What’s On

Spain’s musical heritage featuring works by its greatest composers, performed by distinguished musicians under the baton of Maestro Kiko Moreno

For the first time, the vibrant authentic Spanish music will resonate through the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ali Concert Hall, as the Orquesta Sinfónica Villa de Colmenar Viejo (OSVCV)—a cultural landmark in Madrid’s musical scene—takes the stage on 2 November under the baton of Maestro Kiko Moreno. The orchestra brings together distinguished musicians from Colmenar Viejo and across the Comunidad de Madrid, many of whom also perform with Spain’s most prestigious national ensembles. Guided by its artistic director, the OSVCV embodies excellence, blending tradition with innovation to create performances of high cultural value.

The programme presents a rich panorama of Spain’s musical heritage, featuring “Sighs of Spain” by Antonio Álvarez Alonso, selections from Enrique Granados’s “Twelve Spanish Dances”, and the world première of “Jirabé”, a tribute to the poet Federico García Lorca by composer Jesús Martín-Fernández. The concert also includes works by the celebrated compsoer Manuel de Falla, such as “Seven Spanish Folksongs” and “Spanish Dance No. 1”, alongside works by Boccherini, Soutullo and Vert, concluding with The “Jota of Colmenar Viejo”, a vibrant homage to the orchestra’s hometown.

The concert is a collaboration between the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters and the Embassy of Spain in Kuwait.

An exceptional evening with the beloved singer, featuring her latest songs alongside timeless classics of Arabic music.

Earlier this year, the acclaimed Egyptian singer Mai Farouk released her new album “Tarekhi” (My History), which featured a variety of songs, including “Sultana”. The immense success of this track, along with the rest of the album across platforms, earned her the title “Sultana of Tarab,” as hailed by the press. In celebration of this album, the National Theatre will host the beloved singer on 7 November in a not-to-be-missed concert that brings together her new songs live for the first time in Kuwait and a selection of Arabic classics uniquely interpreted by Mai Farouk.

With a voice that blends sweetness, strength, and tenderness, and with her exceptional ability to perform Arabi classics live, Mai Farouk has secured a distinguished place among today’s leading singers—particularly those who keep alive the heritage of the golden age of Arabic song. She is not only a masterful performer of the classics but also committed to selecting refined lyrics and melodies. Her concerts are always true evenings of “tarab”, evoking the splendour of bygone times.

An innovative experience blending timeless Arabic classics with beloved Khaleeji songs, led by renowned Lebanese pianist and composer Michel Fadel, with the participation of Al-Mass Folklore Group.

“Betrouh Lak Meshwar” is a Lebanese classic song, originally performed by the late Wadih Al-Safi, that gained special popularity in Kuwait through a televised Jalsat (musical gathering) performance by Ghareed Al-Shate’. That version featured a distinctive arrangement enriched with Kuwaiti folk elements, including sharbaka and zafan participation. Inspired by this cultural connection, we have chosen the song as the title for a new musical experience coming to Sheikh Jaber Al-Ali Concert Hall on 12 November, led by renowned Lebanese pianist and composer Michel Fadel.

This special evening brings together Arabic and Khaleeji songs by legendary singers, performed by a choir and a modern musical ensemble with Michel Fadel, alongside Al-Mass Folklore Group. Audiences will enjoy the timeless works of Umm Kulthum, Sabah, Warda, Mohammed Abdou, Abu Bakr Salem, and others, reimagined through fresh arrangements and a distinctive artistic vision by the acclaimed Lebanese composer.

We open the Amphitheatre concerts with Egyptian musician Saad Al-Oud and his band, performing beloved Egyptian songs in an open-air setting.

We open the Amphitheatre concerts this season with Egyptian oud player and singer Saad Al-Oud and his band on 20 and 21 November, presenting an open-air evening filled with some of the most beloved Egyptian songs. Saad Al-Oud began his musical journey performing in gatherings among family and friends, reminiscent of traditional Khaleeji jalsat (musical gatherings), but held instead in various coffee shops and restaurants. He called them, in Egyptian dialect, “Jalsa with Saad Al-Oud” — informal sessions where he played the oud and sang with the audience a wide selection of songs by iconic Arab singers, as well as popular ones by Egyptian film stars such as Mahmoud Abdel Aziz and Ahmed Zaki, and excerpts from well-known operettas like El-Layla El-Kebira (The Grand Night).

By 2018, these intimate gatherings had grown into large concerts attended by hundreds, then thousands, in Cairo and Alexandria. From there, the young oud player and his band expanded their reach across the Gulf, performing in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Kuwait.

The beloved superstar known as the “Voice of Egypt” returns to her Kuwait audience for the third consecutive year, delighting fans with a selection of her greatest hits.

The concerts of “The Voice of Egypt,” the acclaimed singer Angham, at the National Theatre have become an annual tradition eagerly awaited by her audience in Kuwait. This November, we meet the beloved artist for the third consecutive year. This engagement comes as part of her current concert season, which Angham launched with her first-ever performance at London’s Royal Albert Hall, followed by a series of successful concerts across the Arab world.

Angham consistently leads audiences on a dramatic musical journey, drawing on a career of more than 35 years spanning 27 albums and numerous singles. Her latest album, “Tigi Nseeb”, released in July 2024 after a four-year break from album projects, quickly gained wide popularity and—true to her style—unfolds like a narrative in song. She performed the album’s tracks at her most recent National Theatre concert last November.

For the first time in the Middle East, Jon Batiste — the Jazz Icon, Academy Award winner, and five-time Grammy Award recipient — will perform in Kuwait as part of his world tour.

Oscar and five-time Grammy winner Jon Batiste makes his Middle East debut on 29 November in Kuwait, at Sheikh Jaber Al-Ali Concert Hall, presenting a magical musical evening as part of his world tour “The Maestro Series.”

The acclaimed American singer, songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist is distinguished by his unique and captivating performances that blend diverse musical styles. He seamlessly weaves together classical music, jazz, soul, R&B, and other African American traditions, while his masterful playing at the piano and on other instruments showcases brilliant improvisations. Renowned for collaborations with Beyoncé, Lang Lang, and Michelle Obama, Batiste co-composed the jazz-inspired score for Pixar’s Soul, earning an Oscar, Golden Globe, Grammy, and BAFTA Film Award.

The musician presents his first concerts in Kuwait at the National Theatre.

For the first time in Kuwait, the National Theatre will host musician Saint Levant in December. Marwan Abdelhamid, AKA Saint Levant, was born in Jerusalem to a French-Algerian mother and Serbian-Palestinian father during the Second Intifada. He spent 7 years growing up in Gaza, to which he dedicated his first EP “From Gaza with Love”.

Drawing inspiration from his origins with influences that combine traditional Arabic music, R&B and hip-hop, the young artist embraces the plurality of his own cultural heritage, the Arab community worldwide and the Palestinian struggle abroad. His songs – written in Arabic, English and French – have captivated a global audience with their international appeal. His latest project, “Love Letters and Love Letters Deluxe”, is a compilation of new music by Saint Levant, each song representing an ode to different aspects of his world – triumphant, reflective, hopeful, and heartfelt.

Two stars of romantic Arabic songs, Hani Shaker and Khaled Selim present a selection of the most beloved songs by Abdel Halim Hafez, the Nightingale.

This December, the National Theatre hosts “Halim”, a concert starring Egyptian singers Hani Shaker and Khaled Selim, renewing our encounter with the songs of Abdel Halim Hafez—classics the Kuwaiti audience never tires of. Between the Nightingale and Kuwait lies a love story with many chapters.

Among the singers of his generation, Abdel Halim Hafez, the Nightingale, had a special bond with Kuwait, performing numerous concerts on its stages. He also recorded a rare set of songs in the Kuwaiti dialect, unique in his career, including “Ya Farhat Al-Summar,” “Ayni Ḍanaha Al-Sahar,” “Ya Layali Al-Eid,” “Min Al-Jahra lil-Salmiya,” and “Ya Hali,” the latter filmed for Kuwait Television in 1965.

A true holiday favorite, this beloved comedy classic will be screened with its score performed live by the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra.

Celebrate the holiday season with a landmark cultural event at the National Theatre, as Kuwait welcomes “Home Alone in Concert” for the very first time on 20 December. The evening features a full screening of the film on a giant screen with John Williams’s Academy Award–nominated score performed live to picture by the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra.

Since its 2013 debut, “Home Alone in Concert” has become a global tradition, uniting cinema and live performance in a festive experience for all the family. This year also marks the film’s 35th anniversary (released in 1990), starring Macaulay Culkin as eight-year-old Kevin McCallister, accidentally left behind when his family departs for Christmas and forced to defend his home against two hapless burglars. With two Academy Award nominations—including Best Original Score and Best Original Song (“Somewhere in My Memory”)—Home Alone has secured its place as one of the most cherished holiday classics, perfect for audiences of all ages.