Events listing

Today (December 9)
The Sheraton Bahrain Hotel’s Christmas Tree Light-Up will take place tonight from 6pm to 8pm. Father Christmas will be handing out gifts to children and there will be a festive photo booth.

Bahrain: Live2Lead will be presented at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Bahrain from 8am-2.30pm. The cost is BD95 and it features a series of speakers, most prominently John C Maxwell, coach and author of more than 77 leadership books.

For more information, call 36584499, visit bit.ly/Live2Lead-Bahrain or email tosinarowojolu@gmail.com

Tomorrow (December 10)
Art curators and programme developers TalentFreeFlow (TFF) will host Pop-Up Art – Middle East, a four-day exhibition at a new gallery space on Budaiya Highway, from today until Monday.

Work on show comes from artists from Syria, Jordan, Tunisia, Lebanon and Iraq, as well as a British artist exhibiting exclusive works with a Middle Eastern twist.

For further information, call art curator Rawia Beyhum on 39785868, visit www.talentfreeflow.com and check out www.facebook.com/talentfreeflow or Instagram @talentfreeflow, Hashtag: #TFFArt

* Lucky reader Sarah Clarke won the iconic photograph-print from After Tomorrow, an awarding-winning documentary on Bedouins. She correctly answered that Petra is in Jordan and her entry was the first drawn. The prize will be presented by co-director Toufic Beyhum after the first public screening at Words Bookstore, Palm Square, tomorrow, which forms part of the art event’s launch activities. There is also an online contest.

Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa Sea & Spa is commemorating the start of the holiday season and festivities with the lighting of a Christmas tree as well as a rendition of traditional carols performed by a choir from 6pm.

Mask Productions will be staging Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s hit musical, CATS, at the Bahrain Rugby Football Club from today until Tuesday. Tickets are priced at BD7 and BD10.

For details, contact 39047734 or email catsinbahrain@gmail.com

The Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay is opening its first Magical Christmas Market in its Lobby Majlis. Traditional festive items such as homemade chocolate truffles, gingerbread cookies, honey-glazed turkey, Christmas fruit cake, mince pies and signature yule log cake will be available. The market runs until January 7 from 10am-9pm.

Al Riwaq Art Space will open its cultural project The Nest 2015/ Market 338 which runs until January 9.

This will be the fifth year the Adliya neighbourhood has been transformed into a live arts space with public installations, live music and a weekly marketplace.

The Nest is a local hotspot, offering live music performances, activities for children and workshops. There will be a full programme of events lined up including a film series curated with the Sharjah Arts Foundation.

For more details, contact 17717441, email info@alriwaqartspace.com or visit www.alriwaqartspace.com

A performance of ‘Isai Gnaniyin Isai Mazhai – The Rain of Ilaiyaraja’ will be held at The Indian Club in Manama from 8pm. It will consist of an evening of Tamil songs featuring well-known Indian singer Gnana Sekar, together with local singers Jenitha, Shobana, Jolly, Renjith and Jairam.

For more information, call 17253157.

The Bahrain Irish Society’s Christmas Party, celebrating 40 years on the island, will take place at the Radisson Blu Diplomat Hotel from 8pm-11pm. See panel below.

Friday (December 11)
The Bahrain Federation of Expatriate Associations (BFEA) will host a THIS IS BAHRAIN IN BAHRAIN event at the National Stadium car park in Riffa. The event aims to bring Bahraini and expatriate families together to celebrate Bahrain’s culture and spirit.

The event will feature exhibition stands from embassies, schools, clubs, associations, societies and religious organisations, alongside a traditional Bahraini souq and local cuisine.

Entry is free and the event runs from 3pm-11pm. For more information, email thisisbah@gmail.com

The Royal Golf Club’s family-friendly Prego Restaurant has launched a new Friday Brunch from noon to 3pm designed for children costing BD6.500. Parents are welcome to order from Prego’s a la carte menu. Call 17751263 to book a table.

Al Azizia Aviaries Birds Kingdom on Amwaj Islands aims to spread the festive cheer by staging a Christmas Market, for those still looking to pick up the perfect present for the holiday season.

Saturday (December 12)
The Movenpick Hotel Bahrain is hosting a gingerbread house making afternoon from 3pm-5pm. Children are invited to decorate houses with tools and goodies provided and there will also be a counter for adults. The event costs BD10 net. For more information, call 17460017.

The Bapco Wellbeing Project 2020, in collaboration with Bahrain Diabetic Society, will host a Walk and Talk walkathon from 3pm in Awali town centre. All proceeds raised will go towards buying insulin pumps for diabetic children.

Sunday (December 13)
Artist Thajba Najeeb’s collection of canvases and murals, entitled My Love Affair Continues … will open to the public at the Bahrain Financial Harbour West Tower Reception at 4pm and run until February 6.

La Fontaine Art Centre in Adliya is hosting a movie night from 8pm. The Zurcher Ballet’s 2003 production will be shown, starring Karine Seneca. Entrance is BD10, inclusive of a meal.

For more information, call 17230123 or email info@lafontaineartcentre.net

Tuesday (December 15)
Words BookstoreCafe in Budaiya is hosting a ‘Soup for Syria’ charity evening. A group of chefs in the café’s soup kitchen will serve soups from the illustrated cookbook Soup for Syria – Recipes to Celebrate Our Shared Humanity compiled by Barbara Abdeni Massaad.

All proceeds from the sale of the cookbook and any donations made during the event will go to the UNHCR’s Food Aid programme for Syrian refugees.

National Day
The Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay is hosting a special brunch on December 16 and 17 at its Bahrain Bay Kitchen outlet.

The National Day Brunch buffet features a variety of festive dishes with a selection of Arabic classics. Divided into five live cooking stations including Arabic, Western, Chinese, Japanese and Indian cuisines, guests can enjoy the restaurant’s atmosphere sampling great flavours.

Local and regional dishes such as beef harees, chicken mathroba, fried Sultan Ibrahim, sayadieh and lamb ouzi as well as a selection of desserts will be on offer.

The brunch will run from 12.30pm-3.30pm and is priced at BD25, including soft beverages. For reservations, call 17115500.

The British School of Bahrain will celebrate Bahrain’s National Day on December 15 at 8.30am with an assembly, featuring musical performances celebrating Bahrain and an art exhibition showcasing the kingdom’s history, geography and culture.