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SWANA & Arab Events in NYC This Weekend

What's on across the SWANA (Middle Eastern / North African) and Arab NYC scene over the next few days. This list refreshes with every site rebuild — venue, neighborhood, price, and a one-line hook for each event.

Last updated: Aug 12, 2026

All upcoming events ↗
  1. Painter's Open Studio Wed, Aug 12 · Atelier Dalal, Williamsburg · $40

    An oil painting workshop for intermediate painters (prerequisite: Oil Painting for Beginners)

  2. My Josephine / Wesh wesh, qu'est-ce qui se passe? (Wesh, Wesh, What's Happening?) Wed, Aug 12 · MoMA, The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 1, Midtown · $0

    Double feature: Barry Jenkins' 2003 short 'My Josephine' (9 min, in Arabic and English) follows two young people washing American flags while discussing love in Arabic

  3. An Evening of Songs and Love Wed, Aug 12 · Nublu 151, East Village · $22

    Join us for an evening of songs and love, featuring artists from both shores of the Mediterranean

  4. An Evening With Gongs Wed, Aug 12 · Reforesters Laboratory, Williamsburg · $45

    A 90-minute immersive sound healing event featuring gongs and voice, led by musician and sound healing facilitator Samer Ghadry

  5. Special Q&A Screenings of American Doctor Wed, Aug 12 · Angelika FIlm Center, NoHo · $19

    From Oscar®-nominated and Emmy® Award-winning filmmaker Poh Si Teng, American Doctor follows three American physicians— Palestinian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian—united by a single oath…

  6. Habibi Gün Wed, Aug 12 · Barbes, Park Slope

    Habibi Gün is a psychedelic maqam collective showcasing works of revered Arab composers such as Riyad al Sunbati and Mohammed Fawzi alongside Western influences

  7. Mehrnam Rastegari Live at Barbès Wed, Aug 12 · Barbès, Park Slope · $22

    NYC-based Persian musician Mehrnam Rastegari — master Kamancheh player, singer, violinist, and award-winning composer — performs live at Barbès in Brooklyn

  8. Greater New York 2026 ft Dean Majd + Farah Al Qasimi Wed, Aug 12 · MoMA PS1, Queens · Entry

    Our signature survey of artists living and working in the New York City area returns for its sixth edition this spring, coinciding with MoMA PS1’s 50th anniversary

  9. International Armenian Literary Alliance (IALA) NYC Works in Progress and Readings from Hanging Loose Press Issue 119 Thu, Aug 13 · Book Culture LIC 26-09 Jackson Ave, Long Island City · $0

    IALA’s New York City Chapter is pleased to invite you to a reading in celebration of Armenian voices, in collaboration with Hanging Loose Press, at Book Culture LIC.

  10. Beyond the Image: Palestine Benefit Exhibition Opening Reception Thu, Aug 13 · All St Gallery, LES · $0

    Opening Reception: Beyond the Image: A Benefit Exhibition for The Sameer Project

  11. Listening While Muslim Thu, Aug 13 · Barzakh Cafe, Crown Heights · $11.50

    Listening While Muslim (LWM) is a series of thematic listening parties co-created by Asad Ali Jafri (DJ Ase Wonder) and Abdul-Rehman Malik

  12. اليـام اليـام (Oh the Days!) at MoMa Thu, Aug 13 · MoMA, The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 1, Midtown · $14

    A 1978 Moroccan film written and directed by Ahmed El Maanouni

  13. Summer at the Library: A is for Artist Thu, Aug 13 · Battery Park City Library, Tribeca · $0

    A summer art program for children aged 4+ at the New York Public Library

  14. Keeping the Record Alive Fri, Aug 14 · Riverside Church, Morningside Heights · $0

    A commemorative event organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement, Writers Against the War on Gaza, and the Palestinian Feminist Collective to remember Anas al-Sharif one year afte…

  15. KAN YAMA KAN w/ R.A. Villanueva+Samee Sulaiman+Armin Antique+Max Ruin Fri, Aug 14 · Blinky's, Williamsburg · $10

    A literary and performance event featuring R.A

  16. Noor Theatre Highlight Reading Series: Borna Barzin's "Like This" Fri, Aug 14 · New York Theatre Workshop, East Village · $0

    Noor Theatre presents a work-in-progress showing of Borna Barzin's play "Like This" as part of the 11th installment of their Highlight Reading Series, which showcases work by artis…

  17. Al-Bait Baitkom: Jalabiya Edition Fri, Aug 14 · The People's Forum, Hell's Kitchen · $0

    Al-Bait Baitkom (Arabic: "my home is your home") presents another exciting night of Sudanese comedy, music, poetry and everything in between — a "Jalabiya Edition" where everyone i…

  18. Young Adult Moroccan Shabbat Social Fri, Aug 14 · Chabad Jewish Center of FiDi, Tribeca · $60

    A Shabbat social featuring authentic Moroccan food and traditional Arak during happy hour

  19. Maryam Turkey Fri, Aug 14 · Public Records, Gowanus · $24.70

    Maryam Turkey performs at Public Records in New York

  20. From Zayton to New York vol.15: Music Of the Turkish Baglama Sat, Aug 15 · BEEF UP NOODLE, Flatiron · $17.85

    An evening of traditional Turkish bağlama music featuring Ercan Alkan and Avi Ackermann

  21. Mektoub, My Love: Canto Uno Sat, Aug 15 · MoMA, Floor T1, Theater 1, The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 1, Midtown · $15

    Directed by Abdellatif Kechiche, this 181-minute French-Italian film follows Amin, an aspiring screenwriter returning to his hometown of Sète on France's Southern coast, as he navi…

  22. Painter's Open Studio Sat, Aug 15 · Atelier Dalal, Williamsburg · $40

    An oil painting workshop for intermediate painters (prerequisite: Oil Painting for Beginners)

  23. DOST Takeover w/ ARINI, MRII, [rajid selim], REHMA with VANI, Lapgan + more Sat, Aug 15 · Elsewhere, Bushwick · $21

    Club night at Elsewhere in Bushwick featuring electronic and house music

  24. Disco Dreams: A Sunset With Theodora Sat, Aug 15 · Barzakh Café, Crown Heights · $10

    Theodora is a singer, songwriter, and filmmaker

  25. Omar ؏ Sat, Aug 15 · SILO Brooklyn, Williamsburg · $24

    After completing his 12-city world tour, Omar ؏ returns to SILO for a headline show featuring global dance music including African dance, francophone, congolese, batida, afrobeats,…

  26. Mohanad Elshieky: High Risk (Work In Progress) Sat, Aug 15 · Union Hall, Park Slope · ticketed

    Mohanad Elshieky, born in Libya, presents a comedy show exploring identity with dark humor

  27. Yalla Habibi NYC: Habibi Fever | Arabic Sundowner Takeover Sat, Aug 15 · Somewhere Nowhere NYC - Lounge, Nightclub & Rooftop Pool, Chelsea · $33

    NYC's biggest all-white Arabic sundowner at Somewhere Nowhere rooftop

  28. Muslim Women's Beach Day (NYC) Sat, Aug 15 · Manhattan Beach, Bay Ridge · $0

    A summer day at Manhattan Beach for Muslim women to relax, connect, and enjoy the ocean together

  29. Emil Wakim Sat, Aug 15 · The Bell House, Gowanus · $48

    Emil Wakim performs at The Bell House in Brooklyn

Frequently asked

How often is this list updated?
The events listed here are drawn from Menna's live event database and refresh every time the site rebuilds — typically daily. Each roundup page displays a 'last updated' date at the top so you can see exactly how current it is.
Are these events free?
Both free and ticketed events are listed. Each entry shows the price alongside the venue, neighborhood, and a one-line description so you can quickly filter for what fits.
How do I submit a SWANA event for Menna to list?
Visit the Submit Event page at itsmenna.com/submit/. If your event has a Luma or Eventbrite URL, Menna's team can often auto-fill the details.

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