UAE Music Calendar: The Biggest Concerts and Festivals Still to Come in 2026

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Dubai and Abu Dhabi are preparing for everything from huge electronic festivals and arena concerts to Arabic pop, hip-hop, classical music and intimate performances at Dubai Opera. Some line-ups are still being revealed, which means the calendar could get even busier before the year is out.

Whether you want to spend four days moving between festival stages, hear a legendary film score performed live or finally see one of the region’s biggest stars in concert, there is plenty worth saving the date for.

Here are some of the biggest music events still ahead in the UAE before 2026 comes to an end.

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Festivals & Major Music Events

Elrow Dubai

Where: Dubai Media City Amphitheatre
When: October 24

Elrow is not the kind of electronic music event where the DJ booth is the only thing worth watching.

The Spanish party concept, which became a fixture of Ibiza’s club scene, is known for transforming venues into extravagant fantasy worlds filled with performers, oversized installations, costumes, confetti and plenty of unexpected details.

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Dubai’s upcoming edition is built around Nowmads: New World, a psychedelic concept inspired by travel and cultures from around the globe.

Expect electronic music at the centre of it all, but with the atmosphere of a surreal carnival happening around you.

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Tamer Hosny & Tamer Ashour

Where: Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi
When: October 17

Two of Egypt’s biggest music stars are sharing one Abu Dhabi stage this October.

Tamer Hosny brings more than two decades of pop hits, a huge regional fanbase and the kind of stage presence that has made him one of the most recognisable figures in Egyptian entertainment.

Tamer Ashour offers a rather different mood. Known for emotional ballads and songs about love, separation and heartbreak, he has built a catalogue made for arena-sized singalongs.

Together, they make for a night that moves between high-energy Egyptian pop and considerably more emotional territory.

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Nancy Ajram

Where: Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai
When: October 24

Few names are as closely associated with modern Arabic pop as Nancy Ajram.

The Lebanese singer has spent more than two decades producing the kind of songs that work just as well on the radio as they do with thousands of people singing along inside an arena.

Her Dubai concert promises a mix of romantic favourites, upbeat pop tracks and some of the biggest hits from her extensive career.

For anyone looking for a major Arabic pop night before the year ends, this is an easy one to add to the calendar.

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Benjamin Clementine

Where: Dubai Opera
When: November 1

Benjamin Clementine brings something completely different to the UAE’s autumn concert schedule.

The British singer, composer, pianist and poet has one of contemporary music’s more unusual career stories. After moving to Paris as a young man, he spent time performing in streets and Métro stations before eventually breaking through internationally.

His debut album, At Least for Now, went on to win the 2015 Mercury Prize.

Musically, Clementine is difficult to place neatly into one genre. Piano-led compositions meet elements of classical music, experimental pop, jazz and spoken-word performance.

That makes Dubai Opera an especially fitting setting for his UAE appearance — intimate enough for the quieter moments, but theatrical enough for everything else.

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UNTOLD Dubai

Where: Dubai Parks and Resorts
When: November 5–8

UNTOLD is returning to Dubai for four days of large-scale festival action.

The event is expected to bring together more than 100 international and regional artists across six stages, with electronic music forming the backbone of the programme alongside pop, hip-hop and live acts.

The full 2026 line-up has yet to be revealed, but previous Dubai editions have featured artists including J Balvin, Rema, Swae Lee and YUNGBLUD, giving a fairly good indication of the scale UNTOLD is aiming for.

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There is another major change this year too: the festival is moving to Dubai Parks and Resorts.

With four days to fill and more names still to come, this is likely to be one of the biggest festival weekends of the season.

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Hans Zimmer Live

Where: Etihad Arena, Yas Island
When: November 13

You may know the films before you know the man behind their music.

Interstellar, Inception, Gladiator, Dune, The Dark Knight and The Lion King are just a handful of the titles Hans Zimmer has helped turn into instantly recognisable cinematic experiences.

This November, those scores are coming to Etihad Arena — with Zimmer himself performing on stage.

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Rather than a conventional orchestra-only soundtrack concert, Hans Zimmer Live is designed as a full arena production. Zimmer performs alongside his 19-piece band, switching between instruments including keyboards, guitar and bass as the music is paired with large-scale visual production.

For movie lovers, it is easily one of the standout dates of the season.

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Tarkan

Where: Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi
When: November 27

Turkish pop icon Tarkan returns to the UAE this November.

For international audiences, his name is still closely linked with Şımarık, the 1990s hit famous for its kissing sounds and later adapted into the English-language track Kiss Kiss. But Tarkan’s career extends far beyond that one global hit.

He remains one of Turkey’s biggest pop performers, with decades of music behind him and a fanbase that stretches well beyond the country.

His Abu Dhabi show is expected to combine familiar classics with material from his more recent releases, supported by choreography, visuals and a full concert production.

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Hiba Tawaji & Ibrahim Maalouf — À La Française

Where: Dubai Opera
When: November 27

The same evening offers a completely different musical option in Dubai.

Lebanese vocalist Hiba Tawaji and Lebanese-French trumpeter and composer Ibrahim Maalouf are joining forces for À La Française, a special performance built around French musical heritage.

Both artists are known for crossing genres. Tawaji’s work moves between Arabic and French music, pop, jazz and theatrical influences, while Maalouf has developed a distinctive trumpet sound shaped by jazz, classical traditions and Arabic music.

Their collaboration brings those worlds together in a reinterpretation of French repertoire rather than a straightforward tribute show.

For audiences looking for something away from the arena circuit, this could be one of November’s most interesting performances.

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Abu Dhabi F1 After-Race Concerts

Where: Etihad Park, Yas Island
When: December 3–6

The Formula 1 weekend in Abu Dhabi has long been about much more than what happens on the track.

Once the racing finishes, Etihad Park becomes one of the UAE’s biggest concert venues, with previous editions attracting names including Beyoncé, Rihanna, Eminem, Post Malone and Katy Perry.

For 2026, Zara Larsson and Lewis Capaldi are scheduled for December 3, while Imagine Dragons will perform on December 5. Further headliners are still expected to be announced.

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Access to the After-Race Concerts is tied to Abu Dhabi Grand Prix tickets, making the weekend a combination of motorsport and major live music.

And with more artists yet to be revealed, the final line-up could still deliver a few surprises.

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Sole DXB

Where: Dubai Design District
When: December 11–13

For three days every December, Dubai Design District becomes one of the city's main meeting points for music, streetwear, art and contemporary culture.

That is the world of Sole DXB.

Musically, the festival has always resisted being confined to a single genre. Hip-hop, R&B, rap and soul sit alongside DJs, alternative artists and electronic sounds.

The 2026 line-up is still to come, but recent editions have featured an impressively broad mix of international and regional talent, including Tyla, Miguel, Lil Yachty, Kaytranada, Loyle Carner and Palestinian-Jordanian artist Zeyne.

The artists are only part of the appeal, though. Sole DXB has developed its own culture around fashion, sneakers, art and the crowd itself — which is why the event tends to take over social feeds almost as quickly as it takes over d3.

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Dopa World

Where: Expo City Dubai
When: December 18–20

Dubai is getting a completely new festival before 2026 is over.

Dopa World will make its debut at Expo City Dubai with a concept centred around contemporary Arab youth culture and a soundtrack spanning hip-hop, rap, R&B and alternative music.

The first wave of artists already gives the festival a clear identity.

Palestinian-French-Algerian artist Saint Levant is among the headline names, bringing his multilingual blend of Arabic, English and French across hip-hop, pop and R&B. Egyptian rappers Shehab and Ziad Zaza have also been announced, with additional performers still to come.

Launching a new festival into an already crowded UAE events calendar is no small task, but Dopa World is clearly positioning itself differently — less as another international festival imported into Dubai and more as a platform built around the region’s own contemporary music and culture.

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One More Season, Plenty More Music

From Arabic pop and orchestral performances to electronic festivals, hip-hop and some of cinema’s most famous soundtracks, the UAE’s final months of 2026 cover a surprisingly wide musical spectrum.

And the calendar is not necessarily complete yet. Several major festivals and events still have artists and headliners to announce.

So whether your ideal night involves Andrea Bocelli and an orchestra, Nancy Ajram at Coca-Cola Arena, Hans Zimmer bringing Interstellar to life or three days immersed in the world of Sole DXB, there is still plenty of live music ahead before the year signs off.

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