Scheherazade Live in Abu Dhabi

The UAE National Orchestra brings Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade to the Cultural Foundation on Sunday 21 June 2026, turning the tales of One Thousand and One Nights into a full evening of sweeping strings and that famous solo violin.

The show

Scheherazade is Rimsky-Korsakov’s four-movement symphonic suite, and the UAE National Orchestra plays it the way it was written to be heard, live and close. Listen for the solo violin that returns through the night as Scheherazade’s own voice, the surging brass of The Sea and Sindbad’s Ship, and a finale that builds to a shipwreck before collapsing into near silence. The ground-floor Auditorium puts the string section in easy view, so you can watch the concertmaster carry that recurring theme from one tale to the next.

Doors and seating

The published 7:30 PM is the performance start, not doors, so aim to be seated by 7:15 PM while the Cultural Foundation opens the Auditorium ahead of the downbeat. Seating is on the ground floor and the concert is suitable for ages 6 and up. Latecomers are usually held until a suitable break, so a late arrival can cost you the whole first movement.

WOW-ABUDHABI Expert Tip: The Cultural Foundation sits inside the Qasr Al Hosn site and its car park fills fast on concert nights. If you arrive after 7:00 PM, skip the queue and park at the nearby World Trade Center Mall, then walk five minutes across – it is the easier exit once the show lets out and the Qasr Al Hosn gate backs up.

How to book

Tickets start from AED 100 and are sold through Ticketmaster UAE at https://www.ticketmaster.ae/event/2001345672. The Cultural Foundation Auditorium is step-free and wheelchair accessible, so request accessible seating when you book or contact the Cultural Foundation ahead of the night to arrange it. Children aged 6 and over are welcome.

Featured image: Unsplash (royalty-free).