UAE Philharmonic Orchestra triumphs at third season opening in Dubai

The UAE Philharmonic Orchestra has opened its third season with a spectacular and unexpected moment that has captured international attention — a T-Rex took the podium and conducted the orchestra during its season-opening concert at New Covent Garden Theatre in Dubai.

 The orchestra’s Reel to Real – A Cinematic Symphony, held on 12 September, brought together an audience of officials and representatives of embassies from nine different countries, reflecting the increasingly international character of an orchestra that unites musicians from more than 20 nationalities.

 But the evening took an extraordinary turn before the interval.

 As the UAE Philharmonic performed some of the most iconic music ever written for cinema, a T-Rex appeared on stage and took over the conductor’s podium for the orchestra’s performance of the Jurassic Park theme.

The unexpected moment quickly became a social media sensation. A video of the T-Rex conducting the orchestra collected almost two million views in just one day, turning a concert moment in Dubai into a viral international story.

 What began as a celebration of movie music became something larger: a reminder that orchestral music can surprise, entertain and reach audiences far beyond the traditional concert hall.

 And if the UAE Philharmonic’s third-season opening has shown anything, it is that audiences may want to expect the unexpected.

The orchestra’s new season now moves forward with a programme that reflects both the changing cultural landscape of Dubai and the UAE Philharmonic’s growing international ambitions.

On 25 September, the orchestra travels to Kuwait for the Middle East premiere of Batman 1989 in Concert at the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Cultural Centre. Conducted by Maestro Nicolas Mann, the UAE Philharmonic will perform Danny Elfman’s celebrated score live while the audience watches Tim Burton’s legendary 1989 film on screen.

 The appearance marks another international step for a professional orchestra based in the Emirates, bringing a UAE cultural institution into the wider Gulf cultural landscape.

 Back in Dubai, the season continues on 3 October with Fairy Tales with Orchestra at New Covent Garden Theatre, a special programme for young audiences and families, introducing children to the sound and experience of live orchestral music.

 On 22 October, the UAE Philharmonic joins the legendary Gipsy Kings by André Reyes at Dubai Opera for a symphonic celebration of their internationally recognised rumba-flamenca repertoire.

 The season will continue with an epic symphonic evening at New Covent Garden Theatre in November, followed by the return of the Viennese New Year Ball in January 2027.

 The UAE Philharmonic Orchestra’s development comes at a time when Dubai and the wider UAE are continuing to expand their position on the international cultural map.

 The Emirates have become a meeting point for international artists, cultural institutions and creative industries. The next stage of this development is increasingly about creating cultural projects from the UAE — projects that can travel, connect audiences and contribute to the country’s international identity. The UAE Philharmonic is part of that movement.

 With musicians from more than 20 nationalities, the orchestra reflects the international character of the Emirates while developing an artistic identity rooted in the UAE. Its programme moves between classical repertoire, cinema, family concerts, international collaborations and new cultural formats.

 Under the artistic leadership of Nicolas Mann, and with the vision and leadership of Xenia Baknina, the orchestra is working to establish a cultural institution capable of representing the Emirates on international stages.

 The Viennese New Year Ball, premiered and established in the UAE by the UAE Philharmonic Orchestra, is one example of this ambition: bringing a European cultural tradition into the Emirates while developing it as part of the country’s own cultural calendar.

 For Nicolas Mann, the orchestra’s role goes beyond performing concerts.

“The UAE is no longer simply a place where international artists come to perform. It is becoming a place where international cultural projects are created, produced and exported,” says Nicolas Mann.

“Our ambition is for the UAE Philharmonic to be part of that transformation — to represent the Emirates internationally, to collaborate with great artists and institutions, and to develop the next generation of musicians and audiences here at home.”

The successful third-season opening, the international diplomatic attendance and the extraordinary response to the T-Rex moment all point towards the same direction: an orchestra that is increasingly visible, increasingly ambitious and increasingly connected to the world.

From cinema to symphonic masterpieces, from young audiences to international stars, from Dubai to Kuwait — the UAE Philharmonic Orchestra continues to build a new chapter in the cultural story of the Emirates.

And after a T-Rex has already conducted the orchestra, the question is simple: what else should audiences expect from one of the Gulf and Middle East’s most talked-about orchestras?  

UAE Philharmonic Orchestra — 2026/27 Season

12 September 2026 — Reel to Real: A Cinematic Symphony — New Covent Garden Theatre, Dubai

25 September 2026 — Batman 1989 in Concert — Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Cultural Centre, Kuwait

3 October 2026 — Fairy Tales with Orchestra — New Covent Garden Theatre, Dubai

22 October 2026 — Gipsy Kings Symphonic — Dubai Opera

November 2026 — Epic Symphonic Concert — New Covent Garden Theatre, Dubai

January 2027 — Viennese New Year Ball — UAE 

UAE Philharmonic Orchestra — representing the Emirates through music, and taking the UAE’s cultural voice to the world.