Must-see entertainment in United Arab Emirates

Treating cine buffs to smart indie flicks from around the world on a pop-up basis since 2014, this dynamic platform has now taken up permanent residence…

Shaped like a traditional dhow – the sailing vessels that still ply the Gulf – Dubai Opera is the city's newest high-calibre performing-arts venue…

If you like to smell the rubber on your car chase and feel the earth rumble as screaming tyres race across a 24.5m screen, then the 4D experience at Vox…

Reel is one of the top flick-magnets in town, screening mostly Hollywood blockbusters. It has 22 screens, including one featuring a state-of-the-art Dolby…

A custom-designed theatre with a 270-degree angle makes for perfect sight lines even in the cheaper seats of this magical show centred on an aquatic stage…

Dubai racing’s home is the spectacular Meydan Racecourse, about 5km southeast of downtown Dubai. Spanning 1.5km, its grandstand is bigger than most…

This outdoor entertainment venue (formerly known as Yas Arena) regularly hosts big names of the regional and international music world. With excellent…

This striking indoor entertainment venue holds art exhibitions, concerts, comedy shows and sports events. Unlike Yas Island's other entertainment venue,…

This 70-seat community theatre (plus bean bags on busy nights) puts on a busy schedule of improv, stand-up comedy, kids theatre and live broadcasts from…

Sporting colourful nosebags and matching blankets, camels are the stars of the show at the Al Wathba Race Track, 45km southeast of Abu Dhabi. Races are…

This community art space exhibits contemporary art by emerging local and international talent as well as being a DIY painting studio. If you're feeling…

This multiplex boasts 24 screens, including a 4D cinema with motion chairs, and wind, light and water effects; the region's first IMAX laser cinema; a…

Cool cats of all ages gather in this relaxed joint for some of the finest live jazz and blues in town, along with a full, reasonably priced bar line-up…

This old-timer doesn't need chi-chi designer interiors or a fancy-pants cocktail list put together by a world-famous mixologist to pull punters in. Heroes…

Since 2015 this pint-sized indie performing-arts space has hosted some of Dubai's most exciting cultural programming, from plays to concerts and comedy to…

Cool cats flock to this sophisticated supper club at the Radisson Blu that serves international cuisine in a modern art-deco-inspired setting. But the…

Part of the Alserkal Avenue cultural campus, this talent-management agency runs a much beloved concert series (usually on Fridays) that shines the…

Enjoy your favourite cocktail along with the latest blockbuster while kicking back on a plush lounge-style sofa at this rooftop cinema overlooking the…

This multi-venue arts centre, inside the New York University's Abu Dhabi campus, hosts a regular, eclectic program of dance performances, music concerts,…

Every Sunday night during the cooler months, clued-in cinephiles invade the rooftop of the Pyramids Building, next to the Wafi Mall, to drop into a giant…