New Year's Eve in the UAE 2026: what is announced so far

The Katy Perry New Year's Eve Gala at Atlantis, The Palm is listed in The National's round-up at AED 6,500 for children and AED 8,500 for adults. It is a hotel gala and priced accordingly, and the hotel's own site is the place to confirm what the ticket includes.

Dubai nightlife venues also list New Year's Eve parties, but we only list events with a named organiser and a published price.

On 31 December 2025 Dubai made the Burj Khalifa the centrepiece, with fireworks at more than 40 locations and phased road closures around the Burj Khalifa district. Ras Al Khaimah staged a 15-minute show stretching about six kilometres from Al Marjan Island to Al Hamra, with more than 2,300 drones synchronised to the fireworks and billed as a world-record attempt. In Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Zayed Festival at Al Wathba ran fireworks, lasers and a drone show with over 6,000 drones, with children's activities and music earlier in the evening.

That is history. The 2026-27 plans may differ, and locations, road closures and public transport hours are usually announced in the final days. Sheikh Zayed Festival runs through the period, which makes it a likely Abu Dhabi option but not a confirmed one.

Pick a base in the emirate you prefer and keep the evening flexible. The Dubai Shopping Festival and DXB Winter Festival both run over New Year's Eve, and the DXB Winter Festival says it plans a New Year's Eve celebration.

Our UAE New Year's Eve listing will be updated when official programmes appear.