A cluster of faceted, jewel-like buildings on Gulf Road, the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Centre — known as JACC or the Kuwait Opera House — hosts concerts, theatre, film and exhibitions.
Inaugurated on 31 October 2016, the centre was designed by the architecture and engineering firm SSH and built in about two years. Its main buildings — a Theatre Centre, Music Centre, Conference Centre and the National Library for Historical Documents — sit in landscaped grounds of about 214,000 m².
The main theatre seats around 2,000 people and the drama theatre around 900. The programme ranges from Arabic music and Kuwaiti theatre to visiting orchestras, ballet and international touring productions.
Steel, titanium, glass and mashrabiya-inspired screens wrap the façades, and the buildings glow at night. Next door stands Al Salam Palace, also part of the Kuwait National Cultural District.
Good to know
- See the programme and book tickets on the official website.
- Even without a ticket, the grounds and façades are worth a walk at dusk.
