‘Phantom of the Opera’ books Abu Dhabi debut for March 2027

The latest:

The Phantom of the Opera will play Abu Dhabi for the first time, with a run at Etihad Arena on Yas Island scheduled from March 10 to 28, 2027. The engagement is set for 13 performances and lands on the 40th anniversary of the musical’s West End premiere. Tickets are reported to start at Dh240.

Details:

• The dates: The production is scheduled to run for 19 days at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, from March 10 through March 28, 2027, with 13 performances planned across that window. It is the musical’s first staging in the UAE, according to Gulf News.
• The price point: Tickets are reported to start at Dh240. As of early October 2026, further performance details and casting information had not yet been announced, leaving the lineup of principal performers for the Abu Dhabi run undisclosed.
• The anniversary: The Abu Dhabi engagement falls on the musical’s 40th anniversary. The show first opened in London’s West End on October 9, 1986, meaning the March 2027 run arrives four decades and five months after the original production raised its curtain.
• The creative team: Lloyd Webber composed the score, with lyrics by Charles Hart and additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Harold Prince directed the original production, and the book was written by Lloyd Webber and Stilgoe. The work is adapted from Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel, Le Fantôme de l’Opéra.
• The story: Set in the Paris Opera House, the musical follows a masked musical genius living beneath the building who becomes obsessed with Christine Daaé, a young soprano. She is caught between his possessive devotion and her love for Raoul, the Vicomte de Chagny.
• The score: The production is built around some of the most recognisable compositions in international musical theatre, including The Music of the Night, All I Ask of You, Think of Me and the title song, combining orchestral arrangements with melodies written for suspense and romance.
• The staging: Costumes, detailed sets, atmospheric lighting and theatrical illusions are central to the show’s appeal, recreating grand opera halls, hidden passageways and underground chambers. The Phantom’s mask has become one of the most recognisable images in the performing arts.
• The venue: Etihad Arena sits on Yas Island, the Abu Dhabi leisure district already built around concert venues, theme parks and large-scale events. Gulf News framed the booking as part of the capital’s expanding calendar of international entertainment and cultural programming.

Background:

The musical opened in the West End on October 9, 1986, and has since been staged in major cities worldwide, drawing both established theatre audiences and first-time attendees. Its mix of operatic scale and conventional narrative storytelling has made it one of the defining works of modern musical theatre.

Between the lines:

Booking a 40th-anniversary run of a West End staple into a 19-day slot at Etihad Arena signals Abu Dhabi positioning itself for touring theatre, not just concerts and sport. The pitch is regional: residents and visitors get a landmark production without flying to London or New York, while the Dh240 entry price keeps the run accessible beyond dedicated theatregoers.

What’s next

Casting and the full performance schedule were still being announced as of early October 2026. Watch for the ticket on-sale date, the named principals for the Abu Dhabi run, and how the 13 performances are distributed across the March 10–28 window.