The Sheikh Zayed Festival 2026-27 runs from 30 October 2026 to mid-March 2027 at Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi, and entry is AED 10 per person. It opens at 4 PM and closes at midnight or 1 AM. Khaleej Times reports weekly Saturday fireworks and a New Year's Eve show, but the New Year's Eve programme had not been announced as of 2 November 2026. This guide covers dates, tickets, what last season's New Year's Eve looked like and the ways to reach Al Wathba from Dubai. Our Abu Dhabi city tour is a daytime trip and does not include the festival.
By SB Excursions · Published 3 November 2026 · Updated 3 November 2026
Tour on this route: Abu Dhabi City Tour from Dubai — From $45 per person, 9 hours.
When is the Sheikh Zayed Festival 2026-27?
From 30 October 2026 to 13 March 2027 according to the festival's visit page, at Al Wathba South in Abu Dhabi. Khaleej Times reported a 136-day season to 14 March 2027, so check the last weekend. It opens at 4 PM every day.
This guide also answers:
- How much is a ticket to the Sheikh Zayed Festival?
- What are the opening hours?
- Is there a New Year's Eve show this season?
Four things to plan around at Al Wathba
#1
New Year's Eve fireworks and drones
Last season the festival ran a non-stop 62-minute fireworks display and a drone show with about 6,500 drones. The programme for this season had not been announced as of 2 November 2026. Expect crowds: the organisers said last season that entry closes once the site is full, so arrive early and plan your way home before you go.
#2
Heritage Village and folk performances
Khaleej Times lists a Heritage Village with Emirati customs, crafts and folkloric performances among the returning attractions of the 2026-27 season. It is the calmest part of the evening and the best place to start at 4 PM, before the main stage, the fountain show and the crowds fill the grounds after dark.
#3
Getting there: shuttle, taxi or car
The festival runs shuttle buses to and from Abu Dhabi and offers parking, valet parking, buses, taxis and rickshaws at the gates. From Dubai the real question is the return after midnight, so choose the way home first, then buy the ticket. The table in this guide compares taxi, bus, train and car.
#4
Pair it with the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
The festival opens at 4 PM, so a morning at the mosque fits before it. Entry to the mosque is free with online registration and a strict dress code, and it closes to visitors around midday on Fridays. This makes a long day from Dubai, so many visitors stay one night in Abu Dhabi instead of driving back.
Sheikh Zayed Festival 2026-27: the short answer
The festival is open from 30 October 2026 to mid-March 2027 at Al Wathba South in Abu Dhabi, from 4 PM to midnight on Sunday to Thursday and to 1 AM on Friday and Saturday. Entry is AED 10 per person. These figures come from the festival's own visit page. That page gives the last day as 13 March 2027, while Khaleej Times, reporting on 14 October 2026, says the season runs 136 days to 14 March. Treat the last weekend of the season as unconfirmed and check zayedfestival.ae before you plan around it.
It is an evening festival, not a daytime sight. Everything starts at 4 PM and the fireworks and shows come after dark. Al Wathba is inland from Abu Dhabi city, so from Dubai it means a long drive and a late return. It suits families and visitors who want Emirati heritage, pavilions from many countries and a big fireworks night. It does not suit anyone who wants a quiet evening or has no plan for getting home after midnight.
Dates, hours and tickets
Use this table for the practical details. The source for each line is the festival's own visit page unless it says otherwise.
| Item | What the festival says | Check before you go |
|---|---|---|
| Season | 30 October 2026 to 13 March 2027 (Khaleej Times: 136 days, to 14 March) | The last weekend is not confirmed |
| Place | Al Wathba South, Abu Dhabi | The official site links a map pin |
| Hours | Sunday to Thursday 4 PM to midnight; Friday and Saturday 4 PM to 1 AM | Special hours for 31 December are not published |
| Entry | AED 10 per person | Free for children under 3, senior citizens and people of determination |
| Booking | Online on the festival's ticket page; one basket takes up to 10 tickets | The booking page says tickets start from AED 10, so check the total |
| Parking | Parking spaces and a valet service | Fees are not published |
Figures from the festival's visit page and Khaleej Times, as of 2 November 2026. Dates, hours and prices can change.
Buy tickets only on the festival's own booking page, which is linked from its main website. Entry is cheap, so there is no reason to pay a reseller.
What you see at the festival
Khaleej Times listed the 2026-27 programme on 14 October 2026. The main elements are:
- Heritage Village: Emirati customs, crafts and folkloric performances.
- Emirates Fountain and Laser Show: a returning highlight, after dark.
- Pavilions: from more than 15 countries and regions. The festival's site lists pavilions such as India, China, Japan, Egypt, Turkey, Morocco and Thailand.
- Main stage: weekend concerts with Arab and Gulf artists, plus new music and theatre performances.
- Light shows and exhibitions: aerial light choreography, and art and photography exhibitions.
- Sub-festivals: themed weeks on plants, livestock, food, flowers and honey.
- Seasonal programmes: Eid Al Etihad (the National Day holiday) and Ramadan evenings.
Khaleej Times also reports weekly fireworks every Saturday, on National Day and on New Year's Eve. Last season the Saturday fireworks were at 10 PM; this season's time was not stated in the reports we read, so check the festival's channels. Last season's programme also included falconry competitions, dhow races and a camel race, but we have not seen confirmation that they return. For National Day dates, see our UAE National Day guide; the festival also lists a Ramadan evening programme, so check its hours for the weeks of Ramadan.
New Year's Eve at Al Wathba: what last season showed
Khaleej Times says there will be fireworks on New Year's Eve this season, but the programme had not been announced as of 2 November 2026. Last season the details came out in December: TradeArabia reported the committee's plans on 8 December and The Week, citing Khaleej Times, published the programme on 27 December. So do not book hotels or transport around the numbers below. They show the scale, not a promise.
| Item | Last New Year's Eve | This season |
|---|---|---|
| Fireworks | A non-stop 62-minute display at midnight | Announced as part of the programme; details not published |
| Drones | About 6,500 drones, in a single 20-minute sortie | Not announced |
| Programme | From 8 PM to midnight, with performances and parades | Not announced |
| Entry | AED 10 (Khaleej Times) | AED 10 is the standard entry; check for 31 December |
| Crowds | Gulf News reported large crowds; the committee said entry closes when the site is full | Expect the same: arrive early |
Last season's figures from Khaleej Times, Gulf News and TradeArabia. They are shown for scale only.
If 31 December does not fit, the Saturday fireworks are the quieter alternative. If you would rather stay in Dubai for midnight, our New Year's Eve in Dubai guide lists what is announced there, and our New Year's Eve yacht guide explains the view from the water.
Getting there from Dubai
The festival is at Al Wathba South, inland from Abu Dhabi city, not on the island or the Corniche. We could not find an official drive time from Dubai, so type the festival's name into your map or taxi app for your own departure time. The table compares the options. The late closing hour decides the choice, because the festival ends at midnight or 1 AM and you still have to get back.
| Option | What to know | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Taxi or ride-hailing | Our taxi guide gives about AED 250-350 one way to Abu Dhabi city by day; ask the app for a quote to the festival | Agree the return before you go |
| Own car or rental | About 140 km from Dubai to Abu Dhabi on the E11, per our guide; the festival has parking and valet | A long drive home after midnight |
| Bus E100 or E101, then the festival shuttle | About AED 25 with a Nol card and about 2 hours to Abu Dhabi Central; the festival runs shuttles between Abu Dhabi and the site from several locations | Check the last departure; the shuttle timetable is on the festival's visit page |
| Etihad Rail, then a taxi or shuttle | About 57 minutes, from AED 39 in Comfort class; the Abu Dhabi stop is MBZ City, on the mainland | Check the last train and the onward link |
| Private car with us | $245 for up to 7 guests on the city tour with a flexible schedule | Ask on WhatsApp whether an evening can be arranged |
Third-party fares and times are approximate and change; check the apps and timetables. Rail and bus figures as in our guides.
Our guide to how to get from Dubai to Abu Dhabi compares the bus, taxi and car, and the Etihad Rail article covers the train.
Our shared Abu Dhabi city tour does not go to the festival. It is a 9-hour daytime loop from an 8:00 AM hotel pickup, from $45 per person, and it returns to Dubai at about 5 PM, while the festival opens at 4 PM. The private car at $245 for up to 7 has a flexible schedule, so message us on WhatsApp if you want to ask whether an evening at Al Wathba can be planned. We confirm what is possible before the day.
Rules, crowds and what to wear
The festival's visit page lists a few rules, and they are strict enough to matter:
- Animals are not allowed.
- All types of bicycles are prohibited.
- Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered.
- Public displays of affection should be avoided.
- Do not fly your own drone to film the shows; the general rules are in our drone guide.
For families, the page lists a nursery service, strollers on loan, a police station, a lost-and-found desk, clinics, mosques and ATMs. Wheelchairs and designated parking and restrooms are provided for people of determination. Winter evenings are cooler than the day, so bring a light layer, and wear shoes for a lot of walking. On a Friday or Saturday expect the biggest crowds, and on 31 December expect more.
Planning the day around the festival
Because the gates open at 4 PM, the simplest plan is to spend the morning in Abu Dhabi and arrive at Al Wathba as it opens. A morning at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque works well, as does a stop at the Corniche. We have not verified drive times between the mosque and the festival, so check them in your map app.
If you do not want a midnight drive back to Dubai, stay one night in Abu Dhabi; check the festival's shuttle timetable when you choose the area. Another Abu Dhabi festival in the same season is the Al Dhafra and Liwa programme in the desert, covered in our Al Dhafra and Liwa festivals guide.
If you would rather spend the evening on the water in Dubai, our Marina yacht party is from $99 per person and normally runs from 9 PM to 1 AM for guests aged 21 and over; ask us on WhatsApp about 31 December.
FAQ
When is the Sheikh Zayed Festival 2026-27?
From 30 October 2026 to 13 March 2027 according to the festival's visit page, at Al Wathba South in Abu Dhabi. Khaleej Times reported a 136-day season to 14 March 2027, so check the last weekend. It opens at 4 PM every day.
How much is a ticket to the Sheikh Zayed Festival?
Entry is AED 10 per person according to the festival's visit page. Children under 3, senior citizens and people of determination are exempt. Buy tickets on the festival's own booking page, where one basket takes up to 10 tickets.
What are the opening hours?
Sunday to Thursday from 4 PM to midnight, and Friday and Saturday from 4 PM to 1 AM, according to the festival's visit page. Special hours for New Year's Eve had not been published as of 2 November 2026, so check before you go.
Is there a New Year's Eve show this season?
Khaleej Times reports fireworks on New Year's Eve, but the programme had not been announced as of 2 November 2026. Last season the festival ran a 62-minute fireworks display and a drone show with about 6,500 drones, with entry at AED 10.
How do I get from Dubai to the Sheikh Zayed Festival?
By taxi or car straight to Al Wathba South, or by the E100 or E101 bus to Abu Dhabi Central (about 2 hours, AED 25 with a Nol card) and then the festival shuttle. The Etihad Rail train takes about 57 minutes to MBZ City, then a taxi. Plan the return, because the site closes at midnight or 1 AM.
Is the festival part of your Abu Dhabi tour?
No. Our Abu Dhabi city tour, from $45 per person, is a 9-hour daytime loop with an 8:00 AM pickup that returns to Dubai at about 5 PM, before the evening programme gets going. Ask us on WhatsApp whether the private car at $245 for up to 7 can fit an evening.
Is the Sheikh Zayed Festival good for children?
Yes for most families. Children under 3 enter free, the site has a nursery service and strollers on loan, and last season's New Year's Eve programme included children's shows. It is a late-evening festival, so check that your child can stay up until the fireworks.
Recommended Dubai tours for this guide
Abu Dhabi City Tour from Dubai
It is the classic capital day in one organised loop: the mosque before the midday heat and crowds, the newly opened BAPS Mandir, the skyline from the Corniche, Bedouin history at Heritage Village and a photo op at Ferrari World. Transport, a licensed guide, mosque registration assistance and bottled water are included; the $45 shared tour covers all free-entry sites, and a private VIP car for up to 7 people is $245.
- Duration
- 9 hours
- Area
- Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Format
- Full-day guided city tour (shared or private)
- Best for
- families, seniors and first-time visitors who want the capital's landmarks in one day
From $45 per person No prepayment
View tour
Dubai Marina Yacht Party
It is a floating nightclub rather than a boat trip: an international crowd of 25-45 guests, a live DJ playing house, R&B and chart hits, a live BBQ from the grill and the city lights of the Palm and Burj Al Arab in the background. No assigned seats — you move between the decks — and the whole night is included in one ticket.
- Duration
- 4 hours (9 PM-1 AM)
- Area
- Dubai Marina
- Format
- Shared 21+ party cruise
- Best for
- solo travellers, couples and groups aged 21+ who want a night out on the water
$99 per person Full prepayment
View tour
Full-Day Desert Safari in Dubai
It is the slow-travel version of the classic safari: more time on the dunes, sunset without the crowds and a full evening programme at a premium camp with air-conditioned tents, unlimited drinks and a large BBQ buffet with vegetarian and gluten-free options. Everything is arranged from the hotel door — a licensed English-speaking driver, the 4x4, the camp and the shows.
- Duration
- 7 hours
- Area
- Lahbab Desert, Dubai
- Format
- Full-day desert safari
- Best for
- families, couples and first-time desert visitors who want the full evening programme
From $45 per person No prepayment
View tour