The Dubai Opera opened in 2016 in the heart of Downtown Dubai, and is the emirate's first purpose-built performing arts centre. The building is designed by Janus Rostock and modelled on a traditional dhow — the hull-shaped roof is the most distinctive element in the otherwise glass-and-steel Downtown skyline.
The 2,000-seat auditorium is a technically ambitious multi-format venue: it can be reconfigured from a theatre to a concert hall to a flat-floor ballroom, allowing it to host opera, ballet, classical music, and comedy in the same space. The programme is genuinely international, with touring productions from European opera houses alongside pop and world music. The rooftop terrace restaurant has excellent views of the Burj Khalifa.