Abu dhabi: The Arts Centre at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) has announced the launch of its 12th Season, unveiling a program designed to foster renewal, connection, and collective transcendence. The season aims to unite artists and audiences through an array of music, dance, film, performance workshops, and community engagement initiatives throughout the year.
According to Emirates News Agency, the season will kick off with an exciting double bill featuring Grammy-winning New Orleans ensemble The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and the France-based North African brass and percussion ensemble Fanfara. Both groups will make their Gulf debuts on Saturday, September 5. The following week, the Middle East premiere of "The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave," an award-winning contemporary dance piece from Aotearoa/New Zealand, will take place. This work, created by Oli Mathiesen with Lucy Lynch and Sharvon Mortimer, will run from Thursday to Saturday, September 10 to 12. Each performance will conclude with a dance party, inviting audiences to stay for "Raving Ovation," featuring DJ sets by Dubai's renowned Analog Room.
These initial performances highlight a program deeply embedded in grassroots street culture, rhythm, movement, transformation, endurance, and cultural exchange. The Arts Center's 12th Season is poised to span various disciplines, with additional events to be announced in the coming weeks and months, firmly grounding its global artistic practice in Abu Dhabi.
Bill Bragin, Executive Artistic Director at The Arts Centre at NYUAD, expressed that the 2026-27 season is rooted in the belief that live performance can spark collective effervescence, utilizing community energy to create something greater. He shared anticipation for welcoming back loyal audiences to experience new work, some with deep heritage roots and others forging the future.
The season promises an expansive sense of joy, not as a mere escape or distraction, but as a means to foster release, resilience, and community amid uncertain times. Each performance provides a unique, unreplicable experience, shared by those present at the moment.
The initial performances set a clear direction, featuring traditions from New Orleans brass and North African street bands to a dance work that transforms endurance, rhythm, and Detroit techno's trancelike beats into collective release. Audiences are encouraged to arrive curious and depart inspired.
The program also reflects The Arts Center's broader role as a hub for artistic process, facilitating dialogue between international artists and UAE and regional voices. It supports new work, fosters long-term creative relationships, and develops cross-disciplinary projects closely connected with Abu Dhabi.