Dubai Opera is preparing to celebrate a decade of performances with a landmark anniversary gala in the heart of Downtown Dubai.
The Dubai Opera 10th Anniversary Gala will take place on Saturday, 12 September 2026, bringing acclaimed soprano Fatma Said together with the UAE National Orchestra, conductor Ahmed Farag and the Festival Chorus. The performance will officially open Dubai Opera’s 10th anniversary season and begin the venue’s next chapter with a night centred on orchestral music, vocal artistry and cultural exchange.
Presented by Dubai Opera, the gala has been designed as both a tribute to the venue’s first decade and a statement about its future. The programme will bring regional and international talent onto one stage, while the black-tie setting is expected to give the evening the scale and elegance associated with a major cultural milestone.
The building will open at 7pm for welcome refreshments. Auditorium doors will open at 7.30pm, followed by the performance at 8pm.
A Milestone Night for Dubai Opera
Dubai Opera opened on 31 August 2016 and has since developed into one of the city’s most recognisable performing arts destinations.
Inspired by the shape of a traditional dhow, the building was designed as a reference to Dubai’s maritime heritage. Its adaptable auditorium can be transformed into a theatre, concert hall or flat-floor event space, allowing the venue to accommodate opera, ballet, musicals, orchestral concerts, conferences, exhibitions and other large productions.
According to Dubai Opera’s official history, the venue has welcomed more than 1.5 million visitors since August 2016. Its stage has hosted over 2,500 performances involving more than 6,500 artists from around the world.
Those figures help explain why the 10th anniversary is more than a birthday celebration. The gala marks a decade in which the venue has become a regular part of Dubai’s entertainment calendar while helping to provide classical music, ballet and theatre with a permanent home in the city.
Its Downtown Dubai location has also made it an architectural landmark. With seating for up to 2,000 people, the auditorium is large enough to accommodate major touring productions while retaining the formal atmosphere expected from an opera house.
Fatma Said Leads the Anniversary Programme
Egyptian soprano Fatma Said will lead the vocal programme at the Dubai Opera 10th Anniversary Gala.
Born in Cairo, Said began studying singing as a teenager before continuing her musical education in Berlin. She later joined the Opera Academy at Milan’s Teatro alla Scala and has performed at concert halls and opera houses around the world.
Her repertoire crosses opera, classical song and music shaped by different languages and cultural traditions. Said’s official biography traces a career that has taken her from Cairo to major international stages, while her recorded projects have combined European classical repertoire with Arabic, French, Spanish and other musical influences.
That range makes her a fitting choice for an anniversary event focused on cultural exchange. Rather than treating regional and international artistry as separate ideas, the gala places them within one programme.
Said will perform with the UAE National Orchestra under conductor Ahmed Farag, with the Festival Chorus adding another dimension to the night’s vocal and orchestral arrangements.
The complete musical programme has not been published, so audiences will need to wait for further details or the performance itself to learn which works will be included.
The UAE National Orchestra Takes Centre Stage
The inclusion of the UAE National Orchestra gives the gala a strong national foundation.
For an event celebrating one of Dubai’s most important cultural venues, the orchestra’s presence keeps the focus connected to the UAE’s developing performing arts landscape. It also gives the evening a broader purpose than a conventional visiting-artist concert.
Ahmed Farag will conduct the orchestra, directing the collaboration between the musicians, Fatma Said and the Festival Chorus. The combination should allow the programme to shift between intimate vocal passages and the larger sound expected from a full anniversary production.
Dubai Opera describes the night as a celebration of artistic excellence, creativity and the universal language of the arts. The confirmed lineup reflects that positioning by bringing together a celebrated Arab soprano, a national orchestra, a conductor and a chorus in a single performance.
A Red-Carpet Opening to the New Season
The Dubai Opera 10th Anniversary Gala will serve as the official opening of the venue’s anniversary season.
Guests are encouraged to wear black-tie attire, setting the evening apart from a standard performance night. Welcome refreshments will be available from 7pm, giving attendees an hour before the show begins.
The red-carpet format is appropriate for a celebration looking back at ten years of productions, performers and audiences. It also allows Dubai Opera to frame the gala as the beginning of its next decade rather than only a retrospective.
The event arrives during a busy month for entertainment in the UAE, with other concerts and major cultural gatherings scheduled throughout September. Dubai.News readers planning more live performances can also explore the upcoming Euphoria concert at Hard Rock Cafe Dubai, which takes place on 17 September.
Dubai Opera Gala Event Details
Here are the confirmed details for the celebration:
- Event: Dubai Opera 10th Anniversary Gala
- Date: Saturday, 12 September 2026
- Venue: Dubai Opera, Downtown Dubai
- Building opens: 7pm
- Auditorium doors open: 7.30pm
- Performance begins: 8pm
- Tickets: From AED 550
- Dress code: Black-tie attire encouraged
- Featuring: Fatma Said, the UAE National Orchestra, Ahmed Farag and the Festival Chorus
- Booking: Through the official Dubai Opera website
- Ticket policy: Tickets are listed as non-refundable
Ticket categories and availability may change as the performance approaches, so guests should check the booking page before completing a purchase.
How to Book Tickets
Tickets for the gala are available through the official Dubai Opera event page, with prices beginning at AED 550.
The event page is also the best place to review live availability, seating options, admission policies and the venue’s terms and conditions. Since this is a one-night anniversary celebration rather than an extended run, early booking may provide a better choice of seats.
Guests should plan to arrive before the auditorium opens at 7.30pm. Those attending the welcome reception can enter the building from 7pm, while the main performance is scheduled to begin at 8pm.
A Celebration of Dubai’s Cultural Growth
The anniversary gala reflects how much Dubai’s performing arts scene has developed since the venue opened in 2016.
During the past decade, Dubai Opera has welcomed productions spanning classical opera, ballet, theatre, musicals, concerts and contemporary entertainment. That variety has helped the venue reach audiences with different tastes while maintaining its identity as a major cultural institution.
The gala brings those ambitions into one carefully positioned evening. Its regional performers, orchestral scale and formal presentation reflect the kind of cultural exchange that Dubai Opera has promoted throughout its first ten years.
On 12 September, the venue will not simply look back at its history. It will use the anniversary to open a new season and signal what audiences can expect from its next decade.
For regular opera visitors, the event offers a chance to celebrate a familiar stage. For newcomers, it presents an accessible introduction to the venue through one of the most significant nights on its 2026 calendar.
