Abu Dhabi is giving the sofa some serious competition this weekend, and not just because the weather is finally making plans outside sound sensible again. From Japanese animation and an oud-led orchestral encounter to Indian folk dancing and a wonderfully nostalgic cassette-tape workshop, the capital’s cultural calendar is packed. There are also museum activities for children who consider sitting still an unreasonable request, plus an excuse to head to Al Ain and disappear into a world of bubbles. Whether you’re after big-stage brilliance, hands-on creativity or something to make the group chat actually commit, here’s where to go.
Hear two musical worlds meet at Harmony
Start Friday with an ear-opening musical encounter. The UAE National Orchestra’s Harmony brings celebrated oud player Naseer Shamma together with composer Richard Dubugnon for a programme exploring the conversation between Arabic and Western traditions. There’s a world premiere of Dubugnon’s Double Concerto for Ney and Cello, with Rami Ourabi on ney and Sary Khalifé on cello. Expect an evening of musical dialogue.
October 16, 8pm (doors 7.30pm). The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi.
Make a date with anime royalty
At Cultural Foundation, Anime Film Week is treating Japanese animation as the big-screen art form it is. Friday pairs the sweet, sea-swept Ponyo (4pm) with the considerably less soothing Attack on Titan: The Last Attack (7pm). Saturday brings Miyazaki’s floating-city adventure Laputa: Castle in the Sky (3pm), while Sunday serves Kiki’s Delivery Service (3pm) and One Piece Film: Red (7pm). All screen in Japanese, with subtitle options varying by film. Saturday’s Anime Memories concert turns beloved anime themes into live music at 8pm.
October 16–18. Cultural Foundation, Abu Dhabi.
Turn a favourite song into a keepsake
Remember cassette tapes? Artist Nada Almosa has a considerably better use for them than leaving them in a drawer. At 421 Arts Campus, her Interventions on Memory and Musical Ephemera workshop invites you to make an eight-fold zine housed inside a cassette case. Bring family photographs and analogue music memorabilia, then use writing, guided recollection, collage and even pressed botanicals to turn a song into a personal archive. No artistic credentials required, and lunch and a take-home artist kit are included.
October 17, noon–4pm. 421 Arts Campus.
Play Snakes and Ladders, Louvre-style
A gallery visit that ends with permission to make something? Parents, take note. Louvre Abu Dhabi’s family art-making sessions begin with a close look at objects in the collection before moving into the creative bit. This weekend’s theme is Snakes and Ladders: children explore the game’s routes and rules, then design their own board. It’s a crafty alternative to another afternoon of screen time, and the workshop itself is free, although museum admission is required.
October 17–18 programme; Saturday session 11am–2pm. Louvre Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island.
Dance your way through Navratri
Bring your brightest outfit and your most cooperative dancing shoes. Tanishq presents Red Dot Dandiya Beatz 2026 is taking over 321 Sports Football on Hudayriyat Island for a six-hour celebration of Indian music and community. Expect dandiya dancing, a DJ, live performances, contests and vegetarian food stalls. Beginners welcome. Children under ten enter free, and there’s a shuttle from the Hudayriyat parking zone to the event gate.
October 17, 6pm–midnight. 321 Sports Football, Hudayriyat Island.
Build a prehistoric record-breaker
The Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi is going full brick mode with LEGO SHOWS Natural Brickstory. Explore zones devoted to dinosaurs, minerals, plants, animals and space, make a LEGO rocket and join collaborative builds inspired by the museum’s collection. There’s even a Guinness World Records attempt to construct the world’s largest LEGO-brick prehistoric mammal, meaning your small contribution could become part of something enormous.
Until November 8. Friday–Sunday, 10am–8.30pm. Included with museum admission. Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island.
Take a bubbly detour to Al Ain
For a family outing with very little chance of anyone calling it boring, Bubble Planet offers 11 immersive rooms of oversized balloons, optical illusions, glowing landscapes and a rather irresistible pink ball pit. There’s also a hot-air-balloon simulator and VR experiences, if walking through a giant bubble bath isn’t surreal enough. Allow 60 to 90 minutes for the visit, but factor in the journey: this one is at Al Ain Square in Al Ain, not Abu Dhabi city.
Friday, 2pm–10pm; Saturday–Sunday, 11am–7pm. Until November 7.