Symposium O: Love Past Apocalypse
Date: 20/11/2026
Venue: The Black Box Theater, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi
- - Love! That’s what we’re doing today, guys. Look at this stage. Look at this crowd. I’m low-key so excited to finally see something in this place that isn’t about how everything’s mid because of AI. Love! A group of scholars, artists, students, and workers gather for Symposium O: Love Past Apocalypse. They've come to ask us what love can still mean in the face of destruction and uncertainty. It seems like nothing goes right in the modern search for love. Caught between love as a concept a...
Recital Series: Fatima Al Hashimi and Ina Chareli at Abu Dhabi Festival 2026
Date: 07/12/2026
Venue: Zayed National Museum
- Emirati soprano Fatima Al Hashimi, accompanied by pianist Ina Chareli, present a programme blending classical and traditional Arabic repertoire, highlighting both the lyrical qualities of the voice and the nuanced support of the piano. Showcasing their musical sensitivity and interpretive skill, the selection alternates between tender, reflective songs and more vibrant, expressive moments, creating a performance that is both engaging and emotionally resonant. Initial Listing and Description p...
Youssou N’DOUR & Le Super Etoile de Dakar
Date: 07/12/2026
Venue: The Red Theater, The Arts Center
- Presented by The Arts Center at NYUAD and Ideas Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with the 2026 UN Water Conference and in partnership with Abu Dhabi Festival Few artists have brought the sound, identity, and spirit of Africa to the world with the reach, longevity, and authenticity of Youssou N’Dour. With a career spanning decades, the Grammy Award-winning Senegalese singer, songwriter, and composer has connected audiences across continents through music that celebrates Africa’s identity, heritage,...
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...
I AM - Camille A. Brown & Dancers
Date: 21/01/2027
Venue: The Red Theater, The Arts Center
- A love letter to Black joy expressed through the body and written in the diasporic languages of West African, Modern, Jazz, Tap, Social, Street, and Hip-Hop dance. Choreographer and director Camille A. Brown returns to The Arts Center with a work that celebrates and recontextualizes African American culture—its profundity, complexity, and brilliance—while paying homage to its diasporic DNA in her newest piece: I AM. In I AM, Brown choreographs the spectrum of humanity, transporting audiences ...
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...
Tribute to Ziad Rahbani - Faraj Suleiman
Date: 26/03/2027
Venue: The Red Theater, The Arts Center
- Faraj Suleiman returns to The Arts Center to pay tribute to the legendary Lebanese composer Ziad Rahbani in an evening of boundary-pushing jazz and contemporary piano. Faraj Suleiman reimagines the work of the iconic Ziad Rahbani through his own artistic language, compositional mindset, and distinctive musical identity. It is built around full reinterpretation, with each musical selection re-orchestrated, re-harmonised, and rhythmically reshaped to reflect Faraj’s creative vision of one of hi...