As the nucleus of downtown, the Dubai Opera has become a site of awareness for the local theatre community and global performing arts. Its opening in August 2016 proved to be a success \u2013 the star tenor Placido Domingo\u2019s performance of Verdi operas and Giordano\u2019s Nemico della Patria sold out in 30 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Attracting over 200,000 visitors per year, the Dubai Opera \u201cdoes not limit itself to opera, ballet and classical music performances,\u201d says Programming and Events Executive Ayman Mahmoud. Instead, it is a \u201cHouse of Cultures,\u201d providing a diverse platform for world-class events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under its new head Paolo Petrocelli, the opera house is collaborating with prestigious theatres and opera houses, like the Teatro all Scala and Hungarian State Opera House.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the future, the Dubai Opera aims to expand its creative in-house program and create an educational program for new professionals in the events industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBuilding cultural bridges is at the core of what we do,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From concerts featuring a hologram of the late Egyptian icon Umm Kulthum<\/a> to traditional Tuareg melodies of the Grammy-winning rock band Tinariwen<\/a>, a versatile repertoire is routine. Now, with over 40 events this season, the program continues to reflect the city\u2019s multicultural identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the opera house was an enduring project that did not always speak with resonant clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Original designs for an opera house were initially part of an international competition that Zaha Hadid won. In collaboration with Patrick Schumaker, she proposed a striking structure resembling whirling sand dunes on an artificial island in Dubai Creek \u2013 a vision on par with New York’s Broadway or London’s West End. These proposals ultimately collapsed during the 2009 financial crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Years later, a stable economy accelerated the development of the construction market. In a similar spirit, Emaar Properties, one of the world\u2019s largest real estate companies, revived plans to build a new cultural district in March 2012. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, first announced its construction as an apt response to the need for more cultural establishments in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe cultural accomplishments of a nation define its character and individuality,\u201d His Highness said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seafaring as a Muse<\/p>\n\n\n\n Danish architect Janus Rostock, leading a team at the company Atkins, designed the $330 million performance venue to compete with and complement the surrounding space – date palms, lancet buildings, and dancing fountains. As the first multifunctional complex in the region, an unorthodox shift from historic opera houses, the Dubai Opera occupies a remarkable performance space with ocean motifs and symbols of the UAE\u2019s maritime history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enveloped in arabesque patterns of glass and metal, the exterior with its sloped roof is an ode to Emirati sailing vessels.<\/p>\n\n\n \u201cThe Bani-Yas tribe arrived in Dubai and settled on the shores of the creek,\u201d Rostock says, explaining that the dhow was deeply \u201crooted in the Emirati Culture.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dhows are emblematic of livelihood as well as art in both crafting and the sorrowful songs of the fishermen at sea. Astrolabes are etched into the floors, which mariners used for prayer and navigating open waters. With dozens of lamps that look like jumping sea creatures and furniture laminated with lustrous mother of pearl from India, the opera recalls a legacy of prosperity through pearl diving, fishery and trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Descending dramatically from the ceiling at the center of the opera is the \u201cSymphony,\u201d a chandelier that glows in the rhythm of a beating heart. Handcrafted by the Czech company Lasvit, the 11-meter-long light sculpture gives the impression of water with 30,000 pearls and 3,000 internal LED sources. The centerpiece\u2019s light can be programmed to match music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI aimed for a very organic appearance,\u201d says Libor Sostak, a designer at Lasvit. \u201cVisitors will naturally be drawn to light and music, forming a beating heart within the space.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n The waiting area, also called the Majlis, is adorned with art. Pictures of swirling dancers hang on the walls. Japanese photographer Shinichi Maruyama<\/a> combined 10,000 images of choreographed dancers to create each photo, capturing the fluidity of motion and the idea of impermanence. Separating the Majlis from the atrium, a large-scale wall installation protects the privacy of the seating space. Contemporary Korean artist Ran Hwang individually placed 160,258 crystals, beads and pins on Plexiglas in the shape of a chandelier covered in cobwebs<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The stage wasn\u2019t fixed: the auditorium, which houses musicals, opera, ballets, concerts, stand-up comedy, exhibitions, weddings, iftar or virtually any event, is easily transformed. The ceiling looks like the hull of a wooden ship, providing artistic and functional value. To modify the space, the boat-shaped side balconies are removable and the floor is made up of 32 wagon panels that fit together like puzzle pieces. There are three novel configurations. One is a concert hall where reflectors are lowered onto the stage and the proscenium has disappeared. It can also be rearranged either into a traditional proscenium arch theatre or a flat floor space with no stall which is extended backstage. The auditorium\u2019s technology, lighting and acoustics had to be adapted to multiple modes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the afternoon, the grand theatre felt empty. Amid tangled lines, jerking wires and ropes, the crew were weaving together the production with unceasing energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Three men, dressed in black from head to toe, in deep discussion, had gathered on one side of the backstage area that was nearly enclosed in red barriers. Hunched over a bank of computers nearby, another man\u2019s lanyard clacked against the table. His eyes, behind the glint of his glasses, darted between 3D models of elaborate sets on one screen and blinking colors on the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dusty gold rococo-style chairs and folding screens were placed in an organized clutter, almost merging with other scenes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Michael Duncan, the technical manager for \u201cThe Phantom of the Opera,\u201d maneuvered through boxes and towering structures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Opera Ghost<\/p>\n\n\n\n Based on the novel by French journalist and writer Gaston Leroux, Andrew Lloyd Webber\u2019s \u201cThe Phantom of the Opera\u201d graced the stage from Feb. 22 to March 10. At the Op\u00e9ra Garnier in Paris circa 1880, soprano Christine Daa\u00e9 believes she is being taught by an angel sent by her dead father. Instead, her teacher is a disfigured composer, the Phantom, who wreaks havoc in his deadly obsession for her. The mega-musical, known for its unashamedly maudlin, dramatic spectacle, became the longest-running show on Broadway. It also is the longest-running show at Dubai Opera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mdcmediahub.aus.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/240225-dubai-opera-reshapes-our-cultural-landscape-opera-ext.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mdcmediahub.aus.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/240225-dubai-opera-reshapes-our-cultural-landscape-majlis.jpg\")