Sponsored: Music. Movement. Memory. All across Sharjah and Khorfakkan

Perform Sharjah is back, and this year’s programme is doing things a little differently. Running from October 11 to November 30, the fourth edition of the festival unfolds across public spaces, old schools, lakes, and courtyards in both Sharjah and Khorfakkan. It’s intimate, expansive, and completely free to attend.

Sharjah Art Foundation’s live arts platform brings together local, regional and international artists for a season of performances that are quietly bold and full of feeling. The line-up includes experimental theatre, contemporary dance, poetic duets, and musical acts that break the mould, all rooted in place, story and connection.

The line-up

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Muhanad Kareem

Muhanad Kareem adapts Olga Tokarczuk’s novel into a stage piece, where hunters in a remote forest confront something darker than wild animals. Sparse set, intense atmosphere, and questions about violence and cruelty underlie the performance.

Location: Africa Hall, Al Manakh, Sharjah

Times: October 11, 8.30pm

Every Brilliant Thing by Ahmed Al Attar

Every Brilliant Thing, Ahmed Al Attar, 2022. Performance view: Perform Sharjah, Bait Obaid Al Shamsi, 2022. Image courtesy of Sharjah Art Foundation. Photo: Motaz Mawid

Ahmed El Attar returns with this interactive piece that mixes humour and grief. Using audience participation, it explores depression and hope, reminding us that small joys can hold weight.

Location: Shajar car park, Aljada & in front of the Khorfakkan Amphitheatre

Times: October 24-25 (Sharjah), November 1-2 (Khorfakkan), 8.30pm

Laaroussa Quartet by Selma and Sofiane Ouissi

From Tunisia’s clay doll‑making tradition comes a fusion of movement, voice, violin and dance. The choreography honours heritage, memory and the passing down of craft across generations.

Location: : Al Qasimiyah School, Al Manakh

Times: October 26, 8.30pm

Searching for Love by Nanda Mohammad

Searching for Love

Searching for Love, Nanda Mohammad and Mohammed Sami, 2025. Image courtesy of the artist. Photo: Mostafa Abdel Aty

A duet of words and violin weaving themes of longing, belonging and connection. It’s intimate, raw, and deeply personal.

Location: YourSpace, Aljada, Sharjah and Al Dana Grand Ballroom, Khorfakkan

Times: YourSpace, Aljada (October 31) & Al Dana Grand Ballroom, Khorfakkan (November 16), 8.30pm

Music on the Barge

Three nights of music floating on water. The stage is built on a barge; the audience gathered lakeside.

  • Ruhaniyat – November 7
  • ADIGA – November 8
  • Noon – November 9

Location: Khalid Lake, Sharjah

Times: November 7-9, 8.30pm

Other performances not to miss

Magec/The Desert, Radouan Mriziga, 2025. Image courtesy of the artist. Photo: Louka Van Roy

  • Minga of a House in Ruins by Ebana Garin Coronel and Luis Guenel Soto – November 21, Al Qasimiyah School at Al Manakh, Sharjah
  • Souvenirs by Claire and Antho – November 28 and November 29 in Art Square, Sharjah
  • Magec/The Desert by Radouan Mriziga – November 30, Bait Obaid Al Shamsi, Arts Square, Sharjah

Various locations late November these works delve into memory, home, landscape, shadows, light, and what survives through care and expression.

Why Go

From schoolyards to waterfronts, the settings are as much a part of the experience as the performances themselves. Perform Sharjah focuses on connection, between artists, audiences, and the spaces they share. It’s authentic, accessible, and completely free, making it easy to drop in, stay curious, and experience something new across the city. Whether you’re into experimental theatre, live music, or movement-based work, there’s something here worth showing up for.

More information and full programme

Admission: Free

Dates: From October 11 to November 30

Locations: Across Sharjah and Khorfakkan

Contact: sharjahart.org