7 things to do in Dubai this weekend

Cirque Du Soleil’s Varekai
It has become something of a tradition that Cirque Du Soleil comes to town with a show at this time of year, complete with the usual array of acrobatics, dance and the kind of high-risk performances that have you watching through your hands. Varekai has now been seen by more than eight million people in 20 countries since 2002. The theme of this show is a young Icarus-like man who is parachuted into Varekai, a forested land located beneath a volcano, where new life and new possibilities spring forth in every direction. The show is written and directed by Dominic Champagne, and gathers up influences from Romany folklore, Russian dances and Georgian music. Varekai features an international cast of 50 performers and musicians from 19 countries.
When: From Friday, September 16
Where: Dubai World Trade Centre, tickets from AED295 (unrestricted), tixbox.com

Giselle
We’re sure the goings on at Dubai Opera will be featuring on these pages on a regular basis from here on in. The stellar shows keep on coming with this production of Giselle by The Russian State Ballet and Orchestra of Siberia. First performed in Paris in 1841, it tells the story of a peasant girl who dies of a broken heart after finding her lover is betrothed to another.
When: September 16
Where: Dubai Opera, Downtown,

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan live
As ShortList mentioned in our Eid preview last week, Pakistani singing star Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, a leading light in the Bollywood and Lollywood scene, is playing a rare live show in Dubai on Friday. Having first started singing at the age of seven before then joining his uncle’s gawwali group at 15, Rahat has developed a reputation as one of the foremost singers and performers of Sufi music. He has even collaborated with Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder and featured on the soundtrack to Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto.
When: September 16
Where: Dubai World Trade Centre,

Lost Grooves Boat Party
It’s boat party season again and this one welcomes DJ James Kininmonth, who is making his Dubai debut. The Brit played Ibiza at just 18 and then founded his own label, Ninety3 Records. He’ll be joined by resident, DJ Liam Morrey.
When: September 17
Where: Marina Walk, Dubai Marina, +971 55 964 2582

Beginners’ Screen Printing
Back by popular demand for its fourth edition, Toil and Tinker’s screen printing class is likely to be full up soon. It revolves around making a screen stencil then using ink to transfer your design on to a surface like a t-shirt. Sound fun? It will be. And this class is taken by Toil and Tinker print king, Paul Green.
Where: Toil and Tinker, The Courtyard, Al Quoz
When: September 17, 2pm-5pm
Contact: +9714 341 0977

Women in Calligraphy
An exhibition showcasing the work of ten female Emirati calligraphers, including Fatma Juri, Fatima Althanhani, Thriya Ibrahim, Shikha Mahboob, Fatima Salmin, Zainab Mohammed Ali Nada, Al Maazmi, Maryam Alfarisi, Eman Bashir Al Muhairi and Aisha Al Hasani.
When: From September 17
Where: Art Couture Gallery, Al Badia Golf Course,

Sully (15) 
Does Tom Hanks play fictional characters anymore? From Captain Phillips to James B Donovan in Bridge of Spies, Hollywood’s avuncular everyman seems to be the go-to guy for recreating real life. In Sully, he plays pilot Chesley Sullenberger, who landed his Airbus A320 into the Hudson River, New York, after he flew into a flock of geese and crippled his engines. A bit like Room, though, the great escape is only the beginning as press and investigators descend. Hanks is, of course, great in the lead role.