A concert by Placido Domingo officially opens Dubai Opera tonight which will be followed by The Pearl Fishers and The Barber of Seville performed by The Giuseppe Verdi di Trieste Opera House.
Situated in the Opera District, The Dubai Opera programme is available to view online and this year’s programme offers The Pearl Fishers, Opera Without Words, Coppélia, Giselle, Postcards from Vienna, Mozart Gala, Impossible, José Carreras, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, Sara Baras, Anoushka Shankar, Béjart Ballet Lausanne, The Nutcracker on Ice and Slava’s Snowshow.
In design, the outside welcome area is large with escalators and lifts up to the higher floors, where there will be bars, and in time, a rooftop restaurant.
Plentiful wood, from the slatted ceiling beams to the large spotlight-ridden fixtures above and boxes flanking the sides, augment the nautical theme within the striking dhow-shaped building, which lies in the shadow of Burj Khalifa.
The crimson-coloured leather seats in the auditorium provide a warmth, complementing all the brown and adding that touch of Dubai style.
The stage is deep and wide and the ‘surtitles’ above the stage, in English and Arabic, enable you to follow the story easily.
Chief executive Jasper Hope said his team, while working on the project for three years, are now focused on the next phase and looking at how its programme “can inspire the next generation.” “There won’t be less than 200 events in the first year,” he said. “I expect it will be higher but that depends on a lot of things.”
While he said there was no strict code, he hoped guests would dress up as it was a “special” venue, and in respect for the performers and UAE culture.
From today, concert goers will be able to access the Opera House directly from the boulevard, and choose between valet, plaza and boulevard parking.
