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Dubai Opera

Coordinates: 25°11′44.2″N 55°16′18.8″E / 25.195611°N 55.271889°E / 25.195611; 55.271889
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Dubai Opera
Map
Former namesDubai Opera House
General information
TypeMulti-format venue
ClassificationArts complex
LocationDowntown Dubai
AddressSheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard
CountryUnited Arab Emirates
Coordinates25°11′44.2″N 55°16′18.8″E / 25.195611°N 55.271889°E / 25.195611; 55.271889
Construction startedApril 2013
CompletedAugust 2016
Opened31 August 2016
ManagementPaolo Petrocelli
Technical details
Size60,000 m2 (650,000 sq ft)
Design and construction
DeveloperEmaar Properties
EngineerAtkins
Services engineerThyssenKrupp (Stage engineering and systems)
BK Gulf (MEP contractor)
LSI Projects (Audio & Lighting Systems)
Other designersTheatre Projects (Theatre consultant)
MLC International (Cost consultant) Sandy Brown Associates (Acoustic Consultant), neolight global limited (lighting designers)
Main contractorConsolidated Contractors Company (CCC)
Other information
Seating capacity2,000
Website
www.dubaiopera.com

Dubai Opera is a 2,000-seat, multi-format, performing arts centre located within The Opera District in Downtown Dubai. It was developed by Emaar Properties to host a variety of performances and events including theatre, opera, ballet, concerts, conferences and exhibitions. Its plans were announced by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in March 2012 and it was completed in 2016.[1] It opened on 31 August 2016 with a performance by Plácido Domingo.[2] The first season featured Bizet's The Pearl Fishers opera[3] and tenor José Carreras.[4] Dubai Opera has flat floor capacity of 1,800 m2 (19,000 sq ft).[5] This floor can be hired for weddings, gala dinners, fashion shows and exhibitions.[5] The building is created by Atkins and principal architect Janus Rostock, allows it to transform into three modes: a theatre, a music hall, and a banquet or event hall in a 'flat floor' mode.[6]

History

[edit]

In January 2015, Emaar named Jasper Hope as the Chief Executive of Dubai Opera. Hope was the COO of London's Royal Albert Hall.[7] Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) was the main contractor for the development, having worked with Emaar in building the Dubai Mall.[8]

An earlier proposal to build a cultural centre on an island in the Dubai Creek designed by architect Zaha Hadid was announced in 2008 and shelved during the property crash in Dubai.[9] This venue, located in The Lagoons, would have accommodated an opera house with a 2,500 seating capacity, an 800-seat playhouse, a 5,017 m2 (54,000 sq ft) arts gallery, a performing arts school, and a '6-star' themed hotel.[10]

The first Emirati singer to appear at Dubai Opera was Hussain Al Jassmi on 10 October 2016.[11]

Shortly after that, the award-winning hit musical Les Misérables ran for three weeks.[12]

In 2017 the venue staged the inaugural BBC Proms Dubai - just the second time ever that the United Kingdom's premier classical music series hosted events abroad in its 112-year history.[13]

Dubai Opera's longest running show was the Phantom of the Opera in late 2019.[14]

In just under 4 years of operation, Dubai Opera has won a number of awards including 'Best Theatrical Performance' at the Timeout Dubai Nightlife Awards 2017 for Les Misérables,[15] 'Favorite Show' at the 2017 What's On Awards Dubai for Les Misérables,[16] and 'Best Theatrical Performance' at the Timeout Dubai Music and Nightlife Awards 2019 for Othello.

As per 2023, the Italian cultural manager Paolo Petrocelli serves as the Head of Dubai Opera.[17][18] For his contributions to the development of the organization, Paolo Petrocelli has been nominated in 2024 by Fast Company among the most creative people in business in the Middle East.[19]

The 2023-24 season of Dubai Opera featured a record-breaking 250,000 audience members, the highest number since its opening in 2016. [20]

Building

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Dubai Opera is part of The Opera District within Downtown Dubai. The 1901-seat performing arts centre was designed by Janus Rostock of Atkins.[21] The theatre was conceived and briefed by Theatre Projects Consultants,[22] it can be converted into a traditional theatre, concert hall, banquet hall or exhibition space. Using hydraulic lifts and seating wagons to relocate 900 of the 2,000 seats, the space can be used for other events while the extra seating is stored in garages beneath the theatre.[9]It has 1,800-square-metre flat floor space which can hold up to 1,000 or more people for weddings, gala dinners, fashion shows, product launches, exhibitions and more.[23]

Dubai Opera is designed to resemble a dhow, a traditional sailing vessel, in which the 'bow' of the structure houses the opera's main stage, orchestra and seating, while the elongated 'hull' has waiting areas, taxi drop-off areas, and parking.[24][25] It also boasts a rooftop restaurant with views of the Burj Khalifa.

The Opera District

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The Dubai Opera at night

The Opera District was launched by Emaar Properties in Downtown Dubai in 2013. Aside from Dubai Opera, the district, which faces Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Fountain, includes art galleries, museums, design studios, and other cultural venues. The area includes several hotels, a retail plaza, recreational spaces and residential towers.[26][27]

Dubai has more than 50 art galleries and hosts cultural events such as Dubai Design Week, Art Dubai, and the SIKKA Art Fair.[28]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Dubai Opera House builder eyes 2016 completion date". Elan Magazine. June 11, 2014. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  2. ^ "Placido Domingo opens Dubai Opera". Archived from the original on 2021-05-19. Retrieved 2016-09-01.
  3. ^ "Dubai Opera announces launch programme - full details". Time Out Dubai. Retrieved 2020-03-30.
  4. ^ "Review: José Carreras gives a strong finish at Dubai Opera". The National. Retrieved 2020-03-30.
  5. ^ a b "Social and Corporate Events - Dubai Opera". Dubai Opera. Retrieved 2018-11-08.
  6. ^ "Dubai Opera: A milestone in the cultural landscape of the UAE". gulfnews.com. 2021-08-16. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
  7. ^ "Emaar names Jasper Hope CEO of Dubai Opera". Emirates 24/7. February 11, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  8. ^ James Henderson (June 10, 2014). "Dubai Opera House to be finished in two years". Construction Week Online. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  9. ^ a b Lucy Barnard (October 10, 2013). "Emaar's opera house project in Dubai will be a multi-purpose facility". The National. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  10. ^ "Dubai Opera House by Zaha Hadid". Dezeen.com. 2008-06-06. Retrieved 2015-04-17.
  11. ^ "World-class singer Hussain Al Jassmi to perform at Dubai Opera". What's On. 2016-07-03. Retrieved 2020-03-30.
  12. ^ "Meet Dubai's Les Miserables cast". gulfnews.com. Retrieved 2020-03-30.
  13. ^ "BBC Proms Dubai: First Night of the Proms". BBC Music Events. Retrieved 2020-03-30.
  14. ^ "Review: A triumphant opening night for The Phantom Of The Opera". What's On. 2019-10-17. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
  15. ^ "Time Out Nightlife Awards 2017 winners". Time Out Dubai. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
  16. ^ "What's On Awards 2017 Dubai: Here are the 53 winners..." What's On. 2017-11-09. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
  17. ^ "Paolo Petrocelli to Become Head of Dubai Opera House". Opera Wire. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  18. ^ "The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Dubai congratulates Paolo Petrocelli on his new appointment as Director of the Dubai Opera". Italian Chamber of Commerce in Dubai. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  19. ^ "Paolo Petrocelli". Fast Company. Retrieved 2024-07-11.
  20. ^ "Dubai Opera sets attendance record in 2023-2024 season". The National. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  21. ^ </ "Top 40 most powerful architects in the Middle East". Arabian Business Magazine. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
  22. ^ "Projects - Theatre Projects". theatreprojects.com. Archived from the original on 2016-09-19. Retrieved 2016-08-26.
  23. ^ "Dubai Opera welcomed 1 million visitors, hosted 1,200 shows since opening in 2016". gulfnews.com. 2022-08-13. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
  24. ^ Aarti Nagraj (March 18, 2014). "Emaar Reveals Details About 2,000-Seat Opera House In Dubai". Gulf Business. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  25. ^ "Dubai to get 2,000-seat opera house in The Opera District". Khaleej Times. March 19, 2014. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  26. ^ Trenwith, Courtney (5 May 2014). "Dubai's Emaar launches first residences in The Opera District". Arabian Business. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  27. ^ "Emaar unveils BLVD Heights in Downtown Dubai". Khaleej Times. 10 September 2014. Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  28. ^ "Emaar announces opera house project for Dubai". Construction Week Online. 22 March 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
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