Is La Perle in Dubai worth it?

The short answer

La Perle rewards anyone who wants to watch skilled performers work a stage that turns into a pool, and who is happy with ninety minutes of spectacle and no interval. It is a ticketed theatre show, so it costs more than the free evening options in Dubai, and it does not ask you to follow a plot. It suits teenagers and adults who like circus-style acts, and families whose children are old enough to sit through the whole show. If you would rather have a free outdoor spectacle, the fountain on Burj Lake is the usual alternative.

• A resident show, so you can plan around it
• Ninety minutes, no interval
• Smart casual dress code

What the show is

La Perle plays in a purpose-built theatre at Al Habtoor City, a development in Business Bay along the Dubai Water Canal. The Dragone company made it. Wikipedia says the show premiered in 2017 and calls it the first Las Vegas style permanent show of this scale in the UAE. The operator says every surface in the theatre becomes a screen, with projections on the walls, the floor and a giant cyclorama. The seating wraps 270 degrees around the stage, so the audience sits close to the action. The operator calls the Al Habtoor City site home to the region's first permanent Dragone productions. The National described the building as a new ten-storey venue with an undulating bronze-coloured structure over the stage.

What happens on stage

The operator says the stage changes from dry to wet in an instant, that the theatre holds 2.7 million litres of water and that artists dive 25 metres into the pool. Gulf News's review at the launch described a Globe of Death sequence with five motorbike riders, a performer working in and around a rotating wheel, and a large golden puppet. Acts change over the years, so treat these as the kind of thing the show does, not a promised running order. The operator also says waterfalls run down the walls and rain falls inside the theatre. The National's preview noted aerial performers and acrobats, with male acrobats stepping into the pool before an aerial routine.

The story question

Two early reports are candid about the plot. Gulf News's review described a series of vignettes about a young woman being chased, and said the big stunts felt like asides to a story the reviewer found esoteric. The National's preview also noted it was unclear which point the story had reached. Both pieces date from the launch period, and the production may have changed since. The practical advice is simple: book for the stunts, the water and the scale, and treat the story as background. Reading about the kinds of act beforehand helps the scenes make sense as they arrive.

How long it runs

The show runs about 90 minutes with no interval, which matches the Gulf News review. There is no mid-show break for the restroom or a drink, so go before it starts. The operator recommends arriving at Al Habtoor City 45 to 60 minutes before the show, because traffic varies. Latecomers are admitted only during a suitable break and may be seated elsewhere. Tickets can be collected 30 to 60 minutes before the show, so the arrival window and the collection window overlap. Build the evening around that window, not around the curtain.

Is it good for children?

Children aged 2 and over are allowed, and every child needs a ticket, the operator says. Children under 2 are not admitted, children must be with a paying adult and they must be present at ticket collection with a passport or Emirates ID. Unaccompanied minors are not allowed. The rules are strict, so check them before you travel. Whether a child will enjoy ninety minutes of loud, dark, wet spectacle is a separate question that only you can answer. The children's guide covers the age rule, the ID rule and the practical questions in more detail.

Read next: La Perle with children

What to wear

Smart casual is the code. The operator's own examples are chinos with a casual shirt or a fitted suit for men, and a tailored jumpsuit with heels or an eye-catching dress for women. The page describes a dressy evening, not a formal one. Smart trousers with a shirt, or a dress, fit those examples, and the operator treats the code as part of the evening, so plan your outfit before you arrive.

Which ticket to book

Start with the date, then compare what each option offers on it. Lounge access and drinks and snacks come with some options and not others, and the option name tells you which. The standard show ticket lists no meal, so dinner is a separate plan. GetYourGuide lets you hold a spot without paying today, and it refunds in full when you cancel a day before the start. Two options on the same date can differ in what they add, so compare them side by side.

Seats and sightlines

The theatre seats the audience in a 270-degree curve around the stage, and The National reported a guaranteed view of the pool, stage and acrobatics from every seat. That means no seat hides behind a pillar, but the angle changes with where you sit. The public sources do not publish a seat map or say which seats get wet, so if either matters to you, ask the operator before you book. The accessibility page says the venue reserves designated seats for guests with special needs and their companions, and lists baby changing facilities and a family restroom in each block.

Read next: Where to sit at La Perle

How it compares with the fountain

The Dubai Fountain is the show's closest rival for a Dubai evening, and the two are very different. The fountain is a water, light and music display on Burj Lake that the Khaleej Times says anyone can watch for free, with a boat ride and a floating boardwalk as paid extras. La Perle is a ticketed theatre show with performers, a fixed length and an arrival window. If you are choosing one evening, the comparison guide sets out cost, time and the rules for children side by side, and shows why the two rarely fit into one night.

Read next: La Perle or the Dubai Fountain?

Who might look elsewhere

A story-led play is not what the reviews describe, so look elsewhere for one. A baby or toddler under 2 cannot come. Someone with only an hour to spare should also think again, because the arrival window and the show together take well over two hours. And anyone after a free night out can watch the Dubai Fountain on Burj Lake from the lakeside at no cost. It also suits fewer people who dislike sustained loud sound and water effects, since the operator describes speakers behind every seat and rain inside the theatre.