Enrico Macias Live 2026 in Dubai

Enrico Macias Live 2026 in Dubai brings one of the best-loved voices of French chanson to Dubai Opera on Thursday 10 December, the evening before his 88th birthday. Presented by the promoter Cirta, the concert gathers the classics and signature melodies of a career that now spans more than six decades, and the tour is expected to be one of his final international appearances. For many fans in the UAE, this may well be the last chance to hear him in Dubai.

Who is Enrico Macias?

Enrico Macias was born Gaston Ghrenassia on 11 December 1938 in Constantine, in what was then French Algeria. Music ran in the family: his father, Sylvain Ghrenassia, was a violinist in an orchestra that played malouf, the Andalusian classical music of the region. Gaston picked up the guitar as a child and, at 15, joined the orchestra of Cheikh Raymond Leyris, the great malouf master who later became his father-in-law. He trained as a schoolteacher, but the guitar never left his hands.

In 1961 he left Algeria with his wife Suzy for mainland France. In Paris he began by translating malouf songs into French, then built a French repertoire for cafés and cabarets. He took the stage name Enrico Macias and made his first recording in 1962, “Adieu mon pays”, a farewell to the home he had left behind. Television appearances led to a tour in 1963, and in spring 1964 he opened for Les Compagnons de la chanson at the Paris Olympia.

The songs that made his name

The Dubai programme is built around his most cherished classics. The ticket page does not publish a set list, but the catalogue fans will know includes:

• Adieu mon pays (1962), the debut that told his own story.
• Oh guitare, guitare (1962), a tribute to the instrument at the heart of his sound.
• Paris tu m’as pris dans tes bras and Les filles de mon pays (both 1964).
• Non je n’ai pas oublié (1966).
• Mélisa (1975), which earned him a gold disc the following year.
• Le violon de mon père (1977), written for his father.
• Zingarella (1988).

His music blends French chanson with the melodies and rhythms of North Africa and the Mediterranean, which is why it has travelled so widely. Over the years he has sung in French, Italian, Spanish, Turkish, Greek, English, Armenian, Arabic and more, and his songs are often described as carrying warmth, nostalgia and a deep sense of human connection.

A career on the world’s great stages

Macias’s reach has always been international. In 1966 he sang before 120,000 people at Moscow’s Dinamo Stadium during a tour of more than forty Soviet cities. Two years later, in February 1968, he made his American debut at a sold-out Carnegie Hall, and he returned there in 1972. He played the Royal Albert Hall in London in 1971 and ten shows on Broadway in 1974. In the late 1970s he performed at the foot of the Pyramids in Egypt before around 20,000 people.

His work beyond music has been recognised too. In 1980 UN Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim named him a “Singer of Peace” after he gave the proceeds of a single to UNICEF, and in 1997 Kofi Annan appointed him a roving ambassador for peace and the defence of children.

The evening at Dubai Opera

The concert starts at 8pm and runs for about two hours, giving room for a broad sweep through his repertoire. Dubai Opera opens its doors two hours before the show and the auditorium 30 minutes before, so there is time for a drink in the foyer before taking your seat. The promoter recommends being in place at least 30 minutes before curtain up, because latecomers are not admitted once the music begins and may only enter at an intermission, if there is one.

It is worth knowing that this is a venue hire: the show is produced by Cirta, not by Dubai Opera itself, although the house rules of the building still apply.

House rules worth knowing

• Children under six are not allowed in the Main Auditorium; everyone aged six and over needs a ticket, and under-18s must be with an adult.
• Avoid overly casual or provocative clothing such as shorts or flip-flops, as guests who do not follow the dress code will not be admitted.
• Photography, video and audio recording are not allowed in the auditorium, and phones must be off or silenced.
• Eating and drinking inside the auditorium is not permitted at any point, and outside food and drink cannot be brought in.
• Concession tickets need valid proof of identity and entitlement at the door.

Who it suits

This is a night for lifelong fans who grew up with Macias on the radio or the family record player, and for anyone who loves French chanson or the music of the Mediterranean. Families who want to share his songs across generations will find it especially meaningful, as long as the youngest guests are six or older. Expect a heartfelt, nostalgic evening rather than a big production. If you are in Abu Dhabi, he also performs there two days later, on 12 December.

Getting to Dubai Opera

Dubai Opera sits on Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard in Downtown Dubai. By car, leave Sheikh Zayed Road at the Financial Center Road exit, follow the signs for Burj Khalifa and Downtown Dubai, and the venue is on your right along the boulevard. By Metro, take the Red Line to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall station, then walk for about ten minutes or take a short taxi ride.

For more live music, browse our guide to concerts in Dubai, explore art and culture across the UAE, or see what else is happening in December and around Dubai.