, sketches, headspins, and choreography explode in a colorful visual world created by Moroccan artist Hassan Hajjaj.
Ramadaniyyat 2023
World Premiere
Faraj Abyad: Andalusian Love Story
In association with NYUAD Institute
Classical and contemporary Andalusian poetry inspires a set of original compositions
CinemaNa , Ramadaniyyat 2023
Contemporary Arab Cinema
Emirati Short Film Program
Presented by the NYUAD Film and New Media Program
A series of short films by Emirati filmmakers
March 2023
Accompanied by Benjamin Engeli on Piano
Leia Zhu - Abu Dhabi Festival
Presented by Abu Dhabi Festival
Sixteen-year-old violin prodigy Leia Zhu performs a beautiful repertoire of Mozart, Strauss, Debussy, Wieniawski and Sarasate.
Recital Series
Haochen Zhang - Abu Dhabi Festival
Presented by Abu Dhabi Festival
A unique piano recital showcasing fearless imagination and spectacular musical mastery.
Arab World Premiere
Bruce Liu - Abu Dhabi Festival
Presented by Abu Dhabi Festival
A thrilling program of classical and romantic highlights in a spectacular recital by the winner of the 2021 Chopin Piano Competition.
CinemaNa
Contemporary Arab Cinema
Black Box Cinema
Presented by the NYUAD Film and New Media Program
Enjoy a series of Arab short films curated by Black Box Cinema
UAE Premiere
Balimaya Project
With an opening set by Shilpa Ananth
Driving collective polyrhythms, blazing frontline horns, and virtuosic kora stylings collide, bridging Mandé music and culture with the sounds of Black London, while the dreamy landscapes of South India fuse with Soul, Jazz, and Electronic influences.