Entertainment
Hollywood Heads to the Oscars With ‘Oppenheimer’ the Odds-on Favorite
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Los Angeles –
Hollywood’s glitterati gather on Sunday to celebrate the best performances in film at the annual Academy Awards, a ceremony expected to turn into a toast to blockbuster atomic bomb drama ‘Oppenheimer.’
Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel returns for the fourth time to emcee the film industry’s highest honors from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
‘Oppenheimer,’ the three-hour drama directed by Christopher Nolan, leads the field with 13 nominations. The movie is the frontrunner to win the prestigious best picture prize, capping its sweep of other major awards this year.
‘If the best picture isn’t ‘Oppenheimer,’ it will be one of the biggest upsets, if not the biggest upset, in the history of the Oscars,’ said Scott Feinberg, executive editor for awards at The Hollywood Reporter.
And the Oscar Goes To … The Movie Most People Have Seen
After 2023 was marred by actors and writers strikes, the Oscars give Hollywood a chance to celebrate two global hits. ‘Oppenheimer’ and feminist doll adventure ‘Barbie,’ another best picture nominee, brought in a combined $2.4 billion in a summer box office battle dubbed ‘Barbenheimer.’
Oscar producers said they have planned unannounced cameos and other surprises to entertain audiences at home.
‘My biggest hope is that they go through a range of emotions with us, that they feel happiness and joy, that we maybe make them shed a tear,’ Executive Producer Raj Kapoor said. ‘And then they somehow feel connected and inspired to also live their dreams.’
Supporting actor nominee Ryan Gosling will sing the ’80s-style rock anthem ‘I’m Just Ken’ from ‘Barbie.’ Members of the Osage Nation will perform the nominated ‘Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)’ from ‘Killers of the Flower Moon.’
Cillian Murphy, the Irish actor who played physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer as he led the race to build the first atomic bomb, is considered the favorite for best actor. Murphy’s main competition, according to awards pundits, is ‘The Holdovers’ star Paul Giamatti.
FILE – This image released by Universal Pictures shows Cillian Murphy in a scene from ‘Oppenheimer.’
Best actress may go to Lily Gladstone of ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ the real-life story about a murder plot to take over lucrative Osage oil rights in 1920s Oklahoma. If she prevails, Gladstone would be the first Native American actress to win an acting Oscar.
Gladstone’s rivals include previous Oscar winner Emma Stone, nominated this year for playing a woman revived from the dead in the dark and wacky comedy ‘Poor Things.’
The supporting actor race features ‘Oppenheimer’ star Robert Downey Jr., who played the scientist’s professional nemesis, and Sterling K. Brown from ‘American Fiction.’
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, praised for her role as a grieving mother in ‘The Holdovers,’ vies for best supporting actress against Danielle Brooks from ‘The Color Purple’ and others.
FILE – Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie pose for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film ‘Barbie’ on July 12, 2023, in London.
‘Barbie,’ last year’s No. 1 film with $1.4 billion in global ticket sales, may be shut out of the top awards. Billie Eilish’s ‘Barbie’ ballad ‘What Was I Made For?’ is likely to win the original song prize, Feinberg said, and could snag the awards for costumes and production design.
For Nolan, the night could bring his first directing Oscar, as well as the award for adapted screenplay. The director of ‘The Dark Knight’ trilogy, ‘Inception’ and other acclaimed films has never had a movie win best picture.
The ceremony may end with ‘the industry-wide coronation for Christopher Nolan,’ Feinberg said. With ‘Oppenheimer,’ ‘he has he has made his best possible argument yet for why he is worthy of this recognition.’
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Emirates Dubai 7s is returning to The Sevens Stadium from November 27 to 29, with tickets now on sale for the three-day sports and entertainment festival.
The 2026 edition will bring together international rugby, amateur sports, live music and family entertainment, with organisers promising a bigger programme than previous years.
The festival attracted more than 88,000 visitors in 2025 and will again take place during the final weekend of the Dubai Fitness Challenge.
Ticket prices
Ticket prices for General Admission and Hospitality have stayed the same for a third consecutive year.
Three-day General Admission tickets cost Dh595 per person, while the three-day Family Pass is Dh1,136 for two adults and two children.
Other ticket options
- Group pass: Dh446 per person for four or more adults
- Saturday or Sunday: Dh455
- Friday: Dh75
- Under 15s: Free
- People of Determination + carer: Dh375
Tickets can be purchased through the Emirates Dubai 7s website and app.
Bigger family attractions
Family entertainment will get a major boost this year as the UAE celebrates the Year of the Family.
The festival will feature its biggest-ever Kids’ Zone, including the UAE’s largest inflatable kids’ zone, along with a Ferris wheel and zipline. More attractions are expected to be announced ahead of the event.
Six sports and top rugby action
Alongside elite rugby, visitors can watch or take part in competitions across six sports — rugby, netball, cricket, WODON3 fitness, Rebound padel and Gaelic Football.
Gaelic Football will join the festival for the first time in 2026.
The Sevens Stadium will also host the opening round of the HSBC SVNS Series 2027, bringing the world’s leading rugby sevens players to Dubai.
The WODON3 Elite final will take place on Pitch 1 between HSBC SVNS matches, with competitors potentially performing in front of crowds of up to 20,000.
Music all weekend
Live entertainment will run throughout the festival, with local and international artists performing across three days.
Last year’s line-up included Tinie Tempah, Sean Paul and Fisher, while the 2026 headline acts will be announced later.
For a premium experience, The Sunroom returns with all-inclusive food and drinks, shaded seating, prime sporting views and dedicated access. Packages start from Dh1,925 per person.
With sport, music and family attractions packed into one weekend, Emirates Dubai 7s is gearing up for another big Dubai event.
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