Abu Dhabi will host Arabic Opera: Antar & Abla at the International Tennis Centre in Zayed Sports City, with performances scheduled from Friday 12 December 2025 to Sunday 14 December 2025, and the last show taking place on Sunday evening. This large scale open air production brings together Arab and international performers for a fully staged opera in Arabic with surtitles for non Arabic speakers. The venue will be transformed into an outdoor theatre, using lighting, projections and live orchestral music to retell one of the region’s most famous love stories. Because the opera is presented as a cultural milestone rather than a one off gala, organisers frame it as a key winter highlight in the capital’s calendar. For many visitors, this will be their first experience of opera performed entirely in Arabic instead of the usual European languages. Seats are limited for each performance, so treating a specific night as your target and planning around it is important.
Legendary love story of Antar and Abla
The story follows Antar, a pre Islamic warrior poet of Black Arab heritage, and Abla, the noble woman he loves, whose families stand between them and happiness. Throughout the opera, their relationship is tested by tribal politics, questions of honour and Antar’s struggle to prove his worth. The libretto draws from classical Arabic poetry, reshaping it into arias and ensembles that still feel rooted in familiar storytelling traditions. Visual scenes move from desert encampments to battlefields and more intimate interiors, using projections and stylised sets rather than literal scenery. As a result, audiences see a love story that speaks about courage, identity and belonging, not only romance. (suitable for adults, teens, culture focused visitors, solo opera fans and couples) Although children can attend, the pacing and themes will suit older teens and adults more.
International creative team and large scale staging
Antar & Abla is produced by Bidaya with Opera Lebanon, and it features original music by Maestro Maroun Al Rahi, performed live by the Lanzhou Symphony Orchestra from China. Additionally, the production includes striking stage movement and martial sequences performed by Shaolin Monks, emphasising long standing cultural exchange between the UAE and China. The cast brings together Arab and international opera singers, many with backgrounds in both classical opera and Arabic music, so the vocal lines feel powerful but still connected to the language. Lighting designers and projection artists turn the tennis court into a cinematic desert landscape, with shifting skies, palm groves and battle imagery. Because of this multimedia approach, the opera functions as a spectacle even for guests who are new to the form. The creative team treats the show as a statement piece for Arabic performing arts, not just another imported production.
Performance dates, timings and last show details
For Abu Dhabi, Arabic Opera: Antar & Abla is planned as a run from Friday 12 December 2025 through Sunday 14 December 2025, with public performances concentrated across the weekend, including the last show on Sunday 14 December. Each evening is expected to follow a consistent schedule, with doors usually opening around 18:00 and the performance starting at 19:00, running for roughly two to two and a half hours including an interval. Because the opera is outdoors at the International Tennis Centre, latecomers may need to wait for suitable pauses to be seated to avoid disturbing key scenes. It is therefore wise to treat 18:30 as your personal cut off for arrival at the venue, especially on the closing night. (suitable for culture lovers who can commit an entire evening) Plan to stay until the curtain call, because the closing tableau and bows underline the show’s scale.
Tickets, pricing and free access options
Ticketing information currently shows several categories, with earlier commercial listings starting from around 160 AED and newer announcements in some channels indicating that complimentary tickets may be available as part of wider community initiatives. As things stand, the most reliable channels for reservations are major ticketing partners such as PLATINUMLIST and other named official vendors that handle seating selection and confirmations. In practice, this means that some allocations may be offered as free passes while others form part of hospitality or partner packages, so it is important to read category notes carefully. When tickets are listed as complimentary, you still need to register, choose a performance date and receive a code or digital ticket before arriving at Zayed Sports City. (suitable for families and students who might not usually attend opera because of cost) Even if many tickets are free, advance booking through official vendors is still essential to guarantee entry on your chosen night.
Getting to Zayed Sports City from within Abu Dhabi
Zayed Sports City sits just off Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Street, making it relatively straightforward to reach from central Abu Dhabi districts such as Al Nahyan, Al Bateen, Al Reem Island and Saadiyat. In normal evening traffic, taxis or ride hailing services can take 15 to 25 minutes from many inner city hotels. However, on opera nights you should expect extra congestion near the sports complex and its roundabouts as other events, practices or community activities may overlap with the performance. Because doors for Antar & Abla open from 18:00, many residents will aim to arrive between 18:00 and 18:45, which can create short entry queues at security. (suitable for solo visitors and small groups using taxis) Allow at least 30 to 40 minutes from central Abu Dhabi to clear both traffic and security comfortably.
Travel plans from Dubai and other emirates
Visitors travelling from Dubai usually follow E11 towards Abu Dhabi, then branch towards Zayed Sports City using clearly marked exits, with total journey times often around 70 to 90 minutes in light traffic. From Al Ain, E22 connects directly to the capital and then onwards to the sports complex, so many opera goers from the interior plan about 90 minutes for the drive. Because Sunday 14 December 2025 sits in the middle of the busy winter season, you should anticipate heavier flows on inbound highways between late afternoon and early evening. For this reason, groups from Dubai, Sharjah or Ajman may prefer to reach Abu Dhabi by mid afternoon, check into a hotel or visit a mall, then continue to Zayed Sports City closer to show time. (suitable for regional visitors who are comfortable with longer late night drives) If you are returning to another emirate after the opera, plan rest breaks and shared driving to keep the journey safe and relaxed.
Public transport, drop off zones and parking notes
Abu Dhabi’s public bus network serves the wider Zayed Sports City area, although services may require a short walk from stops to the International Tennis Centre, especially at night. Therefore many guests choose taxis or ride hailing instead, since drivers know the major sports gates and can use designated drop off areas. Large events at Zayed Sports City typically rely on a mix of surface parking lots and structured parking, but the most convenient spaces can fill quickly ahead of evening performances. Security checks at car park entrances sometimes slow entry, particularly if multiple events happen at neighbouring venues such as the main stadium or training courts. (suitable for visitors willing to walk a short distance from more distant parking) Parking capacity near the tennis centre is limited at peak hours, so consider drop off arrangements or early arrival if you strongly prefer to park on site.
Weather, clothing and on site comfort tips
Forecasts for Abu Dhabi on Sunday 14 December 2025 indicate clear to mostly clear conditions, with afternoon highs around 30 to 31°C and evening temperatures gradually dropping toward 22 to 24°C with light breezes. Humidity should feel moderate rather than extreme, so the open air setting at the International Tennis Centre will likely be comfortable once the sun has set. Because seating is outdoors, it is wise to dress in breathable clothing for the arrival period, then bring a light layer such as a cardigan, pashmina or blazer for later in the evening. Comfortable shoes are important, since you may walk across paved plazas or temporary flooring and climb steps to reach your block. (suitable for anyone used to mild winter evenings, provided they avoid heavy fabrics) Think in terms of light layers and comfortable footwear so you stay relaxed from arrival at 18:00 through the last curtain call.
Key warnings, booking advice and editor insight
On opera nights, traffic around Zayed Sports City tends to peak between roughly 18:00 and 19:30 on the way in, and again after 21:30 when performances end and cars exit together. Because ticket categories and any complimentary offers may change as allocations shift, all prices and access details should be treated as approximately correct until you confirm them with the official ticket partners. It is also worth checking whether any road works or temporary closures affect approach routes on the specific night you attend. Make your reservation as early as possible, because demand for the Arabic Opera: Antar & Abla season is expected to be very strong across its limited run. As cultural roundups from editors at www.few.ae often note, visitors who treat Antar & Abla as the centrepiece of a planned evening in Abu Dhabi, pairing the opera with relaxed pre show coffee or a late dinner nearby, usually feel they have experienced both a landmark performance and a genuinely memorable winter night out in the capital.
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