UAE Arts & Culture Calendar

November 2026 – January 2027

A season guide to exhibitions, performances, screenings, talks and fairs across the UAE, grouped by emirate and linked to each venue’s own listing. Updated 9 November 2026. Entries tagged New were added since the last edition.

Fairs & art weeks

Abu Dhabi

16 Nov–16 DecAbu Dhabi
Frieze Sculpture Abu Dhabi
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Five large-scale works, Mamsha Beach, Saadiyat
18–22 NovAbu Dhabi
Nomad Abu Dhabi
preview 18 Nov (invitation), public days 19–22 Nov
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Terminal 1, old Abu Dhabi airport
19–22 NovAbu Dhabi
Frieze Abu Dhabi
preview 19 Nov, public days 20–22 Nov
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Manarat Al Saadiyat
15–30 JanAbu Dhabi
Al Hosn Festival
Emirati heritage festival with performances, art and evening show
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Qasr Al Hosn

Dubai

15–22 NovDubai
Alserkal Art Week
gallery openings 16 Nov (see Exhibitions)
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Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz
19–22 NovDubai
World Art Dubai
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Dubai World Trade Centre

Sharjah

11–13 DecSharjah
Focal Point art book fair
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Sharjah Art Foundation, Bait Obaid Al Shamsi

Exhibitions

Abu Dhabi

Until 26 NovAbu Dhabi
Eman Al Hashemi: The Horizon We Inherit
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Iris Projects, MiZa, Mina Zayed
Until 13 DecAbu Dhabi
Bodies That Make, Bodies That Grieve
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NYUAD Project Space
Until 3 JanAbu Dhabi
All Manner of Experiments: Legacies of the Baghdad Modern Art Group
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NYUAD Art Gallery
Until 10 JanAbu Dhabi
Juma Alhaj: Revelation; Archipelago of Whispers
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421 Arts Campus, Mina Zayed
Until 10 JanAbu Dhabi
Reem Al Mubarak: What We Left In The Sandbox
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Rizq Art Gallery
Until 17 JanAbu Dhabi
Paul Guiragossian: 100 Years of Art
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Bassam Freiha Art Foundation, Saadiyat
Until 14 FebAbu Dhabi
Spices and Wonders: Sailing the Indian Ocean
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Louvre Abu Dhabi
Until FebAbu Dhabi
The Ever Living
Group exhibition of 11 artists · free, daily 9am–8pm · until Feb 2027
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Al Qattara Arts Centre, Al Ain
6 Nov–6 DecAbu Dhabi
Children’s Biennale: How the World Feels
Eight interactive installations · Abu Dhabi Festival with National Gallery Singapore
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Umm Al Emarat Park, Mushrif
11 Nov–28 FebAbu Dhabi
Art Here 2026: Confluences
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Louvre Abu Dhabi
11–15 NovAbu Dhabi
Mahmoud Moussa: Sculpture, Form & Memory
At Region Concept Space
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Maha Al Mansoori Art Gallery, Mina Zayed
12 Nov–15 JulAbu Dhabi
Shaikha Al Mazrou: Two Horizons
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Cultural Foundation, Al Hosn
15 Nov–15 FebAbu Dhabi
Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial
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Sites across Abu Dhabi and Al Ain
25 Nov–25 AprAbu Dhabi
Living Legacies: Protecting Heritage, Building Hope
With ALIPH
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Louvre Abu Dhabi
Opens early DecAbu Dhabi
Tracks Through Time: The Camel in Society, Trade and Art
First temporary exhibition; date TBC
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Zayed National Museum, Saadiyat
Opens 11 DecAbu Dhabi
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi
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Saadiyat Cultural District

Dubai

Until 22 NovDubai
Sliman Mansour: Promises and Scars
Presented by George Al Ama and Fann À Porter
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Warehouse 46, Alserkal Avenue
Until 22 NovDubai
What the Sea Leaves Behind
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Gulf Photo Plus, Alserkal Avenue
Until 23 NovDubai
Nada Elkalaawy: The Butterfly’s Burden
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Lawrie Shabibi, Alserkal Avenue
Until 23 NovDubai
Ran Hwang: Poetic Reveries
Buttons, pins and thread landscapes
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Leila Heller Gallery, Alserkal Avenue
Until 23 NovDubai
The Land Remembers: A Shared Language Across the Arab World
Group exhibition
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Leila Heller Gallery, Alserkal Avenue
Until 23 NovDubai
Peybak: Abrakan Self Devouring
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Leila Heller Gallery, Alserkal Avenue
Until 24 NovDubai
Wafa Al Falahi: Feathers in the Reeds, Milk in the Mud
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Hunna Art
Until 24 NovDubai
Rana Begum: Taking Form
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The Third Line, Alserkal Avenue
Until 25 NovDubai
Essence of Egypt: Nabil Anani, Samira Badran and others
At The Workshop
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Fann À Porter, Jumeirah 2
Until 26 NovDubai
Shamin Sharum: Provisional Sanctuaries
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Tashkeel, Alserkal Avenue
Until 7 DecDubai
A Way Through: Archive of Resilience
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Kutubna Cultural Centre, Nadd Al Hamar
Until 15 DecDubai
The Sky Held It, the Earth Remembered
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Ishara Art Foundation, Alserkal Avenue
Until 15 DecDubai
Yusuf: Line as Witness · Sharmila Samant: All That Is Solid Melts Into Waste
Two solo exhibitions
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1x1 Art Gallery, Alserkal Avenue
Until 24 DecDubai
for now, in between orbits
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Bayt AlMamzar, Al Mamzar
Until 30 DecDubai
The importance of staying quiet: 6. Open Forms
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Grey Noise, Alserkal Avenue
Until 31 DecDubai
Dubai Design District: The Inaugural Exhibition
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Gary Tatintsian Gallery, d3
Until 10 JanDubai
Fellow travellers
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Tabari Artspace, Gate Village, DIFC
Until 10 MarDubai
The Matter of Light
22 artists incl. Kamal Boullata, Zaha Hadid, Akram Zaatari
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Dom Art Projects, Al Khayat Avenue
Until 14 MarDubai
Salah Elmur: Just as the Heart of a Mango is a Stone
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Jameel Arts Centre, Al Jaddaf
11–22 NovDubai
Art Circle Award shortlist
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Warehouse 50B, Alserkal Avenue
13 Nov–4 DecDubai
A Place Has Its Own GrammarNew
Curated by Priyanka Mehra, with Ali Talaat, Ammar Al Attar, Mona Ayyash, Mouza Al Hamrani, Richi Bhatia and Shaima Shamsi · preview 13 Nov, 6–8pm · daily 11am–7pm
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Mussawir Contemporary, Unit 35, Al Quoz 1
13 Nov–25 AprDubai
Artist’s Room: Bani Abidi
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Jameel Arts Centre, Al Jaddaf
14 Nov–10 JanDubai
Jack Persekian: Jerusalem — Take II
Studio 7, Warehouse 51
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Zawyeh Gallery, Alserkal Avenue
14 Nov–10 DecDubai
Mukesh Shah: Eight Neons
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XVA Gallery, Al Fahidi
15–22 NovDubai
History Otherwise: Women Modernists from the Arab World
With Barjeel Art Foundation · incl. Inji Efflatoun, Samia Halaby, Mona Saudi
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Concrete, Alserkal Avenue
15 Nov–15 DecDubai
Rashed Qurwash: Athar Ether
Open studio 21 Nov
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Alserkal Arts Foundation, Studio 9, Alserkal Avenue
16 Nov–1 JanDubai
The Days Go On
50+ artists incl. Samia Halaby
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Ayyam Gallery, Alserkal Avenue
16 Nov–10 JanDubai
Yaw Owusu: Where the Tide Flows, and the Dunes Gather
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Efie Gallery, Alserkal Avenue
16 Nov–5 JanDubai
Malik Thomas Jalil Kydd: As I Bask in Your Light, it Seeps to My Soul
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Carbon 12, Alserkal Avenue
16 Nov–16 JanDubai
Reynier Llanes: Elsewhere, Within
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Firetti Contemporary, Alserkal Avenue
16 Nov–6 JanDubai
Faris Alshafar: Everybody Changes Underwater
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Aisha Alabbar Gallery, Alserkal Avenue
16 Nov–2 JanDubai
Rossella Biscotti: Centrifugal Time
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Green Art Gallery, Alserkal Avenue
16 Nov–12 DecDubai
Flawed Images: Daniele Genadry and Fayçal Baghriche
Two-person exhibition
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Taymour Grahne Projects, Alserkal Avenue
16 Nov–16 JanDubai
Fabienne Verdier: From Song to Light
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Waddington Custot, Alserkal Avenue
16 Nov–10 JanDubai
Tatiana Chalhoub: The Trees Now Stand Unpruned and Wild
First UAE solo exhibition
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Gallery Isabelle, Alserkal Avenue
15 Dec–12 JanDubai
Roudhah Al Mazrouei: The Mountain is the Sun’s Nest
Solo exhibition by the Al Ain-born artist
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Taymour Grahne Projects, Alserkal Avenue

Sharjah

Until 29 NovSharjah
Vantage Point 13 and Perform Sharjah
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Sharjah Art Foundation
14 Nov–14 AprSharjah
Sharjah Architecture Triennial
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Venues across Sharjah
21 Jan–13 JunSharjah
Sharjah Biennial 17
Opening week 21–24 Jan
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11 venues across Sharjah

Music, opera, dance & theatre

Abu Dhabi

14 NovAbu Dhabi
UAE National Orchestra: Once Upon a Tune
Prokofiev, Peter and the Wolf (family concert)
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The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi
20 & 27 NovAbu Dhabi
Umsiyat: Emirati music and poetry
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Al Jahili Fort (Al Ain) and Cultural Foundation
20–21 NovAbu Dhabi
Thikra: Night of Remembering
Akram Khan Company with Manal AlDowayan
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Cultural Foundation
21 NovAbu Dhabi
American Ballet Theatre
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Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental
26 NovAbu Dhabi
Algarabía
Flamenco, Arab poetry and orchestra
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Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental
29 NovAbu Dhabi
Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra: Verdi Opera Gala
UAE debut
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Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental
2 DecAbu Dhabi
Andrea Bocelli
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Etihad Arena, Yas Island
7 DecAbu Dhabi
Recital: Fatima Al Hashimi and Ina Chareli
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Zayed National Museum
9–11 DecAbu Dhabi
Piano Recital Series: Bernheim (9), Batiashvili & Gigashvili (10), Sohn (11)
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Cultural Foundation
12 DecAbu Dhabi
UAE National Orchestra: Winter Concert
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The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi
12 DecAbu Dhabi
Enrico Macias
Six decades of chanson; closes the season
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Cultural Foundation, Al Hosn
16 DecAbu Dhabi
Recital: Noura Al Mazrouei, Saif Al Naqbi, Ahmed Al Mansouri
Qanun and oud
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Bassam Freiha Art Foundation
19 DecAbu Dhabi
Dhafer Youssef Quintet
Abu Dhabi Festival closing concert
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Louvre Abu Dhabi
24 JanAbu Dhabi
Ludovico Einaudi and the UAE National Orchestra
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Etihad Arena, Yas Island

Dubai

28 NovDubai
Baroque & Beyond
UAE Philharmonic soloists
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Theatre of Digital Art, Madinat Jumeirah
28 NovDubai
Firdaus Orchestra: Opera Arias
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House of Arts, Expo City Dubai
2 DecDubai
Bolshoi Opera: The Tsar’s Bride
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Dubai Opera
3 DecDubai
Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra, cond. Valery Gergiev
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Dubai Opera
4–6 DecDubai
Bolshoi Ballet: The Nutcracker
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Dubai Opera
9 DecDubai
UAE National Orchestra: Winter Concert
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Dubai Opera
16 DecDubai
Denis Matsuev: Classics & Jazz
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Dubai Opera
29 JanDubai
Yuja Wang, piano recital
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Dubai Opera

Sharjah

19 DecSharjah
Laylat Kawkab Al Sharq: Mai Farouk
Tribute to Umm Kulthum
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Al Majaz Amphitheatre

Film

Abu Dhabi

OngoingAbu Dhabi
Cinema Space
Free restored classics and world cinema · pauses during Frieze Abu Dhabi · sign up at cinemaspace.org/welcome
Manarat Al Saadiyat
Dates TBCAbu Dhabi
Emirati Film Month
Cultural Foundation

Dubai

OngoingDubai
The Culturist Film Club
Curated screenings with discussion
Alliance Française Dubai and other venues
OngoingDubai
Cinema Akil
Independent cinema; programme on its website
Cinema Akil, Warehouse 68, Alserkal Avenue
9–29 NovDubai
Fracture: The Window
Chanel Culture Fund moving-image works on The Yard’s screens
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The Yard, Alserkal Avenue

Sharjah

24 JanSharjah
Present Uneven
Closes the Biennial’s opening week
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Sharjah Biennial 17 venues

Talks and conferences

Abu Dhabi

12 NovAbu Dhabi
Maktaba: The Edible Library with Moza Al Matrooshi
6pm, reading and discussion circle
421 Arts Campus, Mina Zayed
17–23 NovAbu Dhabi
Al Ain Book Festival
Author talks, poetry evenings and performances
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Al Ain Square, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (Al Ain)
19 NovAbu Dhabi
Frieze Talk: Building the Global Museum
6pm, Michael Govan and Eugene Tan, moderated by Kate Fowle
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Manarat Al Saadiyat
20 NovAbu Dhabi
Frieze Talk: Curating Across Knowledge Systems
5.15pm, Cosmin Costinaș, Kelli Cole, Claudia Segura
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Manarat Al Saadiyat
23 NovAbu Dhabi
Echoes Across Cultures: Spain and the Arab World
6pm
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NYUAD Institute
27 NovAbu Dhabi
Between Two Tongues with Maryam Al Dabbagh
6pm, reading and discussion circle
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421 Arts Campus, Mina Zayed
8–10 DecAbu Dhabi
Culture Summit Abu Dhabi (conference)
“Towards a Reimagined Commons”
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Manarat Al Saadiyat
10 DecAbu Dhabi
Public Lecture: Notes from the Agriculture School with Moza Al Matrooshi
6pm
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421 Arts Campus, Mina Zayed
14–15 DecAbu Dhabi
Awal Badi Forum
Discussions and performances on culture, memory and heritage
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Cultural Foundation, Al Hosn

Dubai

Until 14 NovDubai
Talk series: Corporate Art Collections, Art, Strategy & Cultural Value
Paid course
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Tashkeel, Nad Al Sheba
Until 15 NovDubai
ISEA2026: International Symposium on Electronic Art (conference)
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Venues across Dubai
Until 11 JanDubai
Library Circles: Rend Beiruti
Research display on Dubai’s baqalas
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Jameel Library, Jameel Arts Centre
15 NovDubai
Majlis Talks: Sharing the Sensitive
Curated by Moataz Nasr, with Simon Njami, Julie Banatre, Jenny Mbaye
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The Yard, Alserkal Avenue
7–28 JanDubai
Night School 2027: Afterimage
Seminar programme with public lectures
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Jameel Arts Centre, Al Jaddaf

Sharjah

Until 15 NovSharjah
Sharjah International Book Fair
Author talks, panels and workshops
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Expo Centre Sharjah
Until 26 NovSharjah
Music and Sound Club (workshops)
Free
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Sharjah Art Foundation
21–24 JanSharjah
Sharjah Biennial 17 opening week
Tours, performances and screenings · registration open
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Venues across Sharjah, Al Dhaid, Kalba, Khorfakkan

UAE Arts & Culture Calendar

Opening this week

Closing in the next 10 days

Fairs & art weeks

Abu Dhabi

Dubai

Sharjah

Exhibitions

Abu Dhabi

Dubai

Sharjah

Music, opera, dance & theatre

Abu Dhabi

Dubai

Sharjah

Film

Abu Dhabi

Dubai

Sharjah

Talks and conferences

Abu Dhabi

Dubai

Sharjah