Muscat
Some of the most famous names in opera and ballet have performed within this beautiful building since its inauguration in 2011, and the quality of the…
Must-see entertainment in Middle East
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Jerusalem
The Jerusalem Cinematheque, with its quality foreign films and mini festivals on diverse themes such as gay cinema and China on the silver screen, is a…
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Downtown Dubai
Treating cine buffs to smart indie flicks from around the world on a pop-up basis since 2014, this dynamic platform has now taken up permanent residence…
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Jerusalem
This could be the most unique and atmospheric performance venue in a city with no shortage of them. Top Israeli musicians and bands perform in this…
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Jerusalem
Does Middle Eastern dance music or Balkan pop sound like your jam? How about soft jazz, Jewish spiritual songs or stand-up comedy? An impressively diverse…
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Downtown Dubai
Shaped like a traditional dhow – the sailing vessels that still ply the Gulf – Dubai Opera is the city's newest high-calibre performing-arts venue…
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Tehran
One of Tehran’s oldest theatres, this beautiful building in peaceful Park-e Honar Mandan typically has four different shows playing in its complex with…
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Tel Aviv
The flagship in a chain of Israeli cinemas, this branch draws a cultured local crowd for its screenings of classic, retro, foreign, avant-garde and…
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Tel Aviv
Home to the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Charles Bronfman Auditorium hosts world-class classical music performances several times a week. Look out…
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Tel Aviv
This Tel Aviv institution at the southernmost point of the city is a favourite venue for reggae, electronica, funk and alternative bands. Occasionally…
Tel Aviv
Jaffa’s East West House offers curated live music experiences that are set inside the former Ottoman-era villa of Jaffa’s primary doctor. A more low-key…
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Riyadh
A popular weekend destination, the King Abdulaziz Racetrack exemplifies the Kingdom’s rich equestrian heritage. The 5000-seat grandstand flanks the finish…
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Wadi Rum
Jordan's Royal Film Commission has been piloting cinema under the stars in Wadi Rum, showing films connected to the area. If you ever wanted to see…
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Jerusalem
This large state-of-the-art complex with great acoustics includes a concert hall, cinema, theatres and a cafe. It is the place to catch a performance by…
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Downtown Dubai
Reel is one of the top flick-magnets in town, screening mostly Hollywood blockbusters. It has 22 screens, including one featuring a state-of-the-art Dolby…
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Amman
The home of the Jordanian film industry, the commission holds regular screenings and festivals featuring the best of local and international cinema. The…
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Downtown Dubai
A custom-designed theatre with a 270-degree angle makes for perfect sight lines even in the cheaper seats of this magical show centred on an aquatic stage…
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Beirut
This is one of the very best places to hear jazz and blues in Lebanon. Local – and sometimes international – acts perform each Wednesday, Thursday, Friday…
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Jerusalem
The city's sole performing-arts space focused on fostering experimental dance, as well as other performing artists.
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Downtown Dubai
Dubai racing’s home is the spectacular Meydan Racecourse, about 5km southeast of downtown Dubai. Spanning 1.5km, its grandstand is bigger than most…
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv's intimate live jazz venue welcomes a disparate crowd to its almost nightly gigs, which kick off at 9.30pm. Entry fee for gigs is 5NIS per…
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Qatar
The atmosphere is electric when the ‘sport of sheikhs’ – now involving remote-controlled robot jockeys – is being played at Qatar's premier camel race…
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Manama
The country's national theatre sits in a stunning location, surrounded by the azure waters of Manama's northeastern bay, and offers an impressive calendar…
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Kuwait
For a thrilling taste of Kuwaiti sporting life, come to this race track in a 4WD on a Saturday and you can drive alongside camels (with electric jockeys)…
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East Jerusalem
Palestinians don't have many spaces to showcase their art in Jerusalem, and Yabous, along with other nearby galleries, is trying to change that. The…
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Downtown Dubai
This 70-seat community theatre (plus bean bags on busy nights) puts on a busy schedule of improv, stand-up comedy, kids theatre and live broadcasts from…
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Abu Dhabi
Sporting colourful nosebags and matching blankets, camels are the stars of the show at the Al Wathba Race Track, 45km southeast of Abu Dhabi. Races are…
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Jerusalem
Get jolted, sprinkled with water and blasted with sound effects on this cinematic journey through 3000 years of Jewish history. Chaim Topol – one-time…
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Beirut
Beirut’s ‘new’ Hippodrome (dating from the 19th century instead of the Roman era) has an extremely chequered past. In the 1960s, it was one of the busiest…
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Doha
This grand arabesque/Greek outdoor theatre at the heart of the Katara Cultural Village is a sight to behold. It has around 30 rows of deep steps and seats…
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Beirut
Metropolis is Beirut's only art-house cinema, a refreshing breeze in the stale world of corporate franchises. Open since the 1960s, the cinema stayed open…
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Downtown Dubai
This community art space exhibits contemporary art by emerging local and international talent as well as being a DIY painting studio. If you're feeling…
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Nazareth
Founded to help bring cultural life back to the Old City, this cafe hosts exhibitions by Palestinian artists, most of them from the Galilee, and several…
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Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Cultural Centre
Kuwait City
This enormous 214,000-sq-m modern building cost KD235 million (US$773 million) to build and is the largest cultural centre in the Middle East. It contains…
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Tel Aviv
Founded in 1998 in a multiarched Old Jaffa building to bring two cultures together, this stage showcases Hebrew- and Arabic-language plays, sometimes with…
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Beirut
If you've got the dosh for a big night out, spend it at this Gothic basement cabaret. MusicHall's mysterious owner, the Lebanese-Greek politician…
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Haifa
A community centre with frequent amateur concerts, performances and classes (including yoga, Pilates and tango). Art exhibitions change on a monthly basis…
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Jerusalem
HaMazkeka bustles late into weekend nights with people gathering for a drink and enjoying the sounds and sights of the city’s emerging and independent…
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Dubai
This multiplex boasts 24 screens, including a 4D cinema with motion chairs, and wind, light and water effects; the region's first IMAX laser cinema; a…
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Downtown Dubai
Cool cats of all ages gather in this relaxed joint for some of the finest live jazz and blues in town, along with a full, reasonably priced bar line-up…
