Dubai Short+Sweet Theatre Festival Names 20 Finalists As Semi-Finals Begin May 16

2026-05-12 04:17:30

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) After three weeks of performances, audience voting, and dozens of original productions, Dubai's Short+Sweet Theatre Festival is entering its final stage.

The festival has unveiled its top 20 shortlisted plays ahead of the semi-finals and gala final, narrowing down a pool of 66 original productions presented during this year's edition.

Recommended For You

Running from April 18 to May 23 at New Covent Garden Theatre, Mall of the Emirates, the festival brought together more than 250 artists and welcomed over 1,500 audience members across its opening weeks.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp channels.

A mix of languages, styles and voices

One of the defining features of this year's shortlist is its multicultural range.

The selected plays include performances in Hindi, Farsi and Arabic alongside English, reflecting the diversity of Dubai's theatre scene and the festival's open-format approach.

Unlike traditional theatre festivals built around a central theme, Short+Sweet allows writers and performers to explore a wide range of ideas and storytelling styles, from comedy and drama to experimental performances and musicals.

“In this festival, over the years, I have never seen any key themes emerge; that's the beauty of it,” said Rashmi Kotriwala, Executive Producer of Short+Sweet Theatre Festivals.

“An audience member gets to see so many unique stories and hear different voices from the perspective of nationalities, abilities, ages, experience, and more.”

The road to the gala final

The shortlisted productions will now compete across two semi-final rounds.

The People's Choice Semi-Final will take place on May 16, while the Judges' Choice Semi-Final will follow on May 17. Both dates will feature performances at 3:30 pm and 7:30 pm.

The festival will conclude with the Gala Final on May 23 at New Covent Garden Theatre's main auditorium, where finalists will compete for top honours including Best Play, Best Director and performance awards.

Organisers said six plays had already secured spots in the gala final following selections made during the preliminary rounds by judges and audiences.

Why audiences are returning

With each play limited to just 10 minutes, the festival's format has become known for its fast pace and variety, allowing audiences to experience multiple stories and genres in a single evening.

Organisers describe the semi-finals as a curated showcase of the strongest productions from this year's festival, combining first-time performers with experienced theatre-makers from across the UAE.

“This is a rare chance to witness the best of 66 plays distilled into a powerful shortlist,” organisers said in a statement.

Semi-final and gala final schedule

People's Choice Semi-Final
May 16
3:30 pm and 7:30 pm

Judges' Choice Semi-Final
May 17
3:30 pm and 7:30 pm

Gala Final
May 23
3:30 pm and 7:30 pm

Tickets start from Dh125 and are available through Platinumlist.