The offer for evening and night time entertainment is decidedly vast in all of the Emirates, apart from Sharjah, which has no bars or dicotheques. In the other six Emirates, the choice ranges from classical music, opera and ballet to jazz, dance, reggae, rhythm & blues, rock and country. Put more simply, all musical tastes are catered for, above all in the capital, Abu Dhabi and in Dubai. These are live shows which take place frequently during the course of the week, principally between Thursdays and Saturdays.
Also cinema, which is moreover supported by important events like the Dubai International Film Festival (yearly for one week in December) finds ample space in the Arab Emirates. During the DIFF, which hosts numerous international stars and proposes films from all continents, with particular attention paid, naturally, to Arab productions, attention for this medium reaches its peak, but that is not to say that during the year there is not a constantly vast and updated calendar of screenings.
Then there are the numberless cocktail bars, English pubs and western style saloons in which one can listen every evening to live music, the different genres of which are established by the style of the venue. Clubs and discotheques are particularly popular with local disc jockeys and, often, big international names. Arab singers and belly dancers are also very popular with international audiences which also appreciate the group shows coming from the Indian sub-continent and the Far East.
Gastronomy also merits particular mention. It would be hard not to find restaurants representing every culinary area of the world. Above all in the big centres, there are venues repesenting all continents, which often organise theme evenings, special promotions, and events which unite gastronomy and music, cabaret, theatre and dance. All of which is always accompanied by extremely competent and high class food and beverage services (incuding alcoholic drinks) which are greatly evocative.
Apart from the already mentioned opportunities, it should also be added that most hotels offer night clubs, discotheques and live music halls, alongside the much in demand cabarets, gastronomy festivals and theme based evenings. This is, moreover, one of the most used parameters in the choice of "accommodation" by tourists, who prefer resorts offering evening and night time entertainment adapted to their tastes.
Of particular refinement there are also the classical music evenings, supported by events of considerable cultural significance, such as the Abu Dhabi Classical Music Festival, which takes place yearly in April and offers free entrance to its shows. To this can be added the Al Ain Classical Music Festival, another annual event offering three days of classical music concerts with a high artistic profile.
Photograph provided courtesy of Daniel Cheong