From ballet at Cultural Foundation to independent UAE music at The Arts Centre at NYU Abu Dhabi, the emirate has a varied cultural calendar this weekend.Running from Thursday to Sunday, the line-up includes museum tours, family workshops, classical ballet and new performances from musicians in the UAE. While the World Cup will surely dominate conversation, there are still plenty of the highlights to see.Mande Maqamat at The Arts Centre at NYU Abu DhabiThe Arts Centre at NYU Abu Dhabi begins its weekend programme with Mande Maqamat, a new performance by percussionist and NYU Abu Dhabi artist-in-residence Yahael Camara Onono.The work brings together West African folklore, Mande rhythms, Arabic maqamat and live improvisation, exploring musical connections between West Africa and the Arab world.Thursday, 7.30pm; The Black Box, The Arts Centre at NYU Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat IslandOlfactory Experience at Louvre Abu DhabiStill life in a Pantry by Jeremie Plume is part of the Olfactory Experience tour. Victor Besa / The NationalInfoLouvre Abu Dhabi is offering a different way to move through its galleries with Olfactory Experience – Art in Scents, a 90-minute guided experience built around scent.Rather than focusing only on what visitors see, the tour uses fragrance to draw out another layer of the museum’s collection, making it one of the more unusual cultural experiences in the city this weekend.Thursday and Saturday, 3pm to 4.30pm; Louvre Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island; Dh170Maya Plisetskaya gala ballet concert at Cultural FoundationCultural Foundation marks the 100th anniversary of Maya Plisetskaya, one of the defining ballerinas of the 20th century, with a gala concert dedicated to her legacy.The evening celebrates Plisetskaya’s six-decade career and influence on ballet, with works from her celebrated repertoire, including Carmen Suite, The Dying Swan and Don Quixote, as well as excerpts from classic ballet productions.Friday, 8pm; Cultural Foundation, Abu Dhabi; from Dh250Architectural Experience at Louvre Abu DhabiLouvre Abu Dhabi’s Architectural Experience shifts attention from the museum’s collection to the building itself.The 90-minute guided tour explores the story behind Jean Nouvel’s design, including the museum’s dome, its relationship with light and water, and the way the building has become one of Abu Dhabi’s most recognisable cultural landmarks.Saturday, 10.30am to noon; Louvre Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island; Dh170The Magic of Ballet Fairy Tales at Cultural FoundationBallet returns to Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation this weekend. Khushnum Bhandari / The NationalInfoFamilies can step into the world of classical ballet at Cultural Foundation with The Magic of Ballet Fairy Tales, a stage production built around excerpts from The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty.Set to the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, the performance is designed as an introduction to ballet for younger audiences, bringing together familiar fairy-tale characters, storytelling and classical choreography.Saturday, 6pm; Cultural Foundation, Abu Dhabi; from Dh275Fatima/Fafa and Minova at The Arts Centre at NYU Abu DhabiThe Arts Centre continues its focus on independent music in the UAE with a double bill featuring Fatima/Fafa and Minova.The performance brings together R&B, soul, Arabian jazz and indie-electronic folk, reflecting the breadth of the country’s independent music scene and the artists shaping it now.Saturday, 7.30pm; The Black Box, The Arts Centre at NYU Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat IslandFree Family Weekends at Louvre Abu DhabiLouvre Abu Dhabi’s Free Family Weekends continue this month, offering families a gallery-based activity followed by hands-on art-making.Saturday and Sunday; Louvre Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island; workshop free with museum admissionKid Koala’s Space Cadet at The Arts Centre at NYU Abu DhabiThe Arts Centre closes the weekend with the Abu Dhabi premiere of Kid Koala’s Space Cadet, a family-friendly animated feature film based on the artist’s award-winning graphic novel.The music-filled story explores memory, connection and family bonds.Sunday, 3pm; The Red Theatre, The Arts Centre at NYU Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island