Festivals in the UAE this season
Several of the UAE's biggest festivals run for months, which makes them easy to fit into a trip: Global Village in Dubai and Sheikh Zayed Festival in Abu Dhabi both open before the end of October and run into the spring.
Shorter festivals cluster around National Day and the Grand Prix, so book rooms early for those weeks.
- 1
Festival·Abu DhabiAbu Dhabi Festival 2026, autumn programme
Oct10to 19 Dec10 Oct to 19 Dec 2026Etihad Arena, Emirates Palace, Louvre Abu Dhabi and other venuesThe autumn leg of the 23rd Abu Dhabi Festival runs from 10 October to 19 December 2026, opening with the UAE National Orchestra at Etihad Arena and closing at Louvre Abu Dhabi with Dhafer Youssef. Hans Zimmer plays on 13 November.
- 2
Festival·Abu DhabiSheikh Zayed Festival 2026-27
Oct30to 14 Mar30 Oct 2026 to 14 Mar 2027Al Wathba South, Abu DhabiAbu Dhabi's biggest heritage-and-entertainment festival opens its 2026-27 season at Al Wathba on 30 October and runs for 136 days to 14 March 2027, with new music and theatre, art and photography exhibitions and a redesigned aerial light show.
- 3Festival·Abu Dhabi
BREDx Abu Dhabi
Nov13to 1413 to 14 Nov 2026Etihad Live, Yas IslandA two-night hip-hop festival on Yas Island on 13 and 14 November 2026, with Central Cee and Bryson Tiller on the Saturday.
- 4
Festival·DubaiWasla Festival
Nov2828 Nov 2026Jubilee Park, Expo City DubaiA one-night Arabic music festival at Jubilee Park, Expo City Dubai, on Saturday 28 November 2026, with Marcel Khalife.
- 5
Festival·DubaiDubai Shopping Festival (32nd edition)
Dec4to 17 Jan4 Dec 2026 to 17 Jan 2027Across DubaiThe 32nd Dubai Shopping Festival returns from 4 December 2026 to 17 January 2027: 45 days of retail promotions, live entertainment, concerts and citywide experiences.
- 6
Festival·Abu DhabiLiwa International Festival 2026-27
Dec11to 2 Jan11 Dec 2026 to 2 Jan 2027Liwa and Tal Moreeb, Al Dhafra RegionThe desert festival around Tal Moreeb, one of the world's tallest dunes, returns from 11 December 2026 to 2 January 2027 with motorsport, music, heritage and family programmes. The full 2026-27 schedule had not been released at the time of checking.