In recent years, Dubai has surprised the world with rapid economic development and booming tourism. Besides the stunning architectural spectacles and desert adventure sports, Dubai has also entertained visitors and locals with cultural programs. The latest addition to the list of Dubai’s popular destinations is UAE’s first-ever Opera House.
This Opera house not only showcases musicals and dramas like the conventional Opera, but it also hosts many other events like stand-up comedy, music concerts, jazz performances, etc. Let’s discover more about the Dubai Opera and see what it offers to the audience.
The Dubai Opera house
The Opera district houses Dubai Opera in a massive 60,000 square meters area in downtown Dubai. Designed by the famous architect Janus Rostock, the Opera was built in 2016 by Emaar properties. The Opera is designed in a Dhow shape, a traditional boat that fishers and pearl divers used to sail in ancient times.
Interesting facts about Dubai Opera
- With a massive seating capacity of 2000, accommodating 2000 guests at a time, the Opera is designed to host various events, including exhibitions, trade shows, and weddings.
- The center of attraction is a cascading chandelier named “symphony,” built by the Czech company LASVIT. It spans three stories of the main atrium, lit by 3000 LED lights, and sparkles with thousands of crystal components. The masterpiece looks astonishing and embraces the aesthetic properties of the museum.
- The Opera can transform itself into multiple formats depending on the event. In flat floor mode, powerful hydraulic lifts can hide 900 seats underneath the ground to provide more space for events and exhibitions. Whereas, for concerts, hi-tech acoustic shells accompanied by overhead reflectors enhance the sound effect around the auditorium. In concert mode, the theater stage disappears, transforming the theater into a concert.
- The Opera house was inaugurated with the performance of legendary Placido Domino, a famous Opera artist, on August 31st,2016.
- The Dubai Opera House offers incredible views of the famous Burj Khalifa and Dubai Fountain. Besides a sky garden, the Opera also houses a classic restaurant, “The Loft,” on the rooftop and mesmerizes the guest with great hospitality.
- Many well-known artists and comedians have performed at the Opera, including Andrea Bocelli, Julio Iglesias, Anoushka Shankar, Rita Ora, and the Vengaboys.
Dubai Opera Tour
The Opera house Dubai also offers an opportunity to explore the building operations and artworks created for the Dubai Opera. Besides learning about the functional details of each masterpiece, you will get to know the history behind the formation of this iconic theater. From alluring aesthetics to minor architectural details, you gain knowledge about every aspect in this tour. This recent addition will allow you to unravel the modern technologies and mechanisms used in the process of stage formation. You will also see the VIP suites, often referred to as Majlis. Keeping in mind that most visitors understand English and Arabic, the tour is conducted in both languages. However, you can also request the professionals to translate in other languages.
Starting from 9:30 am, this tour is conducted daily in 9 different slots. The tour duration is one hour, and guests will depart from the Box Office. Tickets are available online, but you can also purchase them from the Box Office on the day of the tour.
Behind the scenes tour – Dubai Opera
Visitors can also get an insight into building operations in the recently launched backstage tour of Dubai Opera House. The behind-the-scenes tour covers major Opera House areas, including dressing rooms, sound room, piano room, and the hidden storage area that converts the theater into a flat floor area. The tour offers brief knowledge of every detail of this popular cultural site.
The exclusive behind-the-scenes tour takes place once a month in four different slots.
Popular shows and Events at the Dubai Opera
Many popular dramas and concerts have been hosted at the Dubai opera. Renowned theatrical dramas such as Cats, Othello, Swan Lake, and The Nutcracker have been performed on this stage. Besides stand-up comedy acts by known comedians, the Opera House hosts live concerts and pay tribute to legendary performers like Michael Jackson and George Michael. The Opera House can be available for weddings, Gala Dinners, and fashion shows.
The behind-the-scenes tour is 75 minutes long and offers time for refreshments at the Dubai Opera Cafe.
Opening Hours
Dubai Opera house is open from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm every day.
How to get there
Dubai Opera is located on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard, a 20-minute drive from the Dubai International airport. The nearest metro station is Burj Khalifa Redline, and you can take a walk from there.
Dubai Opera House Tickets
The Dubai Opera House tickets start from AED 250(4,738 INR) per person. But, depending upon your seat preference, the ticket price may vary. You can pick from gold, silver, and platinum seat options.
Things to consider before you visit Dubai Opera
- Tickets can not be presented on digital screens. Thus, ensure that you have a printed ticket before entering.
- There is a dedicated parking zone for visitors.
- Read the detailed list of Dubai Opera house shows before purchasing tickets.
- Doors to the auditorium open before 30 minutes of performance.
The Opera District, Dubai aims to promote emerging and known artists by offering them a center stage to perform in front of a global audience. Equipped with high-tech lights and sound systems, the Dubai Opera house exchanges not only local and international arts but also offers affordable packages to host private weddings and business events.
The Dubai Opera House is a global platform for showcasing talent through various forms of arts, including musical dramas, concerts, children’s shows, and comedy acts by famous comedians. Hence, it also directs other countries to take an initiative that will drive global tourism through the medium of cultural exchange. The iconic tourist destination invites you to witness the Arab hospitality at the Dubai Opera House.
