1927 Abu Dhabi: Inside Marina Mall’s New Private Members Club

There are “places to go”… and then there are places you almost don’t want to tell anyone about because they feel like your own little secret.

Abu Dhabi has one of those now, and it is called 1927 (you’ll also see it written Nineteen27). It is a private members’ house tucked inside Cinemacity Starlight at Marina Mall, built around film, music, dining and the slightly lost art of a proper evening out. No thumping DJ, no “let’s see where the night goes” energy. The night is already planned for you – you just turn up and enjoy it.

The public preview has wrapped, the membership roll is open and the house is up and running, with live music filling the room most weekends. So this is your guide to what 1927 actually is, how the cinema side works, where to find it inside Marina Mall, what membership costs and how to book a table.

1927 Abu Dhabi at a Glance

• What it is: A private members’ house devoted to film, dining, music and cultural programming
• Where: Cinemacity Starlight, First Level, Marina Mall, Ring Road, Al Kasir (Breakwater), Abu Dhabi
• Access: Private members’ house, membership by application. Table reservations for live music nights on +971 56 169 3330. Strictly 21+
• Individual membership: AED 12,000 a year plus a one-off AED 3,000 joining fee (corporate tiers also available)
• Live entertainment: Thursdays 6pm-7pm and 9pm-10pm, Fridays and Saturdays 8pm-11pm
• Contact: +971 4 389 1927, info@1927.ae, 1927.ae or @nineteen27.ae on Instagram

Not Just a Venue… It’s a Whole Vibe

1927 isn’t trying to be another restaurant, bar or cinema. It is aiming higher – think of it as a cultural home where film, music, food and good conversation all casually exist in the same beautifully designed universe.

It’s for people who care about the details. The lighting. The mood. The kind of place where even the silence feels curated. If you’ve ever said “I just want somewhere nice where I can actually hear myself think and still have a great time” – this is it.

Inside 1927: A House That Keeps Unfolding

1927 isn’t a one-room wonder. It is a string of connected spaces you discover as the evening rolls on:

• A Dining Area that anchors the food and drink side of the house
• The Lounge, made for long conversations and “just one more drink” moments
• The Cabaret, bringing live performance into a small, almost cinematic setting
• The Guild, the social corner to meet, mingle and maybe talk business
• The Vault, a discreet, tucked-away room for when privacy is the whole point

Basically, you start with dinner… and somehow end up three rooms later, deep in conversation, wondering where the time went.

The Lounge at 1927: Where Most Evenings Land

If 1927 has a living room, it is the Lounge. This is the space designed for late evenings and slow conversation rather than a quick drink before the film – low light, deep seating and the kind of cocktail list you work through one careful sip at a time. It also pairs neatly with the house’s live entertainment schedule, which runs on Thursdays from 6pm to 7pm and 9pm to 10pm, and on Fridays and Saturdays from 8pm to 11pm. American singer-songwriter Chinua Hawk has been the regular Saturday voice, Fridays have brought live Latin sets from Tempos Band, and the jazz nights lean exactly as golden as a 1920s house should. Tables for these nights are booked on +971 56 169 3330, and the house is strictly 21+.

Looking for the 1927 lounge menu? The house doesn’t publish its food or drinks menu online – it is shared with members and prospective members, so ask for it when you book a tour. If what you really want is a grown-up Abu Dhabi bar that doesn’t need an application form, our Night Owl’s Guide to Abu Dhabi has you covered.

1927 and the Cinema: How It Works With Cinemacity Starlight

Plenty of people search for “1927 cinema” expecting a separate movie theatre. It isn’t one. 1927 is the members’ house that sits inside Cinemacity Starlight, the luxury cinema that opened at Marina Mall in spring 2026. The cinema is open to everyone – 1927 is the private layer on top of it.

Here is what the Cinemacity Starlight side brings to the table:

• The Starlight Theatre, the flagship auditorium with room for up to 500 people, which also hosts live shows and special screenings
• Three seat grades: VIP (the largest electric full recliners with tables and a call button for service), Club (larger electric semi-recliners) and Deluxe (semi-recliners with a compact table)
• In-seat ordering from the concession, restaurant and pizzeria menus, with pillows, blankets and complimentary water in the premium seats
• Graffiti Forno e Focacceria for Italian before or after the film

For members, the pitch is the full-evening flow: a Cabaret set, dinner, a drink in the Lounge and a film, without ever leaving the building. Not many Abu Dhabi venues are designed around that yet.

WOW Expert Tip: Weighing up membership? Book a table for one of the weekend live music nights first, then add a film in a VIP recliner at Cinemacity Starlight next door. It is the best way to test the full 1927 evening before committing AED 12,000 a year – and follow @nineteen27.ae, which is where the line-ups are announced first.

Finding 1927 at Marina Mall

1927 lives inside Cinemacity Starlight on the First Level of Marina Mall, on Ring Road in Al Kasir on the Breakwater. Head up to the First Level and follow the Cinemacity signs – the members’ house is reached through the cinema wing, not from the mall’s shopping corridors.

Making a full day of it? Our Marina Mall Abu Dhabi guide covers the shops, the dining and the best views over the water, and the Al Bateen and Breakwater guide maps the neighbourhood around it.

1927 Membership: Cost and How to Get In

Here is the part everyone scrolls down for. Individual membership at 1927 is AED 12,000 a year plus a one-off AED 3,000 joining fee. Corporate memberships are also offered for companies that want to bring clients and teams through the door.

Getting in is by application, and approval isn’t automatic. The online form asks about your professional background, whether someone referred you and what you would actually use the house for – cinema, dining, music and performance, the social scene, business meetings or private events. The founding membership roll is capped at fifty, and applications are reviewed in the order they arrive.

Want to see it before you commit? You can call to arrange a private tour of the house.

Is 1927 Open? Can Non-Members Book?

Yes, 1927 is open. It launched with a public preview from 30 April 2026 and now runs as a private members’ house, with its weekend live music nights promoted openly and tables reserved by phone on +971 56 169 3330. Membership is where the house wants you to end up, so if you are not a member, call ahead and check what is available on the night you want. And the public side of Cinemacity Starlight next door is always open to everyone.

Where 1927 Sits on the UAE Members’ Club Map

The Middle East’s private-members scene has been heating up. The Arts Club opened in Dubai’s DIFC at ICD Brookfield Place in 2020 – 65,000 square feet across five floors, three restaurants, a rooftop terrace and a library. Soho House sits on Dubai’s Jumeirah Beach, leaning creative, design-led and beach-facing. 1927 is Abu Dhabi’s first serious entry into that club tier, and the first regional one with cinema baked into the concept rather than bolted on as an amenity.

It isn’t trying to compete on rooftop pools or wellness floors. It leans into the slower, design-led end of the spectrum, where the evening is the product rather than a side dish to a pool view. Weighing up your options? Our insider list of private members clubs in Abu Dhabi puts 1927 side by side with the rest.

The 1920s Inspiration Is the Whole Point

The name isn’t just a year. 1927 was the year sound arrived in cinema with The Jazz Singer, and the design inside the house leans hard into that era. Think dark wood, deep colours, brass detailing and lighting that doesn’t apologise for being moody. Speakeasy meets screening room.

Vibe Check

Dressed like a 1920s film salon and priced for the few – speakeasy energy meets screening room, minus the actual smoke. Proper public reviews are still thin on the ground for a house this small, but the weekend crowd is clearly here for the aesthetic and the live sets, not the popcorn.

1927 Location and Contact

1927 – private members’ house (film, dining, lounge and live performance), Cinemacity Starlight, First Level, Marina Mall, Ring Road, Al Kasir, Abu Dhabi. Membership enquiries: +971 4 389 1927 or info@1927.ae. Table reservations and private tours: +971 56 169 3330. Instagram: @nineteen27.ae. Strictly 21+. Apply at 1927.ae.

Cinemacity Starlight – luxury cinema, First Level, Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi. Bookings and enquiries: +971 56 922 8900 or cinemacity.ae.

Membership fees, entertainment line-ups and contact details are correct at the time of our latest update and can change – check with 1927 directly before you apply.

Final Thought

Abu Dhabi has no shortage of places to go. Places that make you slow down, stay longer and actually enjoy the moment? That list is much shorter, and 1927 has landed near the top of it. The only real question is whether you want a seat at the table or a VIP recliner next door.

Related reads: Booking somewhere for a special occasion instead? Our pick of the best private dining rooms in Abu Dhabi doesn’t need a membership card. Planning the rest of your calendar? What’s On in Abu Dhabi is updated every week. And if you are heading to the same mall for something quicker before the film, Dave’s Hot Chicken at Marina Mall is the loudest arrival on the food side.