Christmas Concert with Dubai City Sound 2026 in Dubai

Christmas Concert with Dubai City Sound 2026 in Dubai brings a choir with around 30 years of history in the city to The Fridge Warehouse at Alserkal Avenue on Saturday 12 December. The award-winning, all-female a cappella group puts 34 voices from 10 nationalities behind the Christmas songs everyone knows, sung in four-part harmony with no instruments at all. There are two one-hour sessions, an all-ages afternoon concert and a 12-plus evening concert, so you can pick the one that fits your plans.

Who are Dubai City Sound?

Dubai City Sound has been part of the city’s music scene for around 30 years, a long run for any community choir in a city where many residents come and go. Its story began with a note in a supermarket window, placed by an American singer from Oklahoma who missed the barbershop harmony she had sung at home. A handful of women answered, met at the old Art Centre on Jumeirah Beach Road, and found, in the words of co-founder Jane Dales, that it was good fun.

From those beginnings the group grew into a full chorus. Its singers are split into four parts, bass, baritone, lead and tenor, the classic structure of barbershop singing, and over the years members have come from well over a dozen countries. The choir has been led by choirmaster Gayle Powell, a British music teacher, and it rehearses weekly. Reading music is not a requirement to join, which says a lot about its open, community spirit.

An award-winning sound

The choir describes itself as award-winning, and its repertoire has included “Something Inside So Strong”, listed as the winning song from Choirfest 2017. Today the line-up stands at 34 singers, and the Christmas concert is a showcase for how far that original group of friends has come.

What to expect from the concert

Each session is a one-hour programme of festive favourites and familiar Christmas melodies, arranged for the choir’s own collective sound. Because a cappella means voices only, every chord, bass line and rhythm comes from the singers themselves, which gives even well-known carols a fresh, close-harmony feel.

The 2026 song list has not been published. As a guide, the choir’s Christmas concert in December 2025 drew on songs associated with Ed Sheeran and Elton John, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Shakin’ Stevens, and The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl, alongside traditional favourites, so expect a mix of modern Christmas pop and classic carols.

How four-part harmony works

In the barbershop style the choir grew out of, the lead sings the melody, the tenor floats above it, the baritone fills in the notes between, and the bass gives the chords their foundation. When the four lock together, the overtones can make the sound seem bigger than the number of singers on stage, an effect barbershop fans call ringing a chord. With 34 voices spread across the parts, the result is a full, warm sound that suits Christmas music especially well.

Choosing your session

• Session 1, all ages: doors at 3:30pm, concert from 4pm to 5pm. The one to book with younger children, and an hour is a manageable length for small listeners.
• Session 2, ages 12 and over: doors at 6:30pm, concert from 7pm to 8pm. A calmer, grown-up setting for an early-evening start to a Saturday night.

Both sessions open their doors 30 minutes before the music starts. No dress code is listed, so a festive jumper is entirely in the spirit of the day. If your plans change, the ticket page allows you to exchange your ticket with another fan.

The venue: The Fridge Warehouse, Alserkal Avenue

The Fridge Warehouse is at #5 Alserkal Avenue in Al Quoz 1, the arts district known for its galleries, design studios and independent cafés set in converted warehouses. Hearing a cappella in a warehouse space rather than a large concert hall keeps the focus firmly on the voices. With an afternoon session finishing at 5pm, there is time to look around the avenue before or after.

Getting there

• By car: take Sheikh Zayed Road, then Al Manara Road and Al Khalil Road into Al Quoz.
• By bus: several bus lines serve the area, with a short walk from the nearest stop.
• By taxi: taxis and ride-hailing apps are widely available.

Who it suits

This concert is a gentle way into the festive season for families, choir lovers and anyone who sings, or wishes they did. The afternoon session works well for parents with young children, while the evening session suits couples and friends. It is also a good choice if you want a Christmas outing that is about the music and the community behind it rather than a big production.

For more festive plans, see our guide to concerts in Dubai, browse kids’ events, explore art and culture, or find more things to do in December.