Sept 12 Gala Kickstarts Dubai Opera's 10th Season in Downtown Dubai
📣 ARTICLE HEADLINE
Downtown Dubai’s cultural anchor at Dubai Opera is marking a decade in the neighborhood with its newly unveiled 2026, 27 season. The multi-genre program spans opera, ballet, Arabic music, and international comedy, kicking off this weekend in the heart of the district.
What Downtown Residents Need to Know About the Upcoming Performance Schedule
The celebration opens on September 12 with a 10th Anniversary Gala featuring Egyptian soprano Fatma Said, Maestro Ahmed Farag, the UAE National Orchestra, and the Festival Chorus. The evening centers on the world premiere of a new orchestral work by Egyptian composer Mohamed Medhat, commissioned specifically for the UAE National Orchestra to blend symphonic arrangements with traditional Arabic instruments. The opening showcase also features Jan Martens’ dance work *Period Piece*, performed by Kaine Ward with lighting design by Rudy Parra of Lyon Opera Ballet.
Performance runs continue through the autumn months, bringing increased evening visitor traffic into the Downtown venue. The Ukrainian National Ballet takes the stage from September 17 to 19 with an adaptation of *The Marriage of Figaro*, marking 270 years since Mozart’s birth. October follows with a series of single-night concerts and limited runs: Queen tribute show *God Save The Queen* on October 5, Lebanese performer Marilyne Naaman on October 6, *The Amy Winehouse Band* on October 8, Gipsy Kings Symphonic led by André Reyes on October 22, and Compagnia Finzi Pasca’s acrobatic staging of *TITIZÉ, A Venetian Dream* from October 29 to 31.
Comedy and theatre bookings also take over the venue across mid-October. The seventh edition of the Dubai Comedy Festival runs from October 9 to 18, alongside two nights of the theatrical play *Mohandis Al Thouq Al Aam* on October 9 and 10. The broader season schedule extends into November with performances by British artist Benjamin Clementine, alongside upcoming appearances by Trevor Noah and the Bolshoi Theatre. Head of Dubai Opera Lara Ewing confirmed the opening lineup reflects a deliberate mix of cultural styles designed to mirror the venue’s overall decade-long programming.
Dubai Opera‘s 10th anniversary season continues through 2027 with its full slate of international and regional performances.
