On the Queen Elizabeth 2 this December, one ticket gets you onto an open deck for carols and a countdown, another into a theatre for Dickens, and a third into an ABBA tribute two days after Christmas. The ship stays in Mina Rashid throughout. Where you go once you reach it, how late you get home and even whether your youngest guest can attend depend on the event you choose.
Start with the date and the group. Friday 11 December 2026 is the tree lighting with the Dubai Singers, with an optional dinner on board. Thursday 17 December is the 6:30 pm opening of “A Christmas Carol”, the evening performance to select if you’re going after work. Sunday 27 December is the 8 pm ABBA Reunion Christmas Special, with assigned theatre seats and an eight-and-over admission rule. QE2 tree lighting, QE2 festive theatre programme, ABBA Reunion tickets
| Evening | Timing | Starting commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 11 December, carols and tree lighting on the Boat Deck | 5:30–8 pm event window | AED 50 per person or AED 30 for ages 5–10 |
| Thursday 17 December, “A Christmas Carol” opening at Theatre by QE2 | 6:30 pm start, allow through 8:45 pm | Opening Night listed from AED 79 |
| Sunday 27 December, ABBA Reunion at Theatre by QE2 | 7:30 pm doors, 8 pm start, expected finish around 9:45–9:50 pm | Rear Gallery AED 150, stalls from AED 175 |
Carols and a countdown on the Boat Deck
The first booking is for the outdoor ceremony. The Dubai Singers lead the carols, Santa is due to appear and the evening builds to a countdown before the lights come on. Children can join in when they recognise a song. The programme offers several moments to look forward to, which makes it easier for a group whose youngest guests would struggle to follow a full play. The hotel includes one festive goodie bag per family. Its 5:30–8 pm window covers the event as a whole. If your group can only arrive partway through, ask the hotel when it expects the countdown and whether you can enter at that point. QE2 Boat Deck programme
There are two decisions to make when reserving. The first is whether to stay for dinner. The hotel lists ceremony admission at AED 50 per person and AED 30 for ages 5–10. The base booking for the ceremony followed by the Yacht Club’s seasonal dinner is AED 170 per person or AED 95 for ages 5–10. For two adults and two children in that band, the ceremony comes to AED 160 and the version with dinner comes to AED 530. Dinner adds AED 370 for that family. The hotel includes VAT, municipality fee and service charge in those published rates. QE2 ceremony and dinner prices
The second decision is whether the deck setup works for everyone. The hotel requires advance booking. Call +971 4 526 8835 and give the children’s ages so the reservations team can quote for anyone outside the published child band. If someone needs a chair, a step-free route or a sheltered place to wait, ask what the Boat Deck setup allows on that evening. With the dinner bundle, ask how the group moves from the deck to the Yacht Club and when dinner service starts. That matters if the children are used to eating before eight or if someone needs to arrange a pickup. QE2 booking and event details
A Christmas Carol on opening night
In this adaptation, Bob Cratchit gives children a way into Victorian London before Scrooge’s night takes its stranger turn. Jacob Marley’s visit leads into the three Christmas visions, and Tiny Tim gives the audience someone to root for while Scrooge sees where his choices might take him. The show is in English. For children who enjoy a story with a little suspense, the ghosts give them a mystery to follow between the big scenes. If your child is uneasy about ghosts, introduce the premise before choosing your tickets. Platinumlist’s production and age details
On Platinumlist, choose Thursday 17 December and look for the Opening Night label. On 7 November, the seller’s date selector showed 6:30–8:45 pm from AED 79. The QE2 hotel and Dubai Calendar also list the 6:30 pm opening, while the theatre’s programme overview gives a 2 pm summary for the run. The seller lists doors 30 minutes before the show, so aim to be at the theatre for 6 pm. The detailed listing gives 105 minutes including the interval, which suggests 8:15 pm. Its description rounds the runtime to about two hours, which suggests 8:30 pm, and the date selector showed 8:45 pm. Use that later time as a planning buffer and ask the theatre before committing to a pickup or dinner reservation. If opening night is full, check each remaining date for its own time and price. The other dates in the selector started at AED 99, and the hotel advertises daytime performances after the opening. Platinumlist date selector and runtime, Theatre programme overview, QE2 festive programme, Dubai Calendar listing
The production recommends ages three and up. Platinumlist’s admission policy says all ages can attend, that children aged three and above need a ticket and that guests under 12 need an adult with them. Ask the theatre how it accommodates a child under three, especially if the child needs a separate seat. You can leave a stroller outside the auditorium under the published policy. If your group needs wheelchair spaces, step-free access or suitable seats together, the listing directs you to tickets@otbuae.com before purchase. Four opening tickets at the displayed floor would cost AED 316, subject to finding four suitable seats at that rate and any charges at checkout. Check the full row and price before paying because the event terms restrict changes once seats are allocated. Dickens admission, access and booking terms
ABBA Reunion after Christmas
The Sunday show is for a group that wants to hear songs it can recognise from the first few bars. The tribute’s published repertoire runs from “Waterloo” to “Super Trouper” and “Thank You for the Music”, with live vocals, choreography and costumes. The theatre’s joint announcement with Outside The Box Events shows four costumed performers beneath illustrated disco-ball ornaments and gives the 8 pm start. Platinumlist separates that from the 7:30 pm doors. The show is in English and runs in two 45-minute sets with a 15–20-minute interval. Allow through 9:50 pm for the performance, then leave time to get out and reach your ride. ABBA Reunion set, timing and entry
Choose the gallery or the stalls before paying
The theatre has fixed seats in the stalls and balcony. The ABBA ticket selector lists the balcony sections as Gallery. Rear Gallery was the lowest listed option at AED 150. Middle Gallery and Rear Stalls both showed AED 175, while Front Gallery and Regular Stalls showed AED 195. Royal Stalls was AED 245 and VIP was AED 295. Those are seat categories for this performance. Compare their locations and current availability on the seller’s map. ABBA selector and seating map, Theatre layout
At AED 175, a group of four can budget AED 700 before checkout additions and compare the back of the stalls with the middle of the gallery. At AED 195, the same group would pay AED 780 and could compare the front of the gallery with regular stalls. Four Rear Gallery seats at AED 150 would be AED 600, if four are still available together. A closer section can matter if someone wants to see the costumes and choreography in detail. For a group mainly there for the songs, four seats together may matter more. If stairs affect that choice, confirm the route to the exact section before buying. ABBA seat selection
Every guest at ABBA Reunion must be at least eight, including children who would happily sit through a concert. The seller makes tickets specific to the booked session and says allocated seats are non-exchangeable and non-refundable under the event terms. Late entry is up to the duty manager and the show has no readmission. If you want dinner first, work back from the time you intend to be at the theatre doors, with enough room to leave the restaurant, get to the terminal and find the auditorium. ABBA house policies
Meet at Mina Rashid and allow time to board
The ticket pages use Port Rashid and the theatre lists Mina Rashid. Give the driver Queen Elizabeth 2 as the destination. The theatre publishes free parking and a terminal map. For a metro and taxi combination, the ticket seller suggests taking the Red Line to BurJuman and continuing by taxi. If people are travelling separately, send the map as well as the show time and pick a meeting point before anyone boards. For the tree lighting, look for the Boat Deck in your hotel confirmation. For Dickens or ABBA, look for Theatre by QE2 and the date on each ticket. Theatre visitor map and parking, Platinumlist directions
The hotel and theatre handle different questions. For the tree lighting, use the hotel’s +971 4 526 8835 reservations line to confirm the ceremony or dinner package and ask which boarding route serves the Boat Deck. The hotel lists accessible parking, ramps and lifts. If someone needs a step-free route, ask whether it covers the deck and, for dinner bookings, the Yacht Club. For the theatre shows, send seating and access questions to tickets@otbuae.com before selecting rows. Give the event name, date and access needs so the theatre can suggest suitable places. Hotel access and parking · Theatre ticket enquiries
For the two indoor shows, keep the ticket for each guest ready to present and check the row and seat numbers before sending them on. For the deck ceremony, keep the hotel confirmation and check whether it includes the Yacht Club dinner. The 6 pm theatre arrival for Dickens is the tightest fit for a group coming after work. ABBA gives you until later in the evening to get to the ship, but if an under-eight is coming, make the choice between the carols and Dickens before comparing prices.
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