Dhafer Youssef at Abu Dhabi Festival 2026

Dhafer Youssef brings his ensemble to Abu Dhabi as part of Abu Dhabi Festival 2026, in a concert billed as an Abu Dhabi premiere. Youssef is an oud player, singer and composer, and he leads his quintet through an evening that sits somewhere between jazz and Arabic music. The concert is presented by Abu Dhabi Festival.

The music draws on the expressive voice of the oud and sets it alongside jazz, classical traditions, subtle electronic touches and wider global influences. Driving beats and experimental textures shape the sound, which moves between East and West rather than settling in one place. The programme includes pieces from across Youssef's repertoire as well as new works, tied together by spirituality, rhythm and a poetic, story-like approach. Soaring vocals and improvisation are central to the performance.

The setting is Louvre Abu Dhabi, one of the region's best-known cultural landmarks. The museum stands on Saadiyat Island, the city's cultural district, where the waterfront is lined with galleries, museums and open promenades. Its wide, perforated dome and the sea beside it make the site a striking backdrop for a concert. Saadiyat Island is a drive from Dubai, usually about an hour to an hour and a half by car, so many Dubai residents turn the concert into an evening out in the capital.

The night suits anyone who enjoys jazz, Arabic music or genre-crossing live performance, and listeners who prefer to sit and focus on the music rather than dance. Because the show mixes familiar repertoire with new material, it works both for people who already know Youssef's work and for those hearing him for the first time. For Abu Dhabi Festival audiences, it is a chance to hear a distinctive musical voice live in a cultural setting.

Youssef is known for combining the oud with vocals that range from low to very high registers, and for a style that moves freely between traditions. Seeing him with a full quintet gives that approach room to unfold on stage.