Pakistani and Iranian acts draw big
crowds of expat locals... This is the stuff
you can’t hear back home. Check Time
Out and 7 Days magazines for the latest
line-up.The arts
Dubai’s performing arts scene is still in
its infancy, but there are some new venues
that give hope for an increasingly bright
future. The Dubai Community Theatre and
Arts Centre (DUCTAC; p112) is one of the
few spaces that also trains the spotlight on
local talent.h tting the Towni
For entertainment listings, your safest bet
is the weekly Time Out magazine, although
the freebie 7 Days is also worth a glance.
Look for free guides and leaflets promot-
ing clubs, dance parties and gigs; find
them at bars, cafes, Virgin Megastore (p61)
and Ohm Records (p74). The same places
should also have copies of Infusion, an
excellent free biweekly pocket-sized mag
covering clubs, bars, movies, music,
fashion and other lifestyle topics.
As usual, the most current information
is on the web. Infusion’s website (www.
infusion.ae) has an up-to-the-minute party
schedule. The same goes for the online club
guide on http://www.platinumlist.ae, which also
lets you book tickets to the major events.
Otherwise, for tickets to concerts and
other shows, phone the Time Out ticket-
line on %800 4669 (%+971 4 210 8567
from overseas). Or buy online at either
http://www.timeouttickets.com or http://www.box
officeme.com.n ed e To KnoWc stso
Costs vary wildly, depending on whether
you’re hearing a jazz trio in a snazzy bar
where a glass of wine can easily cost
Dh50, or attending a big-name concert
with tickets typically starting at Dh200�Music bans
Dancing and loud music in public
places is strictly forbidden� This includes
beaches, parks and residential areas;
dancing is restricted to licensed venues
only� If you are doing some gyrating at a
bar without a music licence, you may be
unceremoniously asked to stop�d or o policies
These obviously vary according to the
venue but it is not unusual for top clubs
to restrict entrance to advance reserva-
tions only, particularly when a top inter-
national DJ is spinning the discs� Always
check websites first�e tertainment n hours
̈ Clubs open late, from around 8pm
to 3am, but don’t really get going until
11pm�
̈ Concerts kick off late, generally not
before 10pm�d inkingr
It is worth repeating in this section that
Dubai has zero tolerance of drinking and
driving, so if you intend to have a drink
at the concert venue bars, leave the car
at home�Plan
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