Dubai Opera season announces a blockbuster 2025–26 lineup with global premieres, major debuts and Arabic music icons across genres.
DUBAI: Dubai Opera lifted the curtain on its ninth and most ambitious programme yet, confirming over 50 international productions and more than 150 performances across opera, ballet, musical theatre, concerts, Arabic music, theatre and comedy. Opening this September with a grand trilogy—Puccini’s La Bohème, Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony with the Emperor Piano Concerto, and Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake—the Dubai Opera season sets a confident tone for a year of cultural excellence.
Classical highlights include long-awaited debuts and milestone returns: piano superstar Yuja Wang, the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia, and operatic legends Plácido Domingo and José Carreras. Handel’s Tamerlano arrives in the venue’s first fully staged baroque production. On the dance front, international icon Roberto Bolle headlines a spectacular gala, while festive favourite The Nutcracker brings winter magic to Downtown Dubai.
Musical theatre takes centre stage with the UAE premiere of global sensation Wicked The Musical, alongside audience favourites Grease and Rumi: The Musical. Concertgoers can look forward to Kings of Convenience, Jon Batiste and Goran Bregović, while Arabic music stars—among them Najwa Karam, Elissa, Omar Khairat, Zade Dirani and Khalid Abdulrahman—headline a powerhouse slate celebrating regional artistry.
Theatre and comedy are equally strong, with the regional debut of War and Peace, Lebanese drama Khyel Sahra, Rob Beckett’s stand-up, and the city-wide Dubai Comedy Festival. Curated to bridge genres and generations, the Dubai Opera season underscores the venue’s role as a house of culture and a gathering place for communities. With premieres, debuts and special galas, the programme reaffirms Dubai’s growing profile as a global cultural capital and delivers a season designed, quite simply, for everyone.
