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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260509
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260511
DTSTAMP:20260505T151055Z
CREATED:20260505T151055Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T151055Z
UID:10013740-1778284800-1778457599@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Alserkal Art Month: weekend 4
DESCRIPTION:Here’s the schedule for the fourth weekend of Alserkal Avenue’s Art Month: \nSATURDAY 9 MAY \n4-5pm start at The Yard TOUR Slow Art Walk with Camilla Singh\nArtist\, curator\, and cultural strategist Camilla Singh leads a tour of three selected galleries that offers an alternative way to engage with art\, “taking the time to slow down and reflect rather than rushing to unpack or understand”. Register here. \n6-7pm start at The Yard TOUR Slow Art Walk with Priyanka Mehra\nCurator Priyanka Mehra (Ishara Arts Foundation) leads a tour of the Avenue\, beginning with “the act of noticing how the Avenue unfolds through gestures of public art\, quiet interventions and the spaces in between …” Register here. \n5-6pm Common Room CONVERSATION From Fences to Facades: Typologies of all Types\nHussain AlMoosawi reflects on a visual language that shaped his practice and ongoing engagement with multiple urban landscapes through a show-and-tell followed by a conversation with Raz Hansrod. Register here. \n7-8.30pm The Yard FILM Moon Is The Oldest TV: dir Amanda Kim (2023)\nKim’s documentary profiles the career of Nam June Paik and his pioneering contributions to video art. A timely meditation on the contradictory ways in which technology elicits both fascist tendencies and intercultural understanding\, the film charts Paik’s artistic evolution with an extensive archive of performance footage\, original interviews from Paik’s contemporaries and collaborators and a voiceover of Nam June Paik’s writings. Register here. \nSUNDAY 10 MAY \n11am Project Space KIDS WORKSHOP Create Your Own: Split Spin Animal Puppets\nMedaf Creative Studio + Art Spaces Participants leads a fun hands-on activity that encourages creativity\, storytelling\, and imaginative play that creates jointed puppets from pre-cut paper animal pieces. \n12-5pm Alserkal Arts Foundation MEET THE ARTISTS\nSpend an afternoon at the Alserkal Arts Foundation studios – currently hosting artists Alla Abdunabi\, Richi Bhatia & Hira Khan\, and Maryam Abdulrahma\, each navigating the tensions of materiality\, memory and transformation. Register here. \n5-6pm Common Room READING GROUP Here and Elsewhere\nCan creative processes and togetherness help reaffirm a sense of sovereignty? Artist Chafa Ghaddar leads a programme of texts and images that move through poetry\, drawing\, writing\, and speculative gestures. Register here. \n7-9pm Project Space WORKSHOP An Evening with NOON and Their Music\nMore than just a performance\, this session opens up a conversation around what it really takes for independent artists from the region to break into major music cities around the world. NOON (above) is Ratish Chadha (drums/percussion)\, Hosny (oud/vocals)\, and Steven Bedford (bass/electronics). Register here.
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/alserkal-art-month-weekend-4/
LOCATION:Alserkal Avenue\, Al Quoz 1\, Dubai
CATEGORIES:Art,Festival
GEO:25.168395;55.2563077
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260419
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260420
DTSTAMP:20260417T112212Z
CREATED:20260417T105157Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260417T112212Z
UID:10013637-1776556800-1776643199@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Alserkal Art Month: weekend 1
DESCRIPTION:Here’s the schedule for the first Sunday of Alserkal Avenue’s Art Month (18 April to 19 May): \n3-4pm Project Space KIDS’ WORKSHOP Animal Comic Creations\nParticipants (aged 7+) design their own comic-style story\, inspired by an animal of their choice featured in Qudwati\, a publication by Zayed National Museum \n4-5pm Common Room CONVERSATION From Symbols To Stories\nNassra Al Buainain from Zayed National Museum discusses the way that historical art — from symbols and motifs to colours and patterns — offers insight into how past societies in the Arabian Peninsula understood their world \n4pm start at The Yard TOUR Guided Galleries Tour\nIndependent curator Shannon Ayers Holden (who’s also Associate Director of Community Relations at Alserkal Avenue) leads a curated tour through selected Alserkal galleries \n5pm start at The Yard TOUR Slow Art Walk\nResearcher and archivist Faris Shomali leads a tour of three selected galleries that offers an alternative way to engage with art\, “taking the time to slow down and reflect rather than rushing to unpack or understand” \n5.30pm Firetti Contemporary PERFORMANCE Khozema Al Aaed: Deeper Than You Know\nA “performative installation” by Khozema Al Aaed (whose current show at Firetti has just ended) is an extension of his Maps & Cities Series. Al Aaed’s practice explores surfaces  – particularly that of the city – as living entities that bear the traces of human passage\, “where geography is reread as an emotional and mnemonic space rather than a purely architectural structure” \n 
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/alserkal-art-month-weekend-1-2/
LOCATION:Alserkal Avenue\, Al Quoz 1\, Dubai
CATEGORIES:Art,Festival
GEO:25.168395;55.2563077
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Alserkal Avenue Al Quoz 1 Dubai;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=Al Quoz 1:geo:55.2563077,25.168395
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260418T120000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260418T200000
DTSTAMP:20260417T142150Z
CREATED:20260417T142150Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260417T142150Z
UID:10013639-1776513600-1776542400@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Final Draft
DESCRIPTION:This interesting-looking event by the Ripple Collective\, a group of multidisciplinary designers and design-led retailers based in Abu Dhabi\, has been running for four years now with little fanfare. It offers a day of “the things we love most: good people\, good design\, good ideas and the potential impact of putting them all together”. So it’s not your usual design festival\, either in scale or content; but it does look like a good chance to meet and share. It’s free (preregister here) and it will be a small group – which should be for the better\, providing opportunities to interact and engage. \nThere are a couple of concurrent sessions to chose from; note that some sessions have limited spaces and so need preregistration – we’ve indicated those. The schedule: \n12.00 – 12.50pm Slash Sessions: The Impossible Spaghetti\nA “fun and informative workshop” that “will work towards the impossible”: defining something that is simultaneously true and untrue … Slash\, incidentally\, is the strategic design studio at the heart of the Ripple Collective. RSVP here  \n1.00 – 1.50pm Base Session: Adventures in AI\nRipple folk talk about their design approach to AI and what happens when it goes wrong. A live build session will put it to the test. \n1.00 – 1.50pm Fount Workshop: Doll Lab\nA “messy but manageable creative session” inspired by Alexander Girard’s Vitra dolls\, scrap wood and colour to excite your inner child (and your actual child too if you want). Fount is a “curated concept store” that’s part of Ripple … RSVP here  \n1.00 – 2.50pm Sadu Workshop: Craft in Action\nAn introductory to traditional Emirati/Bedouin Sadu hand-weaving. RSVP here  \n2.00 – 2.50pm Talk: Shaikha Al Ketbi – Common Grounds\nVisual artist Al Ketbi unpacks her four years in Japan – how it inspired her art\, her work on the UAE Pavilion at the Osaka Expo\, what cross-cultural creativity means in practice \n3.00 – 3.50pm UncleNado’s Listening Lounge\nA session for your ears and your eyes: the connection between good music and good album cover design \n3.00 – 3.50pm Slash Sessions: Spill the Chai\nBrewing karak has more to say about who we are than you’d think. This workshop is a space to listen\, to brew\, and to leave with something that stays longer than the taste … RSVP here  \n4.00 – 4.50pm Talk: Mohamed Dardiri – The Design/Making Battle \nBringing design to life – the link between designing something and then actually making it \n4.00 – 4.50pm Fabrica Workshop: Block Printing with Muge\nMake prints\, print prints\, admire your prints (Fabrica is the industrial design and craftsmanship studio in the Ripple orbit). RSVP here  \n5.00 – 5.50pm Talk: Music meets Design with Pho & Teenage Engineering\nBehind the sound and design of Teenage Engineering\, “one of the world’s coolest audio brands” \n5.00 – 5.50pm Fabrica Workshop: Block Printing with Muge\nAnother session as above. RSVP here  \n6.00 – 6.30pm break \n6.30 – 7.15pm Talk: Is This Emirati? with Saleh (La Petite)\nA conversation on contemporary Emirati design\, the culture that inspires it\, the expression it takes and the magic needed to bring it to life \n7.20-8.00pm Main Talk: The Long Way Home with Nuno Abreu\nA talk from the main man of Slash\, the design studio at the heart of Ripple\, on building a contemporary design scene through scarcity\, beauty\, and the perspective gained from distance
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/final-draft/
LOCATION:ERTH\, Khor Al Maqta Al Khaleej Al Arabi Road\, Abu Dhabi
CATEGORIES:Design,Festival
GEO:24.4042548;54.4835144
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=ERTH Khor Al Maqta Al Khaleej Al Arabi Road Abu Dhabi;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=Khor Al Maqta Al Khaleej Al Arabi Road:geo:54.4835144,24.4042548
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260418
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260419
DTSTAMP:20260417T105216Z
CREATED:20260417T103614Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260417T105216Z
UID:10013636-1776470400-1776556799@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Alserkal Art Month: weekend 1
DESCRIPTION:Alserkal Avenue’s Art Month (18 April to 19 May) includes a raft of individual events\, mostly at the weekends\, alongside the usual gallery opening hours – most of those we have listed separately in the Agenda. Here’s the schedule for the first Saturday: \n2-8pm The Yard WORKSHOP Wear Your Words\nLive screen printing throughout the afternoon and evening – bring a T-shirt or tote bag to be printed with a text by Shilpa Gupta\, directly referencing her light-text sculpture Still A Sky We Hold\, also located in The Yard and launching for the opening of Alserkal Art Month \n4pm Common Room CONVERSATION Subtle Sites of Power\nKevin Jones talks with Green Art Gallery artists Alla Abdunabi and Fatma Al Ali\, illuminating both their engagement with material and their taste for dismantling the logic of empire \n6pm The Yard PERFORMANCE ADIGA Music Band\nDubai-based Sudanese three-piece group that brings traditional Sudanese rhythms into the modern era \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/alserkal-art-month-weekend-1/
LOCATION:Alserkal Avenue\, Al Quoz 1\, Dubai
CATEGORIES:Art,Festival
GEO:25.168395;55.2563077
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Alserkal Avenue Al Quoz 1 Dubai;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=Al Quoz 1:geo:55.2563077,25.168395
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260211
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260216
DTSTAMP:20260112T174839Z
CREATED:20260112T174839Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260112T174839Z
UID:10013226-1770768000-1771199999@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Animenia Abu Dhabi
DESCRIPTION:Animenia returns to Manarat Al Saadiyat with five days of cosplay\, music\, food\, and J-pop culture – “step inside a world inspired by the hidden corners of Neo-Tokyo\, where glowing signs\, colourful characters\, and offbeat discoveries bring anime culture to life … An unmissable anime celebration unlike anything fans have experienced before …” There’s a cosplay competition with big prizes\, an ‘artists alley’ where people will try to sell you stuff like rare collectibles\, “delicious bites inspired by authentic Japanese street food” (so not actual authentic Japanese street food then and the chance to find “creators whose work has already taken over your feed”. The last Animenia was a load of fun\, if you like this kind of thing. \nIt’s open 4pm to midnight (3pm-midnight on Saturday and Sunday) with single day entry costing AED 95 (AED 145 on 13 and 14 Feb). A five-day Festival Pass is AED 495.
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/animenia-abu-dhabi/
LOCATION:Manarat al Saadiyat\, Abu Dhabi\, United Arab Emirates
CATEGORIES:Anime,Festival
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260203
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260216
DTSTAMP:20260203T114602Z
CREATED:20260203T113350Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260203T114602Z
UID:10013383-1770076800-1771199999@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Sharjah Light Festival
DESCRIPTION:magpie has long been a fan of the Sharjah Light Festival\, the 14th edition of which runs 3 to 15 February. By contrast with the newer Manar Abu Dhabi and Dhai Dubai light art festivals\, SLF generally takes a more conventional approach – which typically means illuminating iconic cultural (and some natural) landmarks\, albeit with active light shows. \nThis year’s Sharjah Light Festival features light shows in 13 locations\, and there’s clearly been a deliberate effort to spread them beyond Sharjah City. Locally there are shows at Dr Sultan Al Qassimi Center near University City Hall\, Al Majaz Waterfront\, Kalba Waterfront\, the General Souq at Al Hamriyah\, Al Jada\, and the House of Wisdom. And it should be worth making the trips to Al Rafisah Dam\, Al Dhaid Fort\, Khorfakkan Waterfall\, the Hanging Gardens in Kalba\, Dibba’s AlTayari Mosque\, and Sharjah Fort in Al Hisn.  \nThere’s also the Light Village in front of the University City Hall building\, which will have around 55 F&B and retail vendors plus entertainment and activities. That stays open till 22 February. \n 
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/sharjah-light-festival/
LOCATION:[various Sharjah locations]
CATEGORIES:Festival,Light,Public art
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260201T160000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20260201T233000
DTSTAMP:20260128T132714Z
CREATED:20260120T160024Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260128T132714Z
UID:10013337-1769961600-1769988600@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Mini Festival by Vinyl Souk
DESCRIPTION:The third Mini Festival promises to transform 25hours Hotel One Central into a vibrant hub for alternative music\, creativity\, and community – six rooms\, live bands\, DJs and vinyl selectors\, workshops and talks\, film screenings\, a record fair\, and a music marketplace. A celebration for (mainly indie) music lovers of all ages: always a load of fun. (AED 200 is the door price: save AED 50 if you buy online in advance.)
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/vinyl-souk-mini-festival-2/
LOCATION:25hours Hotel Dubai One Central\, Trade Center Street\, Dubai
CATEGORIES:Festival,Music
GEO:25.2188322;55.2840813
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=25hours Hotel Dubai One Central Trade Center Street Dubai;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=Trade Center Street:geo:55.2840813,25.2188322
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260124
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260126
DTSTAMP:20260120T152421Z
CREATED:20260120T151617Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260120T152421Z
UID:10013333-1769212800-1769385599@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Quoz Arts Festival
DESCRIPTION:Quoz Arts Fest returns to Alserkal Avenue on 24 and 25 January with a mix of experimental art installations\, live music\, exhibitions\, “food experiences”\, and “encounters designed for all ages”. Basmah El Bittar\, Director of Alserkal Avenue\, reckons the 2026 Quoz Fest highlights the depth of regional talent – “artists whose work reflects the pulse\, perspective and creative energy of the region … local artisans whose craft and culinary expressions shape the cultural fabric of the festival …” \nThere’s no theme as such\, but the press release says “this edition foregrounds practices that invite movement\, collective listening\, and new modes of engaging with art in public spaces\, transforming the neighbourhood into a space for sound\, gesture\, and shared experience”. Which could cover just about any festival with a performance and visual art component\, but hey … \nMusic\nThis year’s music programme is led by the Palestinian hip-hop collective DAM and Gayathri Krishnan on Saturdays\, Lebanese singer-songwriter Yasmine Hamdan (indie-Arabic royalty) plus TootArd (below) on Sunday. Throughout the weekend\, Stage 2.0 offers a dedicated platform for the emerging and less well known\, a “space for experimentation\, exchange\, and new collaborations” as the blurb has it. \n \nThe Fridge Warehouse is also running two days of evening shows – Serena & The Velvet Chords and Calista Liaw on Saturday\, Imelda Gabs and Hosny on Sunday – with Open Mic slots between sets for new talent to showcase their work (if you’re interested there are still some slots available\, we hear). \nArt\nFrom the Lips to the Moon (below) is a “collaborative sonic journey” created for the festival by Pouya Ehsaei and Tara Fatehi – an immersive soundscape shaped by voice\, gesture\, and improvisation. And Jean-Baptiste André will present Floe\, a nomadic project bringing together a visual installation designed by Vincent Lamouroux that sets as a stage for a choreographed performance. \n \nThe biggie is Numen/For Use’s TAPE project at Concrete (top). This is a series of site-specific cocoon-like structures shaped through self-forming processes inspired by patterns found in nature – each installation begins as a set of linear trajectories stretched across the space\, before being diagonally wrapped in layers of elastic tape. Says the PR: “these installations dissolve the boundaries between sculpture and architecture\, turning viewers into participants and space into a shared organism …” This is the project’s first time in Dubai\, but it has been presented successfully in more than 10 cities around the world. \nCommunity et al\nJossa at Warehouse 45 has activity zones with fun soft structures for kids\, Mawaheb has a multimedia presentation of works by adults of determination\, and the Reel Palestine souk returns with 50+ vendors selling crafts and food rooted in Palestinian heritage. And there will be many curated pop-ups\, warehouse takeovers\, and “neighbourhood culinary concepts” across the lanes. \nExtras\nAlongside the ‘official’ programme (which you get in return for your entrance fee of AED 100 per day – no\, theren’t any discount if you buy a two-day pass) many of the Avenue’s regular venues are putting on shows of their own (with separate\, and therefore additional\, ticketing). They include Cinema Akil with Reel Palestine screenings starting this weekend\, and the Junction is running three fringe-ish shows (Hold on to your Butts\, La Lezione di Teatro | The Acting Class and Fly\, You Fools!) perhaps as a precursor to the fully-fledged fringe festival it plans to bring to Al Quoz later this year.
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/quoz-arts-festival/
LOCATION:Alserkal Avenue\, Al Quoz 1\, Dubai
CATEGORIES:Festival
GEO:25.168395;55.2563077
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260123
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260202
DTSTAMP:20260119T170458Z
CREATED:20260119T170458Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260119T170458Z
UID:10013321-1769126400-1769990399@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Sikka Art and Design Festival
DESCRIPTION:The 14th edition of what has become one of Dubai Culture’s flagship initiatives is back in Al Shindagha Historic District\, this year with the theme ‘Imagining Dubai: Identities of the Future’. \nThe festival promises “a diverse array of artworks” in gallery and public art formats\, workshops\, panel discussions\, live performances\, food and retail markets\, “and other activities”. As usual there doesn’t seem to be any specific advance information – no website\, no overall directory/guide – but the press releases says there will be more than 250 artworks showing in 16 houses. To find out what’s out when the Instagram feed is probably your best option\, but with less than a week to go it was still full of last year’s info. \nStill\, Sikka is always worth the trip – especially as it’s free to enter.
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/sikka-art-and-design-festival-4/
LOCATION:Al Shindagha\, Dubai Creek\, Dubai
CATEGORIES:Festival
GEO:25.234497691342;55.319887511729
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Al Shindagha Dubai Creek Dubai;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=Dubai Creek:geo:55.319887511729,25.234497691342
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260121
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260128
DTSTAMP:20260114T152756Z
CREATED:20260113T170612Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260114T152756Z
UID:10013274-1768953600-1769558399@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Emirates Airline Festival of Literature
DESCRIPTION:LitFest is back with the usual rich brew of panel discussions and conversations\, talks\, workshops\, family activities and the LitFest After Hours programme. It looks like the biggest and most varied yet\, so that probably means it will be the best … \nSome sessions are free (including workshops for beginner writers) but most are charged-for – AED 50 upwards (AED 200 for many of the single-author sessions\, AED 300+ for workshops\, AED 425 for the Desert Stanzas poetry-music performances under the stars). There’s a multi-day pass at AED 400\, which looks like a bargain – in fac it only gets you into Conversations\, Family Activities\, and LitFest After Hours\, but you could easily spend a lot more than 400 on those. \nMore multi-session pass options would be a good thing. So would a scheduler; there are 22 venue rooms in total and half-hour slots between 8am and 10pm across the seven days (not all of which are filled\, of course\, but there are more than 150 events in total) so it can get quite complicated looking for non-clashing events. There’s a PDF grid here which might help\, though it’s bit and difficult to use; something a bit more AI-ish would have been better – “is this mix of events doable?” or “will I have time to get from A to B?” for instance.
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/emirates-airline-festival-of-literature-2/
LOCATION:InterContinental Hotel\, Dubai Festival City\, Dubai
CATEGORIES:Festival,Words
GEO:25.2171003;55.3613635
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260117
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260202
DTSTAMP:20260112T182553Z
CREATED:20260112T182305Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260112T182553Z
UID:10013237-1768608000-1769990399@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Al Hosn Festival
DESCRIPTION:This living expression of Abu Dhabi’s Culture is always worth a visit. The emphasis is on heritage\, so the Al Hosn programme includes traditional souks\, performances (lots of ayyalah)\, food\, coffee\, kids’ workshops and more. It runs 4pm to 11pm daily.
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/al-hosn-festival-2/
LOCATION:Al Hosn\, Abu Dhabi
CATEGORIES:Festival,Heritage
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260116
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260209
DTSTAMP:20260112T180856Z
CREATED:20260112T180856Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260112T180856Z
UID:10013232-1768521600-1770595199@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Ras Al Khaimah Art 2026 Festival 
DESCRIPTION:In the last few years the Ras Al Khaimah Art Festival has grown into a solid contributor to the UAE’s arts and culture scene\, with a community-oriented twist to the mix of exhibitions\, performances\, workshops and film screenings. There’s always a theme – this year it’s ‘Civilizations’\, a catch-all which should be able to accommodate just about any kind of culture – but the characteristic feature is the community engagement and the strong sense of RAK itself being part of the festival. \nIt has an excellent site at Al Jazeera Al Hamra Heritage Village\, which is where most of the exhibitions and events happen – exhibitions are open for the whole of the festival (16 January to 8 February)\, but performances and other one-offs occupy the three weekends. \nThis first weekend sees guided art and heritage tours\, several workshops – including calligraphy\, light art\, traditional agriculture\, and a two-day Photowalk and Film Photography masterclass – and live performances. They kick off with AlMaydee’s soulful soft rock (Friday\, 9-9.45pm) and the Saturday stage gets Luiza (jazzy pop\, great voice) followed by the AFCENT Band (that’s the official US Air Forces Central ensemble with a signature mix of pop\, rock\, and big band jazz). \nElsewhere in the village there’s Alana Hicks with a one-woman show titled Voices in the Dark (“a thoughtful exploration of identity\, culture\, and the threads that bind us: Saturday 6pm) and James Scarr with his excellent Mime Show (Sunday 6pm). \nNew for 2026 is The Hidden Table\, a curated culinary programme that expands the festival into gastronomy by positioning food as a form of cultural storytelling; the first two weekends get Chama\, an open-fire dining experience by Portuguese chef Tiago Pazzini with no fixed menu (“each evening is guided by seasonality\, elemental cooking\, and instinct\, allowing cuisine to unfold as a live\, creative expression”). The final weekend it’s Restaurant Pine\, the creation of Northumberland chefs Cal Byerley and Ian Waller to celebrate “the rhythm of the seasons [and] a modern echo of ancient land”. \nChama will cost you AED 350 but entrance to the festival and most of the other happenings are free\, including the live music. Preregistration is required for the spaces-limited events like the workshops; check out the full first-weekend programme here.
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/ras-al-khaimah-art-2026-festival/
LOCATION:Al Jazeera Al Hamra\, Ras Al Khaimah
CATEGORIES:Community event,Festival
GEO:25.8006926;55.9761994
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260114
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260119
DTSTAMP:20260113T090910Z
CREATED:20260113T090910Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260113T090910Z
UID:10013254-1768348800-1768780799@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Sharjah Festival of African Literature
DESCRIPTION:The second edition of the festival brings together 20 African and nine Emirati authors for around 20 Library sessions\, book talks and panel discussions – and a series of African cooking sessions. The theme is “The African Way”\, which is more or less what you’d expect given the title. There’s not much detail on what happens when and who’s involved\, but The National has listed some of the authors due to attend: \nLemn Sissay British-Ethiopian poet\, writer and playwright\nSiphiwe Gloria Ndlovu Zimbabwean novelist\, winner of Best International Fiction Book award at last year’s Sharjah International Book Fair\nTsitsi Dangarembga Zimbabwean author who has been longlisted for the Booker\nNahida Esmail Tanzanian author and poet known for young adult and children’s literature\nRichard Mabala British-Tanzanian cultural activist and author\nSefi Atta Nigerian-American author\nDilman Dila Ugandan writer and filmmaker\nBeatrice Lamwaka Ugandan author
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/sharjah-festival-of-african-literature/
LOCATION:University City\, Sharjah
CATEGORIES:Festival,Words
GEO:25.3561698;55.427211
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20251213T170000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Dubai:20251213T213000
DTSTAMP:20251210T142610Z
CREATED:20251208T110726Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251210T142610Z
UID:10013132-1765645200-1765661400@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Dubai Motorcycle Film Festival
DESCRIPTION:The fifth edition of the only film festival in Dubai “exclusively dedicated to screening short films focussed on motorcycles” (it expanded in 2025 to London and is planned to launch in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur next year). It kicks off with Café Rider’s Bikers’ BBQ prior to the main screening at 5.30pm just outside Warehouse Four; film screenings start at 7pm\, and this year’s films include Forrest Minchinton’s Further\, a personal riff on motorcycles and surfing (“this happy combination of my two loves”: still above): Hey Kid by Daniel Stark\, “a letter to my younger self” in the form of a Canadian motorbike adventure story (“you’re gonna need a machine – a freedom machine”); and Green Legacy from Indonesian director Jeremia Vega\, a collective effort from two motorcycle communities in Indonesia encouraging fellow riders to care more deeply for the land they move through …
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/dubai-motorcyle-film-festival/
LOCATION:Warehouse Four\, Al Quoz\, Dubai
CATEGORIES:Festival,Film
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251213
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251215
DTSTAMP:20251208T115237Z
CREATED:20251208T115205Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251208T115237Z
UID:10013133-1765584000-1765756799@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Fujifilm Short Film Festival
DESCRIPTION:This first festival of its kind by Fujifilm Middle East\, created with Cinema Akil and Gulf Photo Plus\, aims to “foster bold ideas\, nurture fresh perspectives\, and champion the next generation of storytellers”. More than 2\,000 submissions were whittled down to 20 shorts to be screened in four ‘blocks’: \n12 Dec  \n7pm Narrative\n9.30pm Experimental \n13 Dec \n5pm Documentary\n7.30pm Student \nScreenings are free\, but you’re recommended to book to guarantee a seat. \nThere’s also a series of four free workshops – no details about times or location\, though we assume they’ll be at GPP and in the afternoons. Again they are free to attend though preregistration is required: \nPocket Rocket: Creative Film Making On The Go A hands-on workshop for planning\, directing\, and producing creative solo filmmaking projects from concept to delivery. \nFrom Concept to Cut: The Complete Anatomy of a Music Video From idea development and production planning to directing\, shooting\, and post-production\, learn how commercial directors approach complex artist projects and build a visual identity that stands out \nUnfreeze the Moment: Video and Documentary Basics for Photographers A workshop sdesigned for photographers transitioning to motion ythat covers camera movement\, essential video settings\, sequencing\, and visual language \nBacking Up: Systems of Organization for the Backend of Filmmaking This workshop will cover the tools that can be used to organise filmmaking projects\, budgets\, contracts\, file management and more. info and more. Includes a live exchange session designed to help filmmakers build smarter\, more repeatable production structures \n 
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/fujifilm-short-film-festival/
LOCATION:Cinema Akil\, Warehouse 68\, Alserkal Avenue\, Dubai
CATEGORIES:Festival,Film
GEO:25.142327;55.2242909
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251114
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251124
DTSTAMP:20251112T080741Z
CREATED:20251111T175224Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251112T080741Z
UID:10013057-1763078400-1763942399@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Sharjah Film Platform 8
DESCRIPTION:Sharjah Art Foundation’s annual celebration of indie/experimental cinema returns for its eighth edition from 14 to 23 November 2025 with an expanded lineup of films\, talks and artist development programmes. Screenings and events will take place at Mirage City Cinema\, SAF’s open-air theatre in Arts Square\, plus VOX Cinemas in City Centre Al Zahia. \nOpening the 10-day festival is Baab (2025)\, a new fantasy film by Nayla Al Khaja that blurs the boundaries between the living and the dead. The programme also includes Carissa (2024 – still above)\, a coming-of-age drama from South Africa; Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk (2025) which documents the exchange between the late citizen journalist Fatema Hassona in Gaza and the filmmaker Sepideh Farsi; and five shorts produced through the SFP Short Film Production Grant – Saint Andrews (2025) by Erin Nene-Lee Ramirez; Yathoom (2025) by Hana Kazim; L’mina (2025) by Randa Maroufi; Goat (2024) by Judy Kibinge; and Morgenkreis [Morning Circle] (2025) by Basma Alsharif. \nAt the heart of SFP is the Competition section\, which features 27 documentary and fiction films nominated by an committee of filmmakers and industry experts and selected from films released in the past two years. All these are being screened in the UAE for the first time; a number of screenings will be followed by Q&A sessions with the directors. \nThe Director in Focus segment honours regional directors for their lifetime achievements in global cinema. This year the accolade goes to Jocelyne Saab (1948–2019)\, whose politically engaged documentaries and experimental features continue to inspire generations of filmmakers. The festival will be showing four of Saab’s films: Dunia\, Kiss Me Not on the Eyes (2005); Once Upon a Time in Beirut (1995); South Lebanon: The Story of a Village under Siege (1976); and Les Femmes palestiniennes (Palestinian Women) (1974). A special discussion panel features filmmaker\, producer and researcher Mohanad Yaqubi with Mathilde Rouxel\, President of the Jocelyne Saab Association. \nNew this year is First Takes\, organised by Sharjah Art Foundation in collaboration with AUS\, MYUAD\, the University of Sharjah\, and Zayed University. It spotlights short experimental works by UAE-based students and recent graduates. In addition to the film screenings\, there will also be a public roundtable addressing the challenges and opportunities for emerging filmmakers in the UAE. \nThe full programme is here; most feature tickets are a bargain AED 15\, some screenings are free.
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/sharjah-film-platform-8/
LOCATION:[various Sharjah locations]
CATEGORIES:Festival,Film
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251104
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251110
DTSTAMP:20251020T154013Z
CREATED:20251014T133858Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251020T154013Z
UID:10012927-1762214400-1762732799@magpie.ae
SUMMARY:Dubai Design Week 2025
DESCRIPTION:The region’s leading (only significant?) design festival returns for its 11th edition with the usual hectic mix of commissions\, exhibitions\, installations\, talks and live events. \nNatasha Carella\, DDW’s Director\, said this year the programme was taking a more reflective approach – “exploring design not only as a practice of innovation but also as a social connector\, a civic and cultural force that shapes how we live together\, communicate and build systems of care. From spatial typologies rooted across cultures and climates to a focus on material intelligence\, detail and cultural nuance\, the programme is intentional and human-centred\, bridging heritage with contemporary. Ultimately\, we’re asking: how can design bring people together across disciplines\, geographies and generations?” That sets the bar quite high … \nThe highlights: \nDowntown Design 5-9 November The region’s leading fair for high-quality and contemporary design\, returns to the d3 Waterfront Terrace. This is the B2B part of Design Week\, showing collections\, innovative products and design solutions for the interiors busness; the show\, which includes this year’s cohort of the Athath Fellowship by MAKE in Abu Dhabi and the annual Tanween programme by Tashkeel\, is complemented by a programme of “pop-up concepts”\, regional spotlights\, talks and panel discussions. Its website is here; admission is AED 80 (one day pass; a four-day pass is AED 150) which gives access to both Editions and Downtown Design. \nEditions 5-9 November\, 12pm – 8pm The second outing for the limited-edition art and design show features prints\, photography\, works on paper\, ceramics\, contemporary design\, and artist multiples. It has its own website and charges for admission (one day pass AED 80\, four-day pass AED 150 – access to both Editions and Downtown Design) \nExhibitions and activations The usual diverse mix of exhibitions\, pop ups and activations includes the always-interesting UAE Designer Exhibition; the d3 Architecture Exhibition in partnership with RIBA; Design You Can Feel by technology brand ASUS\, an exploration of materiality\, craftsmanship and AI; and Bootleg Griot\, an independent public library project for works by artists\, collectives and writers of African descent that celebrates creativity\, cultural exchange and accessibility. \nTalks\, Workshops and Masterclasses Hosted in a dedicated Maker Space\, DDW’s workshop programme is aimed at just about anyone – professionals and aspiring creatives of all ages\, interests and levels of experience. And The Forum at Downtown Design returns with live talks and keynotes\, headlined by Tom Dixon in his Dubai debut. \nUrban Commissions Dubai Design Week’s design competition for architects and designers to experiment with ideas for the public realm centred on the courtyard for 2025. This year’s winning proposal\, When Does a Threshold Become a Courtyard?\, is by UAE-based design and research studio Some Kind of Practice\, founded by Omar Darwish and Abdulla Abbas. \nAbwab The annual commission for designers from across Asia and Africa has showcased the work of more than 180 applicants since its inception in 2015\, Abwab. For 2025\, designers were invited to respond to the theme In the Details; the winning pavilion is Stories of the Isle and the Inlet by Maraj\, a Bahrain based architecture and design platform founded by architects Latifa Alkhayat and Maryam Aljomairi\, \nInstallations More than 30 large-scale outdoor installations will transform d3 into “an open-air space of design innovation\, where public spaces become interactive works that invite exploration and engagement”. \nMarketplace 8–9 November This weekend outdoor market for homegrown businesses and independent makers offers products from homeware\, jewellery\, fashion and lifestyle items to F&B\, experiences\, children’s activities and live performances. \nDubai Design Week runs 4 to 9 November\, apart from the specific dates above. Opening is 10am to 10pm. \nThe Urban Commissions 2025 selection: When Does a Threshold Become a Courtyard? by UAE-based design and research studio Some Kind of Practice
URL:https://magpie.ae/event/dubai-design-week-2025/
CATEGORIES:Design,Festival
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