From Stars Con Middle East to performing arts festivals, concerts and film festivals in the Middle East, you can expect some of the best cinematic discoveries year after year. Countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar provide the best opportunities for cinematic and cultural events. If you plan on travelling to these countries soon—easily done so by booking your trip on Wego Flights—you’ll find a host of entertainment opportunities and events to make your trip memorable.
Here we look at 21 of the best film festivals, concerts and pop culture events across the Middle East.
Sonu Nigam
Sonu Nigam will be performing at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena this September. The well-known singer has several Indi-pop albums and hit tracks featured in Bollywood and Kannada movies. He was also recently granted the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian honor, for his contribution to the field of arts and music.
Date: 10 September 2022
Venue: Coca-Cola Arena, City Walk, Dubai – UAE.
Hyperound K-Fest
Hyperound will host the Korean Music Festival (K-Fest) for the first time in UAE’s capital. The K-Fest will feature ten of the most popular Korean music artists performing in various genres like hip-hop, rock, pop, ballad and others. The line-up includes Sik-K, Woogie, P1Harmony, Peakboy, Jay B, Paul Kim, Loco, Dvwn, Zico and The Rose.
Date: 10 September 2022
Venue: Etihad Arena, Yas Bay Waterfront, Abu Dhabi – UAE.
Dubai Motorcycle Film Festival (DMFF)
The Dubai Motorcycle Film Festival (DMFF) has been dedicated to screening movies focusing on motorcycles and the camaraderie of the motorcycle community. The DMFF promises over 30 bike film screenings of the best dramatic, short films, and documentaries that reveal the passion of riders. Attendees can also expect a photography workshop and a talk with a notable motorcycle-relevant cinematographer.
Date: 23 to 24 September 2022
Venue: Warehouse Four, Dubai – UAE.
Westlife (Wild Dreams Tour)
The most famous Irish boyband Westlife best known for their ’90s tracks, including You Raise Me Up, Swear It Again, and Uptown Girl will be coming to Abu Dhabi for the first time to perform at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island. You can expect to groove to the tunes of a host of their well-known classic tracks and their 18th studio album – Wild Dreams, which was released in 2021. If you are travelling to Abu Dhabi from Dubai, you can book a shuttle bus that takes you straight to the Etihad Arena to watch the live concert and book your Abu Dhabi hotel through Wego Hotels.
Date: 29 September 2022
Venue: Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi – UAE.
50 Cent (Green Light Gang World Tour)
The hip-hop artist and rapper is coming to Dubai this September to perform for his ‘Green Light Gang’ world tour. Don’t miss the veteran hip-hop artist as he anchors his headline performance at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena this September. You can purchase tickets for the Green Light Gang world tour online from AED 225. The concert will be open to the public on 30 September from 8:00 pm onwards.
Date: 30 September 2022
Venue: Coca-Cola Arena, City Walk, Dubai – UAE.
Rimi Tomy and Vidhu Prathap Musical Night in Qatar
Fans have geared up for Rimy Tomy, Vidhu Prathap, and Athul Narukara’s live ensemble in Doha, Qatar, this September. On the occasion of Onam, South Indian and Asian communities can witness talented artists like Vipin Xavier and Syamprasad Puthenveettil Unnikrishnan, as well as the crew band members at this event.
Date: 9 September 2022
Venue: Al Arabi Sports Club, Doha – Qatar
Qatar International Art Festival
Qatar International Art Festival will be hosting its fourth edition this year which will last 7 days. In partnership with Cultural Village Foundation – Katara, the unique art event connects artists worldwide and brings together global art experts, art critics, connoisseurs and art academicians on one shared platform.
Date: 25 to 30 September 2022
Venue: Katara Cultural Village, Doha – Qatar
The Sound of Movies
To pay homage to 125 years of timeless movie hits, the Sound of Movies in Egypt will bring to life movie songs through a grand re-orchestration. The Cairo symphony orchestra by Nayer Nagui will feature stars like Medhat Saleh and Reham Abdel Hakim.
Date: 30 September 2022
Venue: AlBurouj Cultural Hub, Cairo – Egypt
Coke Studio Live
Featuring up-and-coming singers and established artists, Coke Studio Live will be coming to Dubai for the very first time at the City Walk venue in October. Talented artists from Pakistan’s Coke Studio Season 14 will take the stage during this event. To enter the concert, attendees will need to register for the Coke Studio pre-sale at the Coca-Cola Arena.
Date: 14 October 2022
Venue: City Walk, Dubai – UAE
Justin Bieber’s “Justice” World Tour
Returning to Dubai for his “Justice World Tour,” Justin Bieber will perform for fans at the Coca-Cola Arena in October 2022. After being nominated for 13 Billboard awards, the Canadian pop star was recently named the ‘Artist of The Year’ at the MTV Video Music Awards. You can also catch the pop star in Bahrain on 5 October at Al Dana Amphitheatre.
Date: 8 to 9 October 2022
Venue: Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai – UAE
Date: 5 October 2022
Venue: Al Dana Amphitheatre, Zallaq – Bahrain
Footloose: The Musical
Presented by the DPA Youth Theatre Company, ‘Footloose: The Musical’ will bring forth the fun spirit of the 80s and the nostalgic soundtracks and dance moves for a complete four-day running show. The 1980s screen sensation will be held at Dubai Opera, and fans can purchase tickets online at AED 275.
Date: 5 to 8 October 2022
Venue: Dubai Opera – UAE
Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth
Sharjah International Film Festival is organized by (FUNN) Sharjah Media Arts for Youth and Children. SIFF’s central vision is to foster children’s creativity and showcase the best in filmmaking for children and youth. The film festival will showcase films from over 43 countries, including the UAE and will focus on addressing new media work and films made exclusively by children and youth in the UAE.
Date: 10 to 15 October 2022
Venue: Al Jawaher Reception & Convention Centre, Sharjah – UAE
Tiësto Live
With his hit tracks, Grammy award-winning DJ and producer Tiësto has revolutionized the dance music landscape. This year, he will be heading to Bahrain to perform at Al Dana Amphitheatre. With over 30 million fans, the international icon has achieved the #1 DJ title by Rolling Stone and has sold over 36 million albums worldwide.
Date: 21 October 2022
Venue: Al Dana Amphitheatre, Zallaq – Bahrain
Hardwell’ Rebels Never Die’
Catch the international Dutch DJ, Hardwell, at the Coca-Cola Arena this November, who will be returning to Dubai to perform his hit tracks. Attendees will be grooving to his hit tracks, including No Holding Back, Thinking About You, Follow Me and Broken Mirror. Presented by Full Circle, in partnership with Dubai Calendar, the ‘Rebels Never Die’ tour is something you should not miss out on.
Date: 4 November 2022
Venue: Coca-Cola Arena, City Walk, Dubai – UAE
Calum Scott ‘Bridges’ World Tour
UK music artist Calum Scott is coming to Dubai for his performance at the Hard Rock Cafe in November. Having appeared on shows like “The Voice,” “American Idol,” and “Dancing With The Stars,”; the English singer and songwriter will treat fans to a live performance which will include his hit singles on the new album “Bridges.”
Date: 19 November 2022
Venue: Hard Rock Café, Dubai – UAE
Lewis Capaldi
Lewis Capaldi will have his first-ever show in Dubai as part of his tour across 10 countries. The Scottish singer rose to fame after his debut album ‘Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent,’ which remained on the number one spot on the UK charts for several weeks in a row. You can also catch the singer in Bahrain this November performing his top hit tracks.
Date: 24 November 2022
Venue: Coca-Cola Arena, City Walk, Dubai – UAE
Date: 26 November 2022
Venue: Al Dana Amphitheatre, Zallaq – Bahrain
Stars Con Middle East – 26 to 27 November
The UAE is gearing up for the Middle East Film & Comic Con 2022 (MEFCC), which has already revealed a glittering roster of celebrity guests. Fans can get a chance to catch a glimpse of their favourite TV actors, including some from Stranger Things, Teen Wolf and Charmed, at the two-day star convention in Dubai. Don’t forget to book your tickets online for an up-close celebrity encounter.
Date: 26 to 27 November 2022
Venue: Dubai World Trade Centre – UAE
The Lion King
To commemorate its 25th anniversary, The Lion King stage musical will have a four-week run from 16 November to 10 December 2022. The award-winning musical premiered in 1997 and has since become increasingly popular in over 100 cities and across 21 countries. Do not miss out on the highest-grossing Broadway production of all time starting from 16 November 2022.
Date: 16 November to 10 December 2022
Venue: Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi – UAE
Soundstorm
The music company MDLBEAST will be returning with the Soundstorm music festival in Saudi Arabia for the third year this December. Last year over 150 artists from around the world performed at the event across 8 stages equipped with top-notch sound systems. This year’s line-up announcements, transportation details and concert time will be announced shortly. So, stay tuned for the latest details and register for early bird passes.
Date: 1 to 3 December 2022
Venue: Riyadh – Saudi Arabia
Red Sea International Film Festival
Gearing up for round two, the Red Sea International Film Festival will run from 1 to 10 December this year in Jeddah. Local and international filmmakers will be attending the event to present their films to guests from around the world. Last year, the red carpet event featured several stars including the likes of Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Catherine Deneuve, Akshay Kumar, Haifaa Al Mansour, Clive Owen, Yousra, Vincent Cassel and others.
Date: 1 to 10 December 2022
Venue: UNESCO World Heritage Site, Jeddah – Saudi Arabia
D’reesha Performing Arts Festival
To integrate multiple disciplines such as theatre, poetry, research, education and technology; the D’reesha Performing Arts Festival in Qatar will engage a new generation of innovative artists. The event will bring together thousands of people from all over the world to Qatar to a week-long event filled with talents.
Date: 11 to 17 December 2022
Venue: Oxygen Park, Ar-Rayyan – Qatar