Live & Kicking: ABBA-Esque Party 2026 in Dubai

Live & Kicking: ABBA-Esque Party turns Saturday 7 November 2026 into a three-hour sing-along aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2 at Port Rashid, Dubai. The party runs between 2pm and 5pm in the Theatre by QE2, with live performers leading the room through the ABBA songs most people know by heart, plus party food and drinks for the whole afternoon. It suits birthdays, hen parties and long-overdue catch-ups with friends.

What the ABBA-Esque Party in Dubai is

This is one of the themed afternoons in the Saturday Afternoon Party Series at the Theatre by QE2, and it has been run before: an earlier ABBA-Esque afternoon took place on the ship in September 2026. The idea is simple. Gather your group, dress up if you fancy it, and spend three hours singing and dancing while live singers on stage keep the dance floor busy.

The performers are not named on the listing, and this is not billed as a formal tribute concert. It is a party first, built around audience participation, which is why the format works whether you can recite every lyric or only the choruses.

The series changes theme from month to month. This autumn the same Live & Kicking format has already covered a School Dayz party in September, built on school-disco nostalgia, and a Throwback 90s and Noughties party in October, and it moves on to a Fabulously Festive Christmas party in December.

The songs

The set list on the ticket page names favourites including “Mamma Mia”, “Waterloo” and “Voulez-Vous”. They cover most of ABBA’s run as a band: “Waterloo” won the Eurovision Song Contest for Sweden in 1974 and launched the group internationally, “Mamma Mia” followed in 1975, and “Voulez-Vous” gave its name to their 1979 album, recorded at the height of the disco era. Expect the room to join in long before the first chorus.

Food, drinks and the two packages

Admission includes buffet-style party food and drinks for the three hours. There are two packages to choose from:

• House Package: the party, the buffet-style food and unlimited house drinks for the three hours.
• Premium Package: everything in the House Package, with premium fizz options added.

The organisers also list special rates for teachers, cabin crew and birthday groups of six or more, and discounted overnight stays on the QE2 for party guests, so it is worth contacting them before you book if any of those apply. These offers are arranged directly with the Theatre by QE2 ticketing team rather than through the online checkout.

Partying on the QE2

Part of the appeal is the setting. The Queen Elizabeth 2 was launched in 1967 and spent four decades as one of the world’s best-known ocean liners before retiring to Dubai in 2008. It reopened as a floating hotel in 2018 and is permanently berthed at Mina Rashid, also known as Port Rashid, on the edge of Bur Dubai.

The Theatre by QE2 sits on board, combining the character of a classic liner with a proper stage and room to dance. Arriving up the gangway to a seventies-themed party feels like more of an occasion than a regular hotel ballroom.

Know before you book

• Timings: doors and the bar open at 1:30pm, 30 minutes before the party starts at 2pm. It ends at 5pm.
• Age: guests must be 21 or over.
• Language: the event is in English.
• Dress: costumes are encouraged but not required, so a little seventies sparkle will fit right in.
• Groups: choose one host name at checkout so your group is seated together. Groups of fewer than six may share a table with other guests.
• Accessibility: email the organisers before booking if you need level access or a wheelchair space, so they can prepare.
• Tickets: they are non-refundable and valid only for the date and time booked.

Getting to the Theatre by QE2

By car, take Sheikh Zayed Road towards Port Rashid and follow the signs for the Queen Elizabeth 2. By Metro, ride the Red Line to BurJuman station, then take a short taxi or rideshare to the ship. Taxis from anywhere in Dubai can drop you at the berth.

With a 5pm finish, there is plenty of evening left. Tickets are sold through Platinumlist. For what to do next, browse our nightlife picks and dinner and brunch ideas, or see our guides to things to do in Dubai and things to do in November.