Past Events
January 2022
Spoken word, poetry, live music
Rooftop Rhythms
10th Season
Speak your truth from the roof!
December 2021
Spoken word, poetry, live music
Rooftop Rhythms Season 10
86th Edition
Speak your truth from the roof!
November 2021
A Celebration of Culture and Heritage
Hekayah | The Story
UAE National Day Celebration
Hekayah | The Story brings together poets, singers, and musicians to celebrate UAE National Day in a special 50th Anniversary Jubilee online edition.
NYUAD Music Recitals Series
Presented by the NYUAD Music Program
Chamber Music Evening
NYUAD Music Recitals Series
An evening of chamber music with leading UAE-based musicians presenting work by Beethoven, Shostakovich, Borodin, and many more.
Spoken word, poetry, live music
Rooftop Rhythms - The Wellness Edition
Presented in partnership with Louvre Abu Dhabi
Gather under Louvre Abu Dhabi’s dome for Rooftop Rhythms first in-person event since February 2020 as part of Lates.
Middle East Online Debut
sEODo BAND / 서도 밴드
Korean “Chosun Pop” presented in partnership with The Korean Cultural Center
Korea’s rising stars lead an unexpected yet captivating musical conversation between contemporary and traditional elements: Chosun pop
CinemaNa
Contemporary Arab Cinema
CinemaNA: Three Films by Jocelyne Saab
Presented by Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and the NYUAD Film and New Media Program
A live talk with Dr. Mathilde Rouxel on Jocelyne Saab’s films. Before the talk, we invite you to watch three of Saab's films.
October 2021
NYUAD Music Recitals Series
World Premiere
Matthew Quayle: Complete Piano Sonatas
Presented in Partnership with the NYUAD Music Program
Composer-pianist Matthew Quayle presents his complete series of original piano sonatas, including a world premiere.
CinemaNa
Contemporary Arab Cinema
CinemaNA: Films by Mohamad Malas and Nezar Andary
Presented by Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and the NYUAD Film and New Media Program
A conversation with influential Syrian filmmaker Mohamad Malas and Abu Dhabi filmmaker Nezar Andary, accompanied by three films by and about him that provoke audiences to contemplate loss, memory, and home.
Artistic Director and Creator: Christine Jones. Made by Many.
Theatre For One: We Are Here (Nairobi Edition)
World Premiere - Commissioned by The Arts Center
A personal theatrical experience - One on one, a short play unfolds for you.
September 2021
Presented with the Arab American National Museum
Oddisee + Medusa TN
Part of JAM3A Virtual Music Festival
Two leading rappers from the Arab world, as part of a virtual music festival celebrating Arab talent, community, and identity.
Middle East Premiere
It Ain’t Where You From – A film by Philip Rachid
Co-commissioned by The Arts Center and Shubbak Festival
Intimate stories of the Gulf’s emerging Hip-Hop scene
June 2021
Virtual salons
Fire this Time - Music and the Baldwin Protocol
Presented by National Sawdust (USA)
Poet and musician Lynne Procope launches a new series in partnership with National Sawdust that explores the intellectual and artistic legacy of James Baldwin.
Online Festival
It Ain’t Where You From at Shubbak Festival 2021
A window on contemporary Arab art and culture
Experience an ambitious programme of contemporary Arab arts and culture that reflects on people, connections, and ideas in a fundamentally unsettled world.
UAE Debut
ADCG - Scene It? Sing It!
Presented in partnership with Abu Dhabi Choral Group
An evening of songs from your favorite musicals
Artist Talk
They Still Want to Kill Us: Exploring Systemic Racism within Institutions
Online Panel
May 2021
Spoken word, poetry, music
Rooftop Rhythms
9th Season
Spoken word done right
April 2021
CinemaNa
Contemporary Arab Cinema - Screening & Q&A
Three Palestinian Short films
Presented by Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and the NYUAD Film and New Media Program
Three Short Films by Palestinian Filmmakers
Artistic Director and Creator: Christine Jones. Made by Many.
Theatre For One: Here We Are
Middle East Premiere
A personal theatrical experience - One on one, a short play unfolds for you.
Manifold - A Festival of Musical Diversity - 2021
Presented by the NYUAD Music Program
New Sounds for 2021
Filmed specifically for the event and broadcast online
Experience a dynamic approach towards contemporary repertoire.
March 2021
World Premiere and Live Online Q&A
The Gauntlet: Faraway Together - Sxip Shirey and Coco Karol
A Surprising and Immersive Audio Portrait of Abu Dhabi.
A Surprising and Immersive Audio Portrait of Abu Dhabi
CinemaNa
Contemporary Arab Cinema
Three short films by Emirati filmmaker Abdulrahman Al Madani - Screening
Presented by Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and the NYUAD Film and New Media Program
Screening of Three Short Films: Nagafa, Beshkara, & Laymoon
February 2021
Online Performance - One night only
Āhuti by Nrityagram Dance Ensemble in collaboration with Chitrasena Dance Company
India's Odissi Dance Meets Sri Lankan Kandyan Dance
Āhuti presents a fascinating fusion of movement and music.
Manifold - A Festival of Musical Diversity - 2021
Presented by the NYUAD Music Program
American Music - Minimal and Beyond: Emanuele Arciuli
Piano Recital - Part of the Manifold Series
An evening of American Contemporary Music by Italian pianist Emanuele Arciuli
CinemaNa
Contemporary Arab Cinema
Between Two Seas - Screening
Presented by Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and the NYUAD Film and New Media Program
A dramatic story of a forgotten society driven by a search for redemption, revenge, and hope.
Barzakh Festival 2021
The Khaleej meets South Africa
Boom.Diwan x Nduduzo Makhathini
Musical showcase and conversation
An immersive ritual of music rooted in Kuwaiti pearl diving traditions meeting South African jazz
Barzakh Festival 2021
From the USA - UAE Online Debut
Martha Redbone Roots Project
Folk, Blues, and Soul Performance and Talk. Presented in collaboration with National Sawdust
A unique gumbo of blues, jazz, and soul music
Barzakh Festival 2021
From Venezuela - UAE Online Debut
Las Cantoras - Betsayda Machado meets Oswaldo Lares
Musical showcase and conversation | Co-commissioned by The Arts Center
Venezuelan Afro-Soul ‘Tambor’- a spirit-shaking percussion and voice celebration.
January 2021
NYUAD Music Recitals Series
Presented by the NYUAD Music Program
Moods and Memories - Kate Forman Quayle
Clarinet Recital: NYUAD Music Recitals Series
A rich collection of clarinet and bass clarinet pieces from the 20th and 21st Centuries.
Under The Radar Festival
The Public Theater (New York City)
600 Highwaymen’s A Thousand Ways (Part One): A Phone Call
Co-commissioned by The Arts Center
From Abu Dhabi to New York: 600 HIGHWAYMEN at Under The Radar 2021
Under The Radar Festival
The Public Theater (New York City)
Inua Ellams’ Borders & Crossings
Spoken Word Theater
At a Crossroad Between Edges
December 2020
Virtual concert
Nostalgia - ADCG Fall Musical Review
Produced by Abu Dhabi Choral Group
Get nostalgic with 10 years of ADCG’s hits.
Get focused
Music to Draw to - Kid Koala
Live online broadcast of quiet time records
International turntable wizard, Kid Koala spins a set for deep inspiration.
CinemaNa
Contemporary Arab Cinema
You Will Die at Twenty - Screening
Presented by Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and the NYUAD Film and New Media Program
Prophesied to die at 20, a teen seeks to escape fate.
November 2020
A Celebration of Culture and Heritage
Hekayah | The Story
UAE National Day Celebration
Hekayah | The Story brings together poets, singers, and musicians to celebrate UAE National Day.
Middle East Online Debut
Ak Dan Gwang Chil (ADG7)
Presented in partnership with The Korean Cultural Center as part of The UAE – Korea Cultural Dialogue and supported by the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange.
Ritual Folk Pop from Korea combining virtuosity, charisma, and pure energy.
Relive the World Premiere, commissioned by The Arts Center
#JeSuis - Aakash Odedra Company
Contemporary Dance
An ensemble work choreographed by Aakash Odedra exploring the relevance of a life in conflict.
Relive the performance online
Murmur 2.0 - Aakash Odedra Company
Contemporary Dance
The acclaimed UK-based dancer Aakash Odedra explores his own childhood struggles through a nexus of light, sound, design, and movement.
Online concert
Toshi Reagon - Sacred Transmission - Post-Election Show
Filmed live at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater, NY
Toshi Reagon presents a powerful post-election evening as she gathers her community for a concert following the US Election. Filmed live at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater (NY) on Nov 4, 2020.
CinemaNa
Contemporary Arab Cinema
Sofia - Screening
Presented by Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and the NYUAD Film and New Media Program
Sofia, 20, lives with her parents in Casablanca. Following a denial of pregnancy, she finds herself illegally giving birth to a baby out of wedlock.
October 2020
Middle East Debut
Short Films by Sam Green
Films by the Academy Award nominated director
A collection of shorts set in a series of unique, unconventional settings.
NYUAD Music Recitals Series
Presented by the NYUAD Music Program
Petite and Grande - Piano Recital with Ioannis Potamousis
NYUAD Music Recitals Series
The New Colossus of the Keys, a piano recital presented by Ioannis Potamousis.
Middle East Premiere
A Thousand Ways: A Phone Call by 600 HIGHWAYMEN
A one-on-one phone experience with someone
An enthralling, imaginative, and profound social experience.
CinemaNa
Contemporary Arab Cinema
Scales - Screening
Presented by Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and the NYUAD Film and New Media Program
A dystopian story of a young strong-willed girl, Hayat, who lives in a poor fishing village governed by tradition in which every family must give one daughter to the sea creatures.
Interactive fun for the whole family
Robot Dance Party - Kid Koala
Commissioned by The Arts Center
An epic robot themed dance party
Middle East Premiere
As Far As Isolation Goes - Tania El Khoury & Basel Zaraa
1-on-1 Multi-sensory online performance
1-on-1 Multi-Sensory performance on mental health and the refugee experience
June 2020
Online Debut
ADCG Quarantania Mania Virtual Concert
Presented in Partnership with Abu Dhabi Choral Group
ADCG brings you the music you love, reworked to our new COVID-19 realities.
Reconnect. An Online Series
Watching Performances from our Archives. Together.
CARTOGRAPHY - Kaneza Schaal & Christopher Myers
Part of World Refugee Day
Revisit CARTOGRAPHY, an exploration of our lives through the lens of four refugees
Reconnect. An Online Series
Watching Performances from our Archives. Together.
DATA NOT FOUND - Kaki King
Middle East Debut - Co-commissioned by The Arts Center - NYUAD Class of 2020 Choice
Revisit a multimedia concert by visionary guitarist and composer Kaki King in DATA NOT FOUND, a gripping meditation on the data we live with, and the data we leave behind.
Reconnect. An Online Series
Watching Performances from our Archives. Together.
Ethiopian Dreams - Circus Abyssinia
Family Matinee - Members Choice
Relive the Circus: Heart-stopping acrobatics, juggling, clowning, and contortion to live music.
Reconnect. An Online Series
Watching Performances from our Archives. Together.
ink - Camille A. Brown & Dancers
UAE Debut
Revisit Camille A. Brown’s ink: a celebration of African American social dance.
May 2020
Spoken word, poetry, music
Rooftop Rhythms - Virtual Poetry Open Mic Night
8th Season
Spoken word done right
Reconnect. An Online Series
Watching Performances from our Archives. Together.
Sufism vs Modernism - Fathy Salama with Sheikh Mahmoud Tohamy
The sounds and rhythms of traditional Sufi chanting and contemporary Arabian jazz
The Arab world’s only Grammy winner collaborates with the inspiring Egyptian Sufi chanter.
Reconnect. An Online Series
Watching Performances from our Archives. Together.
Holoscenes
Lars Jan / Early Morning Opera
Revisit Lars Jan’s Holoscenes, a beautifully captivating durational performance-installation that embodies the impact of climate change.
Reconnect. An Online Series
Watching Performances from our Archives. Together.
Nik Bärtsch’s Mobile
The Abu Dhabi Resonance Square Ritual. Commissioned by The Arts Center
Revisit more than six hours of highlights of the ground-breaking 27-hour “Ritual Groove Music” performance installation.
April 2020
Reconnect. An Online Series
Watching Performances from our Archives. Together.
Al Burda Festival
Contemporary Visions of Islamic Music
Revisit the Musical Performances from Al Burda Festival
Reconnect. An Online Series
Watching Performances from our Archives. Together.
Reconnect. Octavia E. Butler's Parable of the Sower - The Concert Version
Created by Toshi Reagon and Bernice Johnson Reagon
A mesmerizing theatrical work of rare power and beauty that reveals deep insights on gender, race and the future of human civilization.
Re-imagining Community: Cross-Cultural Collaboration in the Age of Physical Distancing
John Beasley and Ihab Darwish
Presented in partnership with the US Embassy Abu Dhabi as part of Off The Stage
Cross cultural and continental exchange.
Reconnect. An Online Series
Watching Performances from our Archives. Together.
Cuban-Khaleeji Project
Featuring Arturo O'Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra + Yazz Ahmed (Bahrain / UK) + Boom.Diwan (Kuwait / UAE) + Malika Zarra (Morocco / France) + Ali Obaid (UAE)
Revisit this one of a kind musical journey exploring the traditions and sounds of seafaring cultures from the Gulf and North Africa to Cuba.
Reconnect. An Online Series
Watching Performances from our Archives. Together.
47SOUL
Electro Arabic Dabke (Shamstep)
Revisit 47SOUL’s Electro Arabic Dabke (Shamstep) sound
Reconnect. An Online Series
Watching Performances from our Archives. Together.
Maysoon Zayid
Stand-up Comedy
Revisit the hilarious Maysoon Zayid’s Abu Dhabi Debut.
March 2020
Cancelled
The Storyville Mosquito - Kid Koala
Co-commissioned by The Arts Center
Live animated graphic novel performed, filmed, and scored in real time
Jazz Concert. For Members of The Arts Center or by invitation only.
John Beasley’s MONK’estra Quartet
Presented by The US Embassy Abu Dhabi
The acclaimed pianist expands the classic jazz tradition adding contemporary harmonies, unstoppable grooves, and a contagious sense of fun.
February 2020
2nd Edition
ElectroFest
Presented by the NYUAD Music Program
Cutting-edge electronic music, video and sound art, and improvisation.
Middle East Premiere
CARTOGRAPHY - Kaneza Schaal & Christopher Myers
Co-commissioned by The Arts Center
Stories of Reinvention
NYUAD Music Recitals Series
Presented by the NYUAD Music Program
NYUAD Music Faculty in Concert
NYUAD Music Recitals Series
A fresh and rich program of contemporary classical music recitals by faculty from NYU Abu Dhabi’s Music Program.
NYUAD Music Recitals Series
UAE Debut Presented by the NYU Abu Dhabi Music Program
Solo Piano for One and Encore for Four
Piano Recital
A piano recital featuring Ioannis Potamousis with guest pianists: Elizabeth Han, Matthew Quayle, and Christos Plachouras, performing works by Beethoven, Koumendakis, Liszt, and Wilberg.
January 2020
6 ground breaking bands across 3 stages
Barzakh Festival - Sofiane Saidi & Mazalda + AMMAR 808 + BCUC + Bokante + La Dame Blanche + NOON Play Umm Kulthum
Discover the music
A musical meeting place of genre-shattering artists in a new single night, multi-stage format.
UAE Premiere
Al Raheel | Departure - Reem Almenhali & Joanna Settle
Co-commissioned by The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi and Cultural Foundation
Contemporary Performance from the UAE
December 2019
UAE Debut - Piano Recital
Awadagin Pratt
Presented in partnership with the NYUAD Music Program and the NYUAD Institute
Internationally acclaimed pianist Awadagin Pratt performs Beethoven, Franck, and Liszt.
November 2019
Celebration of culture and heritage
Hekayah | The Story
UAE National Day Celebration - Presented under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development
Hekayah | The Story brings together poets, singers, and musicians.
CinemaNa
Contemporary Arab Cinema
Of Fathers and Sons - Screening
Presented by Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and the NYUAD Film and New Media Program
Talal Derki returns to his homeland, where he gains the trust of a radical Islamist family, sharing their daily life over two years.
Middle East Premiere
DATA NOT FOUND - Kaki King
Co-commissioned by The Arts Center
Multimedia concert by visionary guitarist and composer
Concert for Change the World Model UN Emirates 2019
Francesco De Gregori
Returning to the UAE, by popular demand
Francesco De Gregori performs the hits that made him one of Italy's most successful artists of all time.
CinemaNa
Contemporary Arab Cinema
Mafak (Screwdriver) - Screening
Presented by Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and the NYUAD Film and New Media Program
A man experiences a physical and emotional toll when he returns home after spending 15 years in an Israeli jail.
October 2019
Middle East Debut
BIPED / How to Pass, Kick, Fall and Run - CNDC d’Angers with Gavin Bryars
Merce Cunningham Centennial Celebration
Two masterpieces by one of the most influential choreographers of the 20th century
CinemaNa
Contemporary Arab Cinema
What Comes Around - Screening
Presented by Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and the NYUAD Film and New Media Program
In one of the poorest neighborhoods of Cairo, the community is the only way for hope.
Annual Mainstage Student Production Presented by the NYUAD Theater Program
The Caucasian Chalk Circle
By Bertolt Brecht. Directed by Orlando Pabotoy
One of Bertolt Brecht's most famous epic plays in a new production by NYU Abu Dhabi’s Theater program.
NYUAD Music Recitals Series
NYUAD Music Recital Series
NYUAD Music Faculty in Concert
Presented by the NYUAD Music Program
A fresh and rich program of contemporary classical music recitals by faculty from NYU Abu Dhabi’s Music Program.
September 2019
UAE Premiere - Arab / East African Crossroads
Sufism vs Modernism - Fathy Salama with Sheikh Mahmoud Tohamy / Zanzibari Taarab & Kidumbak - Dhow Countries Music Academy
NYUAD Music Program Collaboration - Proudly supported by Al Burda, a platform for Islamic arts and culture
An extraordinary double bill exploring Arab sounds of the African continent, from Egypt to Zanzibar.