Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 2027 in Abu Dhabi

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a stage musical based on Roald Dahl's children's novel, and it comes to Abu Dhabi for a run at Etihad Arena in May 2027. It is a big family theatre production in the Broadway tradition, built around the story of young Charlie Bucket and the golden ticket that opens the gates of Willy Wonka's mysterious chocolate factory.

Onstage you can expect the odd inventions of the factory brought to life: a river of chocolate, squirrels that sort nuts, and the mischievous Oompa-Loompas. The production leans on spectacle, with special effects and hologauze 3D technology, a projection method described as drawing on the principles of stage magic. The score includes songs known from the classic Hollywood film, among them "Pure Imagination", "The Candy Man" and "I've Got a Golden Ticket", alongside original music by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, the Grammy and Tony Award winning pair behind Hairspray and Mary Poppins Returns.

The venue is Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi's leisure and entertainment district, which is also home to Yas Marina, theme parks and a string of waterfront restaurants. The arena is a large indoor hall used for major concerts and touring shows, so a production of this scale suits it well. For visitors from Dubai, Yas Island is a drive of roughly an hour to an hour and a half by car, which makes an evening show here a realistic outing, especially for a family.

The musical is pitched at families, groups of friends and anyone who loves musical theatre. As with most arena shows, you watch from your seat, so it works as a relaxed night out rather than an interactive one. Wheelchair accessible seating is available, and guests who need it can arrange it through the ticketing concierge team.

The story itself has a long life well beyond the page. Dahl's tale of a poor boy who wins a golden ticket has been adapted for the screen more than once, and this stage version draws on that heritage while adding its own technology and music for a live audience.