Jashn-e-Awadh 2026 in Dubai

Jashn-e-Awadh 2026 in Dubai returns to the stage on Saturday 14 November with A Musical Journey to the Land of Nawabs, an Indian musical about Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Awadh, at Rajmahal Theatre in The World of Riverland at Dubai Parks and Resorts. Created by the Dubai-based ensemble Malhaar, it brings together more than 50 artists for an evening of live music, Kathak, poetry and theatre, and Malhaar calls this Diwali season staging its most spectacular yet.

Who was Wajid Ali Shah?

Wajid Ali Shah was the eleventh and last King of Awadh, ruling from Lucknow from 1847 until the East India Company annexed the kingdom in 1856. He spent the rest of his life in exile at Metiabruz near Calcutta, where he recreated a second Lucknow around him. History remembers him less as a ruler than as a patron and artist.

He wrote poetry in Persian and Urdu under the pen name Akhtar, and composed music as Akhtarpiya, with many thumris credited to him, including the much-loved bhairavi thumri Babul Mora. He raised Kathak to a court dance, developed Rahas, a dramatic form that combined acting, dance and music, and wrote Radha Kanhaiyya Ka Qissa, often described as an early Hindustani play. Mirza Ghalib was among the poets who received his patronage, and Shah’s own autobiographical verse, Huzn-i-Akhtar, describes his painful journey into exile.

The story on stage

Jashn-e-Awadh uses his life as the thread that ties the evening together. The production sets out to recreate the refined culture of Nawabi Lucknow, where court life revolved around music, verse and dance, and to portray the grandeur of the Nawabi courts through live music, choreography and storytelling. Think of it as part concert, part dance drama, part history lesson, with the songs and poems of Awadh doing much of the narrating.

The show runs for two hours, not counting the interval, which gives it the scale of a full theatrical production rather than a recital.

Malhaar and the history of Jashn-e-Awadh

Malhaar is a Dubai-based Indian music ensemble, founded and directed by Jogiraj Sikidar, which began as a classical choir and has grown into large-scale musical productions. In 2024 it staged 100 Years of Bollywood Music in Dubai, also with more than 50 artists combining music, dance, theatre and visual effects.

Jashn-e-Awadh is a series with a long history in the city. In 2018, Malhaar staged what was then the biggest production in the series at Ductac in Mall of the Emirates. That version ran in two acts, with Anupam Saxena as Wajid Ali Shah and Jawaid Akhtar narrating as Kaashif Miyan, linking the history to the present day. Its music, composed by Jogiraj Sikidar and Somdatta Basu around Shah’s poetry, included pieces such as Yaad Piya Ki Aaye and Mann Kunto Maula, with Kathak choreography by Vaishali Mhaisalkar and LED backdrops recreating the palaces. Reviewers noted the show’s message of brotherhood, with Shah celebrating Hindu festivals and visiting a dargah.

The 2026 cast has not been named, but with more than 50 artists, this edition is considerably larger than the 2018 company of 20 singers and musicians and 16 dancers.

The venue: Rajmahal Theatre at Riverland

Rajmahal Theatre sits in The World of Riverland, the dining and entertainment zone at the heart of Dubai Parks and Resorts, off Sheikh Zayed Road. Its name means royal palace, a fitting home for a story set in a royal court.

Doors open at 6:30pm, an hour before the 7:30pm start, and with two hours of performance plus an interval, the evening finishes at around 10pm or a little later. Parking is complimentary for this show: drive to the Riverland Dubai entrance and follow the Jashn-e-Awadh signage to the theatre.

Getting there

• By car: take Sheikh Zayed Road (E11) towards Dubai Parks and Resorts, use the Dubai Parks and Resorts exit and follow the signs.
• By taxi: ask for Rajmahal Theatre, Dubai Parks and Resorts.
• By bus: take a bus towards Dubai Parks and Resorts and follow the signs to the theatre.

Who will enjoy it

The evening is made for lovers of Hindustani classical music, thumri, ghazal and Kathak, and for anyone with roots in Lucknow or Uttar Pradesh who wants to share that heritage with younger relatives. It also suits audiences curious about a chapter of Indian history that is less often staged than the Mughal court in Delhi. The organisers have not stated the performance language or an age policy, though the poetry and songs of Awadh are in Urdu and Hindustani.

Falling in the Diwali season, it makes a festive night out for families and groups. For more cultural evenings, see our shows and theatre in Dubai guide and art and culture listings, or browse things to do in November and things to do in Dubai.