The long-awaited Abu Dhabi Festival is BACK for the month of March, which means there are plenty of reasons to visit our neighbouring Emirate.

With a jam-packed calendar lined up featuring the greatest stars of opera, ballet, classical music, jazz, dance and world music, the world-class cultural fest starts on March 1 and there is so much going on!

With so many events, we’ve listed some three truly fantastic shows coming to Abu Dhabi for a short time only; we’re particularly excited for Pianographique and Don Quizote …read on to find out more!

Recommended

Enjoy Cucumbers, Clues, And Cocktails At The Cucumbar DXB This Month!Over 200 Global Creators United For The First Ever Crypto Content Creator Campus In DubaiIrish Rock Band The Corrs Just Announced A Dubai Gig!

Here’s what you need to know…

5. Pianographique

Prepare yourself for an evening of sensational piano by Philip Glass, Stece Reich, Maurice Ravel, and a live visualisation by Dennis Russell Davies and Maki Namekawa with Cori Olan.

Expect some piano classics with a twist as they’ve brought the radical and revelatory approach of Ars Electronica to the show… this is a night of music like you’ve never heard before.

When? Saturday March 24

Where? Emirates Palace Auditorium

Tickets here

4. Don Quizote Compania Nacional De Danza – March 29 and 30

A wonderful evening of ballet at none other than the Emirates Palace Auditorium, it tells the story of the friendship, love and loyalty of Miguel de Cervantes’ romantic knight Don Quixot. The passionate story brought to life with beautiful choreography, mark this down as a must visit event.

When? March 29 and 20

Where? Emirates Palace Auditorium

Tickets here

It looks amazing!

3. Merchants of Bollywood – March 8 and 9

More than two million people have watched this spectacular show and it’s coming to Abu Dhabi for TWO nights, as part of the Abu Dhabi Festival.

The show celebrates the world’s most prolific film industry through dance, you can expect an astonishing array of colour, music, costumes and dance lead by the talented Vaibhavi Merchant and the score by award-winning duo Salim and Sulaiman Merchant.

Tickets here

2. Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia – March 11 and 12

For opera lovers, this is an unmissable show.

Two evenings of opera by one of the oldest musical institutions in the world and conducted by one of Europe’s most dynamic conductors; Sir Antonio Pappano, Music Director of the Royal Opera House, London, and joined by pianist Beatrice Rana by widely acclaimed violinist Kyung Wha Chung who will perform a solo on both evenings.

Tickets here

1. A night of jazz with Omar- March 17

A night of jazz at the stunning Emirates Palace performance venue sounds dreamy…particularly when performed by Palestinian crooner and composer Omar Kamal. His performance will swing from Sinatra to timeless Arab hits, and is sure to be an unforgettable evening.

Tickets here

The Abu Dhabi Festival kicks off on March 1

Tickets can be purchased separately for each show and you can get the full event guide here