Once Upon a Time in Dubai: Ambitious 2025 musical will be the region's very first to come out of the UAE

Once Upon a Time in Dubai, for the very first time…

In the many years of incredible theatre entertainment coming to Dubai from around the world, we’ve never had something go out of Dubai to the rest of the globe. This coming year just may the year that changes forever. Once Upon a Time in Dubai, a musical that is a love letter to this great city we live in, will come to Dubai stages in 2025, and the best part is it’s been born and bred right here – in the heart of all the action.

Conceptualised by Dubai-based French music producer Stéphane Boukris, this story will be made a reality with the collaboration of some massive partners – Universal Music MENA, Spotify, ALL, Accor and more – and will feature the renewed City of Dreams in a new light.

The homegrown musical will celebrate the ever-giving energy of Dubai, it’s power to make and make better and build people up who come here from all walks of life to discover themselves, chart something of their lives and their careers. It will blend stellar music and storytelling with the nuances of Dubai life to paint the picture we all know and love.

Set in the heart of Dubai, the show tells the story of Will, a young artist who moves from London to Dubai to reunite with his partner, Sophia, and pursue his dream of producing a musical extravaganza. The narrative weaves together themes of love, ambition, and the vibrant culture of Dubai, promising an unforgettable journey for audiences

The team…

The musical score is composed by Nazim Khaled, a leading European composer for singers like Kendji Girac, renowned for crafting hits that resonate globally and have garnered over 4 billion views globally.

The director of the show is Johan Nus, well-known in the Middle-East for his work on Arabs Got Talent or The Masked Singer, and as executive producer, Gilles Papain, who has worked on shows like Celine in Las Vegas, Disney World of Colors in California, and Christian Louboutin’s show at the Crazy Horse in Paris.

The trajectory…

An open casting call has been made for the show, with spots to fill for seven singers playing the main characters and 20 dancers of all nationalities. The characters are diverse to reflect the real diversity of the city, which means the pool of opportunity is quite big.

Recording for the album is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2024 with release of the first single scheduled by year’s end, with the show expected to be performed in front of at least 150,000 spectators in Dubai before embarking on an international tour and a screen adaptation, Boukris has said.

For more informations, further updates, to join the waitlist and stay tuned to all the incoming developments, visit onceuponatimeindubai.com

Images: Supplied/Socials