The UAE seems to have already made a name for itself as the ultimate global entertainment hub; staging the biggest festivals, activities and events including its widely loved Global Village; an open air spectacle of entrainment, dining and shopping as well as its gigantic amusement parks including IMG World Of Adventures. Newer future projects and events are also underway as the UAE continues to establish itself as a prime tourist destination. To learn about the latest entertainment venues and events set to take place in the UAE, we picked out the most exciting ones up and coming.
The Wizarding World’s Arrival To Abu Dhabi
Making a landing at Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi at Yas Island is the Middle East’s first ever Harry Potter themed land. Fans will have the chance to re-live their favorite moments from the famous Harry Potter books turned films by visiting all the beloved locations of the popular series.
The Wizarding World developed by Warner Bros Discovery’s Global Themed Entertainment and Yas Island developer Miral will be joining the existing immersive lands at Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi that include Gotham City and Metropolis. So far, it has not been announced when the theme park will undergo construction but it has been said by Miral that it will be “significant in scale”, from what’s been witness with other projects the word ‘grand’ comes to mind.
Miral has other exciting big projects set to launch in the UAE including Sea World Abu Dhabi and even Abu Dhabi’s very own Natural History museum that will open at Saadiyat Island.
The UAE’s First Ever Casino Landing in Ras El Khaimah
Set to open in 2026, the UAE’s Ras Al Khaimah will see the launch of a casino in the Wynn Marjan Resort that will be double the size of the property in Las Vegas. Taking up 18,500 sqm, the casino will be located on Dream Island and will be the island’s sole resort. Also in preparation are the gaming laws for the casino that will use Singaporean and US regulations as its foundation.
The launch of the casino marks a significant first for the Gulf seeing as to how the region has strict rules against gambling. What is known so far is that the casino has been licensed for gaming without the mention of gambling as part of that license.
The All-Female Orchestra Performing At Expo City
Making a special comeback at Expo City Dubai is the all-women ensemble Firdaus Orchestra led by the Academy Award winning composer A.R. Rahman. They wowed the crowd during last year’s Expo2020 and this year will be no exception as they take the stage on November the 19th at Wasl Plaza.
Firdaus Orchestra is quite a unique ensemble, bringing together a group of classically trained women from 24 different countries who would meld together their cultures and backgrounds in all their performances. They are also known to draw inspiration from the region’s old music traditions by including instruments such as the oud, rebaba and darbuka.
For this year’s performance, conducted by Yasmine Sabbah, the group will perform symphonic compositions by A.R. Rahman as well as Western orchestral harmonies and ancient melodies from the Orchestral Qawwali Project.
For tickets, you can head to Dubai’s Platinumlist official website.
Celebrating Young Talent at the Dubai Festival for Youth Music
Shining a light on the nation’s young talent, the UAE will be staging its very first youth music festival on November 24th held at the Mohammed bin Rashid Library. This special event hosted by Dubai Cultures invites young musicians aged 15 to 35 to take part in the festival and to perform. Registration has already started and will continue on until November 19th through the Dubai Culture’s website. The festival is in line with Dubai Culture’s goal of creating a supportive environment to nurture creative talent in the UAE.
Beyond the performances, the festival will also host an awards ceremony that will give the young performers an opportunity to win special awards including the Best Singing Award as well as the Best Piano Playing Award. The event will also honor a legendary musician whose name has not yet been announced as a way to celebrate a ground-breaking career.
With such a jam packed line up of events and projects set up for both this year and the years to come the UAE is showing continuous fervour to remain the go-to hot spot for the biggest international events.