Al Hosn Festival, organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), returned to Al Hosn from January 17 to February 1 as the emirate’s flagship annual celebration of cultural heritage, offering an immersive and interactive platform that brought communities together while safeguarding Abu Dhabi’s authentic customs and traditions. As part of the emirate’s annual events calendar, the festival invited visitors to explore Emirati culture through performances, crafts, arts, music, and hands-on experiences, reinforcing the emirate’s cultural roots and strengthening connections between generations.
1. Al Hosn Festival and DCT Abu Dhabi’s cultural vision
The annual festival supports DCT Abu Dhabi’s long-term strategy to protect, preserve, and promote heritage, nurture creative talent, develop capabilities across the cultural and creative industries, and further position Abu Dhabi as a global cultural destination. At the same time, it serves as a platform for artistic expression and meaningful community engagement.
2. Safeguarding national identity
Each edition of Al Hosn Festival reflects DCT Abu Dhabi’s commitment to placing heritage at the heart of the UAE’s national identity. The festival encourages intergenerational dialogue, ensuring Emirati traditions are shared, sustained, and passed on, while strengthening a sense of belonging and celebrating the creative spirit shaping Abu Dhabi’s evolving cultural landscape. Guided by DCT’s vision, living heritage remains rooted in history and carried forward by artists, artisans, and cultural practitioners as a source of inspiration for the future.
3. Festival programme and visitor experience
According to the majority of visitors, this year’s edition successfully delivered its objectives through a wide-ranging programme of immersive experiences. Guests were taken on a journey into Abu Dhabi’s heritage, highlighted by a main show that explored the discovery of water in the emirate and traced the transformation of Qasr Al Hosn from a 17th-century watchtower into a central landmark around which the community developed.
4. Exploring traditional Emirati life at Al Shella Majlis
Visitors experienced elements of traditional desert life at Al Shella Majlis, which featured live performances by Taghrooda, Al Wannah, Al Mankous, and Al Raddhah, along with falconry presentations, Saluki dog displays, and interactive camel activities. The programme offered a living narrative of Emirati identity and cultural roots.
5. The Fareej (Neighbourhood) zone and craft demonstrations
The Fareej zone hosted more than 18 live demonstrations of traditional handicrafts, seven hands-on workshops, heritage games, and a marketplace with 50 shops selling perfumes, textiles, and jewellery. The Al Hosn Design & Build Workshop introduced visitors to traditional construction methods and the craftsmanship used in building and maintaining the fort’s historic walls.
6. Bait Al Hazawi and youth heritage programmes
The festival presented Bait Al Hazawi, an interactive cultural escape room that blended learning and entertainment through Emirati etiquette, palm culture, and maritime heritage. Young visitors also participated in the Little Heritage Guardians programme, discovering cultural elements recognised under UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
7. Celebrating the craftsmanship of Emirati artisans
Al Hosn Festival continued to highlight the creativity and skills of Emirati artisans and sustainable traditional craftsmanship. The Threads of Gold programme, delivered by Bait Al Harfeen, focused on traditional clothing arts and the personal stories of the artisans behind them. Family workshops encouraged shared creative activities, while live performances by Emirati musicians created a vibrant atmosphere that connected audiences with Abu Dhabi’s creative legacy.
8. Contributions from productive families and community participation
More than 40 productive families participated in this year’s festival, showcasing handmade products and offering a farmers’ market experience. The initiative provided opportunities for direct community interaction, promoted local products, supported family enterprises, and strengthened their presence within Abu Dhabi’s cultural ecosystem.
9. The Emirati Coffee Liwan experience
The Emirati Coffee Liwan served as a central feature of this edition, offering a comprehensive exploration of Emirati coffee culture, including its tools, aromas, etiquette, and rituals. The programme included an exhibition of coffee tools, live demonstrations of traditional preparation, interactive workshops on serving etiquette for all ages, youth-oriented sessions, panel discussions, and the popular Little Coffee Maker activity designed to inspire a new generation. The experience concluded at Bait Al Gahwa, a welcoming space dedicated to gathering, tasting,g and learning about the social traditions surrounding coffee.
10. Emirati dialect learning corner and evening performances
Festival visitors also enjoyed live performances by local and emerging artists, as well as family-focused activities celebrating the Emirati dialect and community connection through Ramsat Ahl Al Dar. This immersive digital experience explored the pronunciation, meaning, and cultural context of everyday Abu Dhabi expressions across different dialogue themes. Evening programmes featured musical performances by Emirati talents and poetry recitals by Emirati poets.