Lewis Capaldi takes centre stage at iconic landmark
CONCERT / January 17
Following a sold-out international arena tour—including a run of dates in the UK which sold out in minutes—singer Lewis Capaldi will perform at the Al Majaz Amphitheatre in Sharjah as part of the #letsmajaz concert series. Capaldi will take the stage for a one-off concert on January 17, days before the Grammy Awards, where his hit ballad Someone You Loved is nominated for song of the year. Capaldi’s album Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent hit gold in the UK only two weeks after its release and stayed at the top of the UK albums chart for six weeks. He will bring his unique voice, beautifully relatable songs and wit to an iconic Sharjah landmark. Good luck seeing him, though: half the tickets sold in one day. —CB
World’s biggest performing arts festival comes to Sharjah
PERFORMING ARTS / January 16 – February 1
An entertainment extravaganza will take place across Sharjah from Jan. 16 as the emirate hosts the world’s biggest performing-arts festival. For 17 days, street performers, circus acts, artists, buskers, clowns and beat-boxers will take part in more than 1,000 hours of free entertainment in locations across the city including Al Majaz Waterfront, Al Qasba and Al Noor Island. Sharjah Fringe marks the Arabian debut of the globally renowned Fringe community.The festival brings together performers from around the world including international Fringe favourites Sticks, Stones, Broken Bones from South Africa who turn household junk into surreal shadow-puppet stories; Australian singing and beat-box act, Jamie MacDowell and Tom Thum; and The I Hate Children Show, an award-winning magic show for kids featuring the “world’s meanest man,” pictured. —HJ
Sharjapan 2
ART / Until February 2
The second iteration of Sharjah Art Foundation’s four-year collaboration with Yuko Hasegawa, artistic director at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo, focuses on performance and sound-based installations that imagine new ecologies of nature and materiality. The exhibition aims to “reflect the links between individual agency and collective human-like relationality.” A live installation by sound artist Tomoko Sauvage will feature an amplified sound recording of a large block of melting ice, placing hearing and listening alongside the visual experience of climate change. Musical performances will include traditional Japanese drumming and an Android Opera conducted by a humanoid AI dubbed “Alter2”. —PD
Where: Bait Obaid Al Shamsi, Calligraphy Square, and Bait Al Hurma in Al Mureijah Square, Sharjah
Celebrating the sea: Sir Bu Nair Festival
MARINE LIFE / May 28 – 30
The 21st edition of the annual Sir Bu Nair Festival takes place in May on Sir Bu Nair Island, known for its sandy beaches, clear water, biodiversity and marine life. The two-day festival—run in conjunction with Dubai International Marine Club’s dhow sailing race (Al Gaffal)—highlights the island’s spirit, natural beauty and heritage, and helps to protect its wildlife and marine environment. Activities spotlight traditional maritime skills including fishing-net and rope making, clam opening and salt making, and attract lovers of the sea and marine sports enthusiasts.The festival highlights the ecological, historical and cultural significance of the island, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site and an important nesting site for sea turtles in the Gulf. —HJ
Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival
BOOKS / April 8 – 18
The 12th edition of the SCRF is set to stimulate children’s imaginations from April 8 to 18 at Sharjah Expo Centre. The only book festival in the region dedicated to children and youth, last year’s event was the largest ever, with 2,600 cultural and literary activities, 198 authors and cultural personalities, 167 publishers, and more than 300,000 visitors drawn to the 10-day festival. Elisabetta Dami from Italy, and US authors Carole Boston Weatherford and Stuart J. Murphy were among the big names attending in 2019. Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority, the festival is more than just a book fair: there are film screenings and theatre performances in addition to showcasing the best in children’s and young adult literature. —PD
