Perform Sharjah 2026: Shows to see, from audience-made theatre to giant puppets

Perform Sharjah returns this autumn with a diverse array of performances, all free to attend and running from October 11 to November 29. The festival, organized by Sharjah Art Foundation, features 16 shows across various venues in the emirate. Among the highlights are audience-engagement theatre pieces, newly commissioned works for Bait Al Serkal, hip-hop performances challenging traditional dance forms, multimedia pieces, large-scale puppetry, and personal history-based performances.

The festival kicks off with "Every-Body-Knows-What-Tomorrow-Brings-And-We-All-Know-What-Happened-Yesterday" by Tunisian dancer Mohamed Toukabri on October 11 at Africa Hall. Toukabri's solo piece combines hip-hop, street dance, and contemporary styles, raising questions about the value of dance inheritance.

On October 18, British playwright Nathan Ellis's "work.txt" premieres at Poetry House. The audience takes on individual and collaborative tasks, gradually uncovering the story of a person in an unnamed city who has stopped working.

"Mallika Taneja's Do You Know This Song?" follows on October 25 at Sharjah Performing Arts Academy. Taneja reconstructs the story of a singer whose voice was at risk of being forgotten, using a harmonium, microphone, and childhood objects as central elements in the performance.

"Us" by Maria Hassabi takes center stage on October 31 at Cultural Palace. A six-meter bench runs along the front edge of the stage, with five dancers working within that narrow space. The set-up reflects a choreography built around calculated tableaus.

"Perhaps Here" is a suite of commissioned performances at Bait Al Serkal over three evenings, beginning on November 6. The works, created with the 19th-century heritage house in mind, deal with memory and grief.

Sebastian Mayer brings life-size animal puppets to Sharjah for a two-part show on November 13 and 15. "Hannibaby" features a life-size baby elephant puppet, while "Zarafa" showcases a life-size giraffe puppet, both traveling to Sharjah for the festival.

"Longings, Returns" by Sim Chi Yin explores her paternal grandfather's history, spanning a decade-long effort to recover his story. The multimedia work combines research and family testimony, with Sim activating the installation through ritual gestures.

Closing the festival on November 29 is "XXL" by dancer and choreographer Sofiane Chalal. Chalal uses hip-hop to challenge assumptions about larger bodies on stage, combining humor, force, lightness, and celebration in his choreography.