Marcel Khalife, Le Trio Joubran and TootArd Are Coming to Dubai for WASLA Festival 2026

Returning to Expo City Dubai on November 28, WASLA brings together some of the region's most compelling musical voices for an evening dedicated to culture, connection and solidarity with displaced communities.

There are few voices in Arab music that carry quite the emotional weight of Marcel Khalife's. For generations, the Lebanese composer, singer and oud virtuoso has given musical expression to questions of belonging, exile and freedom, most memorably through his interpretations of Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish's work.

This November, Khalife will take the stage at Expo City Dubai as the headliner of WASLA Festival 2026, joining Palestinian oud trio Le Trio Joubran, Syrian duo TootArd and Abu Dhabi-based artist Fatima for a night that places the region's musical heritage and contemporary sounds in conversation.

Taking place on Saturday, November 28, 2026, the festival returns with a renewed focus. Produced by BRAG in collaboration with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, this year's edition aims to raise awareness and generate support for families displaced by conflict and persecution across the region. It's a fitting direction for a festival whose name, wasla, translates to connection in Arabic.

Marcel Khalife and the Enduring Power of Music

For anyone familiar with Marcel Khalife's music, his presence on the WASLA lineup feels particularly significant.

Across a career spanning decades, Khalife has established himself as one of the Arab world's most influential musicians, bringing together classical Arabic composition, poetry and political consciousness. His musical interpretations of Mahmoud Darwish's verses have become deeply embedded in the region's collective cultural memory. Recognised as a UNESCO Artist for Peace, Khalife has long approached music as a means of expressing shared experiences that extend beyond geographical borders.

At WASLA, his performance will form part of a programme built around artists whose work engages with questions of heritage, identity and humanity.

Le Trio Joubran, TootArd and a New Generation of Arab Sounds

Joining Khalife are Le Trio Joubran, the Palestinian brothers Samir, Wissam and Adnan, whose extraordinary command of the oud has introduced a new generation of listeners to the instrument's expressive possibilities.

Descended from four generations of oud makers and musicians, the trio have developed a distinctive musical language through the interplay of three ouds. Their compositions draw on Palestinian cultural heritage while creating something unmistakably their own.

The evening will also feature TootArd, the Syrian musical project founded by brothers Hasan and Rami Nakhleh.

Known for a genre-fluid sound that moves between Arabic melodies, disco, funk and contemporary electronic influences, TootArd represent another dimension of the region's evolving musical landscape. Their music draws from the cultural exchanges of Southwest Asia, North Africa and beyond, creating an infectious sound that is as suited to the dance floor as it is to attentive listening.

Completing the lineup is Fatima, the Abu Dhabi-based singer formerly known as FAFA, whose sound blends R&B, soul and Arabian jazz influences. Drawing on her UAE and Honduran heritage, Fatima brings a different musical sensibility to the festival, with songs exploring self-empowerment, reflection and inner peace.

Together, the four acts offer a snapshot of Arab music's extraordinary range, from the poetic traditions of the oud to contemporary experiments with rhythm and genre.

A Music Festival With a Humanitarian Purpose

This year's WASLA arrives at a time when displacement remains one of the world's most urgent humanitarian challenges.

According to figures cited by UNHCR in the festival announcement, 117.8 million people worldwide have been forcibly displaced, equivalent to approximately one in every 70 people. Through its collaboration with UNHCR, WASLA intends to use the reach of live music to bring attention to displaced families and encourage meaningful support.

“Music has the ability to bring people together around our shared humanity,” says Roula Ghalayini, WASLA's Festival Creative Director. “Through WASLA, we hope to create a space that not only celebrates culture and expression but also stands in solidarity with families who have been forced to flee their homes,” he continues.

For UNHCR, the collaboration represents an opportunity to reach audiences through a shared cultural experience.

“WASLA offers a powerful platform to bring the refugee cause to new audiences and turn awareness into meaningful support,” says Raefah Makki, Regional Manager for Private Sector Partnerships – MENA at UNHCR.

The partnership gives the festival an additional dimension, although the organisers have not specified what proportion of ticket sales, if any, will be donated to UNHCR.

Since its inception, WASLA has created a space for Arabic music and culture in the UAE, bringing together artists and audiences connected by a shared interest in the region's creative expression.

We're particularly excited about the line-up: Khalife's compositions, Le Trio Joubran's deeply rooted Palestinian musical language, TootArd's cross-cultural experimentation and Fatima's contemporary perspective each offer different ways of thinking about identity and belonging.

In a region where music has so often accompanied moments of celebration, resistance, migration and collective memory, WASLA's decision to connect its programme to the experiences of displaced communities feels especially resonant. For one evening in Dubai, these musical voices will come together around an idea that has always been central to the festival: connection.

WASLA Festival 2026: Date, Location and Tickets

Date: Saturday, November 28, 2026
Location: Expo City Dubai, UAE
Lineup: Marcel Khalife, Le Trio Joubran, TootArd and Fatima
Tickets: From AED 350, available hereInstagram: @waslafestival