Archive · 17 Nov 2025
Liwa International Festival 2026: 23 Days of Culture, Adventure, and Motorsports in Abu Dhabi
The Liwa International Festival is a 23-day event happening in Abu Dhabi's desert.
It has car races, dune sports, and other fun activities for grown-ups and kids.
There are also cultural shows, music, and food.
You can camp out and enjoy the festival under the stars.
It's a great way to celebrate the new year!
The Liwa International Festival will take place from December 12, 2025, to January 3, 2026, in Abu Dhabi's Al Dhafra region.
The festival combines culture, adventure, motorsports, music, and family entertainment at the Tal Moreeb dune.
Activities include a wide range of motorsports like drifting and drag racing, dune sports, and unique events like Mud Fest and Sand Wrestling.
Family attractions feature Liwa Village with carnival rides, a classic car museum, escape rooms, and entertainment stages.
The festival culminates with a New Year's Eve celebration including a concert and fireworks, alongside traditional cultural elements like falconry.
- Who
- The Liwa International Festival
- What
- A 23-day festival featuring culture, adventure, motorsports, music, and family fun.
- When
- December 12, 2025, to January 3, 2026
- Where
- The golden dunes of the Al Dhafra region in Abu Dhabi, UAE, centered around the Tal Moreeb dune.
- Why
- To blend heritage and adventure, offering an ultimate winter experience with entertainment for all ages and celebrating UAE heritage.
Family Fun
High-Octane Adventure
Activities for All Ages
Family Fun
The festival offers a wide range of family-friendly attractions including carnival rides, a petting zoo, pony rides, ziplines, a classic car museum, and horror/smash escape rooms.
High-Octane Adventure
Simultaneously, the festival provides intense motorsport and adventure activities such as freestyle drift, Spartan Race, bike drag racing, car stunt championships, mud fest, and various UTV and cycling races.
Cultural Immersion vs. Modern Entertainment
Family Fun
The festival highlights heritage through falconry, traditional handicrafts at Souk Zone and Pop-Up Heritage Shops, and cultural acts on the Performance Stage.
High-Octane Adventure
It also features modern entertainment like drone shows, fireworks, live music, electronic freestyle championships, and New Year's Eve concerts.
- Event Name
- Liwa International Festival 2026
- Dates
- December 12, 2025 - January 3, 2026
- Duration
- 23 days
- Location
- Al Dhafra region, Abu Dhabi, UAE (Tal Moreeb dune)
- Key Attractions
- Motorsports, dune sports, cultural shows, music, family entertainment, fireworks, drone shows
- Opening Show
- Forsan Al Emarat aerobatics team and fireworks
- New Year's Eve Highlight
- Concert and fireworks show