Mariah Carey, Katy Perry headline 64 UAE shows through 2027

The latest:

Sixty-four concerts and live events are still to come in the UAE, stretching from late October 2026 to June 2027, according to a round-up published by The National. The list spans Arabic pop, electronic music, stand-up comedy, ballet, opera and Broadway musicals, with Mariah Carey, Katy Perry, Andrea Bocelli and Imagine Dragons among the headliners. Several shows have yet to announce times or ticket prices.

Details:

• The headliners: Mariah Carey brings her Christmastime show to Etihad Arena on December 12, her second Abu Dhabi date of the year after a Saadiyat Nights performance in February. Katy Perry closes the year on December 31 at Atlantis, The Palm, headlining a black-tie gala with a 30-piece live band and a midnight fireworks display.
• Grand Prix week: The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after-race series runs four nights at Etihad Park and Etihad Live. Lewis Capaldi and Zara Larsson open on December 3, Imagine Dragons headline December 5, and The Chainsmokers and The Script close on race day, December 6. Access is restricted to Grand Prix ticket holders, with show times still unannounced.
• Arabic programming: Wasla Festival returns to Jubilee Park at Expo City Dubai on November 28, headlined by Lebanese oud player Marcel Khalife alongside Le Trio Joubran, TootArd and Fatima. Nancy Ajram plays Coca-Cola Arena on October 24, and Egyptian singer Ramy Sabry performs at Etihad Arena on November 28.
• Comedy slate: Abu Dhabi Comedy Season brings Palestinian-American comedian Mo Amer to Etihad Arena on November 6 and Maz Jobrani on November 7, with Aries Spears following on November 21. Trevor Noah plays four nights at Dubai Opera between November 25 and 29, with tickets from Dh295. Comedy Season prices have not been released.
• Classical and dance: Abu Dhabi Festival hosts American Ballet Theatre at Emirates Palace on November 20, with works by Frederick Ashton, Jiri Kylian and Brady Farrar, plus Paquita staged by Natalia Makarova. A Verdi gala on November 29 marks 125 years since the composer’s death, led by soprano Maria Agresta and tenor Giorgio Berrugi.
• The Bolshoi debut: Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre opens its first official UAE tour at Dubai Opera on December 2 with Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Tsar’s Bride, followed by an orchestral concert on December 3 and a run of The Nutcracker from December 4 to 6. Show times and prices for all three are unannounced.
• Musicals: The Broadway production of Chicago plays eight performances at Coca-Cola Arena from December 16 to 20, with tickets from Dh49. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera makes its Abu Dhabi debut with a three-week run at Etihad Arena from March 10 to 28, 2027, during the show’s 40th anniversary year.
• The 2027 anchor: Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan curates the inaugural Unifyd festival at Etihad Live on March 20, 2027, with Arijit Singh, Karan Aujla and Sonu Nigam leading a bill of more than 15 artists across several stages. General sale opens October 20 through the District app; prices have not been set.
• Electronic bookings: Grammy winner Black Coffee opens the third season of Ushuaia Dubai Harbour Experience on October 24 and returns for race day at 16/360. Anyma performs at Yas Gateway Park as part of the official Grand Prix concert series, with Carl Cox, CamelPhat, Gordo and Shimza filling out race-weekend bills.

Between the lines:

The calendar’s concentration tells its own story. Three of the four busiest weeks sit around the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the New Year’s Eve window, with access to the after-race series tied directly to race attendance — entertainment functioning as an extension of the sporting event rather than a standalone draw. The 2027 bookings, from Phantom’s three-week run to Unifyd, push the season past its traditional winter ceiling.

What’s next

General sale for Unifyd opens October 20 at 10.30am through the District app. Ticket prices and show times are still pending for the Bolshoi tour, the Grand Prix after-race concerts, Abu Dhabi Comedy Season and the Buena Vista Social Club Legacy Concert.