The Dirty Dozen Brass Band | Fanfaraï
Date: 05/09/2026
Venue: The Red Theater, The Arts Center
- A high-octane, genre-bending double bill of brass band music from New Orleans and North African France. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band - The pioneering group that brought traditional New Orleans Second Line music into the funk generation, the Grammy Award-winning New Orleans-based Dozen Brass Band blends traditional jazz and bebop with funk and R&B/soul. Fanfaraï - With roots as a street band, the French North African brass and percussion ensemble transforms global traditions with Arab-Berber, A...
The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave
Date: 10/09/2026
Venue: The Black Box Theater, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi
- An electrifying non-stop performance distilling the intensity of a three-day rave into an hour-long spectacle of pure endurance. From Aotearoa (New Zealand), Oli Mathiesen with Lucy Lynch and Sharvon Mortimer present the award-winning The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave, an endurance-based dance work set to the booming Detroit techno album Nocturbulous Behaviour by Suburban Knight. Exploring the movement vocabulary used in techno through the atmosphere and culture of a three-day rave conden...
Untitled 14km - Youness Atbane
Date: 01/10/2026
Venue: The Black Box Theater, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi
- Untitled 14km investigates how the contemporary art world engages with questions of identity, with a particular focus on what is framed as “Arab identity.” In the imaginary museum of North Africa, Middle East Contemporary Art, an Arab-Andalusian poet, a museum director, a curator, and a contemporary artist attempt to conceive an exhibition that re-examines modernism through two parallel lenses: the poetic legacy of the Arab-Andalusian era and the practices of established contemporary Arab art...
Sondra Radvanovsky and Vincenzo Scalera at Abu Dhabi Festival 2026
Date: 17/10/2026
Venue: The Red Theater, The Arts Center
- Sondra Radvanovsky is a star soprano, renowned for her exceptional dramatic presence and a voice of rich, luscious colour and depth. In this programme, accompanied by Vincenzo Scalera, she alternates arias and songs by Bellini, Verdi and Puccini, showcasing her affinity for the Italian bel canto and verismo repertoire. Demonstrating her remarkable versatility, these are set alongside songs by Rachmaninov, the famous Letter Scene from Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, and three great songs by tona...
Näss (People) - Fouad Boussouf | Le Phare - CND Havre Normandie
Date: 30/10/2026
Venue: The Red Theater, The Arts Center
- What happens when the raw energy of 1970s Moroccan music meets the visceral pulse of contemporary hip hop? In Näss (People), choreographer Fouad Boussouf orchestrates a high-octane encounter between seven men, blending traditional North African rhythms with fierce, urban movement. Drawing inspiration from the legendary Moroccan Gnawa musical pioneers Nass el Ghiwane, Boussouf finds a powerful analogy in hip hop’s own quest for identity and roots. The performance is a profound, hypnotic rite; ...
Lisa Batiashvili and Giorgi Gigashvili at Abu Dhabi Festival 2026
Date: 10/12/2026
Venue: The Red Theater, The Arts Center
- Two astonishing players, the award-winning violinist Lisa Batiashvili and the rising piano star Giorgi Gigashvili, join for a thrilling programme that encompasses Beethoven, Bartók, Franck and a new work by Joseph Bardanashvili. The bold grandeur of Beethoven contrasts with the wild brilliance of Bartók, while Franck’s violin sonata is filled with shimmering colour and graceful lyricism.
Minsoo Sohn at Abu Dhabi Festival 2026
Date: 12/12/2026
Venue: The Red Theater, The Arts Center
- Known for his musical intelligence and elegant virtuosity, Minsoo Sohn plays Book One of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier. These 24 preludes and fugues explore the intricacies of all major and minor keys, originally conceived as a teaching exercise but now celebrated as a beloved performance masterpiece. The ear and mind are guided through a progression that fascinates, diverts, and exerts a powerful emotional and intellectual effect.
Dhafer Youssef at Abu Dhabi Festival 2026
Date: 19/12/2026
Venue: The Red Theater, The Arts Center
- Oud player, singer, and composer Dhafer Youssef leads his Quintet on a mesmerising journey through soundscapes that bridge East and West. Born in Tunisia, Youssef divides his time between Vienna, Paris, and New York, and his music reflects this global spirit. Rooted in the Arab musical and vocal traditions of North Africa, he masterfully fuses jazz, European classical forms, Turkish influence, and traditional Indian music into sensuous melodies and intricate rhythmic structures. With driving...
Tamaas Festival: Ibibio Sound Machine | Bombino | Sami Galbi
Date: 29/01/2027
Venue: The Red Theater, The Arts Center
- Discover new global sounds as artists who bridge modern approaches with traditional roots come together. Three bands, two stages: - Sami Galbi (Switzerland and Morocco): A high-energy multi-instrumentalist blending North African Raï and Chaâbi with the raw analog textures of Swiss electronic and urban club culture. (7pm on The East Plaza, standing/general admission) - Bombino (Niger): The "Sultan of Shred" and desert blues icon fusing hypnotic Tuareg rhythms with raw rock-and-roll energy. (8...
Ramadaniyat: The Handover - Aly Eissa, Ayman Asfour, and Jonas Cambien
Date: 17/02/2027
Venue: The Black Box Theater, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi
- A visionary trio bridging deep Arabic folk roots and ritual music of rural Egypt with modern improvisation, krautrock, and psychedelic shaabi. Experience a sonic bridge between the mystic traditions of the Nile Delta and the cutting-edge of contemporary avant-garde. The Handover defies easy categorization, weaving together the creative visions of Egyptian composer and oud player Aly Eissa, Belgian/Norwegian keyboardist Jonas Cambien, and Alexandrian violinist Ayman Asfour. Together, they craf...