Abu Dhabi: A slice of the capital’s history will come alive on Wednesday at the opening of the third Qasr Al Hosn Festival at 4pm.
For the first time since its closing in 2008, the Cultural Foundation will be available for touring, enabling visitors to explore some of the conservation efforts being made towards preserving the iconic monument.
Although the festival will run from 4-11pm daily, the opening day will begin at 8pm with a parade. As a result, there will be road closures on Zayed the First Street, Al Nasr Street, Khalid Bin Al Waleed Street and Shaikh Rashid Street around the festival area from 1.30pm until 6pm and on the road in front of Al Manhal Palace and Shaikh Rashid Street from 9am to 6pm.
Additionally, the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA-AD) has decided not to involve international acts as it did in previous years. In 2014, co-founder of Cirque du Soleil, Normand Latourelle, put on a live show for Qasr Al Hosn Festival guests for a starting price of Dh250 where the relationship between man and horse was artistically demonstrated at Cavalia. The year before, internationally recognised Franco Dragone showcased Story of a Fort, Legacy of a Nation, that used audio-visuals to tell the story of the 250-year-old fort.
This year will witness a more focused 10-day festival as visitors truly experience the Emirati culture. Traditional dances, Nabati poetry recitals, story telling and handicrafts-making will all feature at the event. Additionally, an array of crafts can be learnt by visitors who are willing to try something new.
The stage will be set for a range of shows, tours of the fort and the Cultural Foundation and the National Consultative Council building, where Emiratis used to voice their concerns to the most influential members of the Abu Dhabi government. There will be five entrances to the event and shuttle buses will take passengers from the parking area to the festival venue.
