Al Hosn Festival 2026 celebrated Abu Dhabi's heritage and UAE's national identity

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) organised Al Hosn Festival, the emirate’s leading annual celebration of cultural heritage, ran from Jan 17-Feb 1 at Al Hosn. The festival offered a dynamic platform for cultural exchange and an interactive journey into Abu Dhabi’s heritage, while safeguarding the emirate’s authentic customs and traditions.

As part of Abu Dhabi’s vibrant events calendar, Al Hosn Festival delivered an immersive experience into the depths of Emirati traditions through heritage performances, crafts, arts, music, and interactive activities. The festival brought communities closer together and strengthened their connection to Abu Dhabi’s cultural roots.

The annual event supports DCT Abu Dhabi’s vision to protect, preserve, and promote heritage; nurture talent; build capabilities within the cultural and creative industries ecosystem; and reinforce Abu Dhabi’s position as a global cultural hub, while providing a platform for artistic expression and community engagement.

National identity

Each year, Al Hosn Festival reflects DCT Abu Dhabi’s firm commitment to safeguarding and sharing heritage as the core of the UAE’s national identity. The festival fosters dialogue between generations, ensuring Emirati traditions remain alive, shared, and are passed down. It strengthens community belonging and celebrates the spirit of creativity that continues to shape the emirate’s cultural landscape. Guided by DCT’s vision, living heritage remains rooted in history and sustained by artists, artisans, and creators, serving as inspiration for the future.

This year, the festival successfully achieved its objectives, according to the majority of visitors. The programme featured a series of immersive experiences that took guests on a journey into the heart of Abu Dhabi’s heritage. The main show highlighted the story of water discovery in Abu Dhabi and traced the evolution of Qasr Al Hosn from a 17th-century watchtower into a landmark around which the community took shape.

Exploring traditional Emirati Life

Visitors explored aspects of traditional desert life through diverse cultural experiences at Al Shella Majlis (Group Council), featuring performances of traditional arts such as Taghrooda, Al Wannah, Al Mankous, and Al Raddhah, alongside falconry displays, Saluki dog shows, and interactive camel experiences — a living journey celebrating the roots of Emirati identity.

The Fareej (Neighbourhood) zone presented more than 18 live demonstrations of traditional handicrafts, seven workshops, Emirati heritage games, and a market featuring 50 shops offering perfumes, textiles, and jewellery. The Al Hosn Design & Build Workshop introduced visitors to traditional construction techniques and the craftsmanship that shaped the fort’s historic walls.

The festival also featured Bait Al Hazawi, an interactive cultural escape-room experience combining fun and learning around Emirati etiquette, palm culture, and maritime heritage. Young visitors joined the interactive Little Heritage Guardians programme to discover elements listed under UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Celebrating the craftsmanship of Emirati Artisans

Al Hosn Festival continued to spotlight the skill and creativity of Emirati artisans and sustainable traditional craftsmanship. The Threads of Gold programme, presented by Bait Al Harfeen, showcased traditional clothing arts and the stories of the artisans behind them. Family workshops encouraged shared creativity across generations, while live musical performances by Emirati musicians created a vibrant atmosphere that connected audiences with Abu Dhabi’s creative legacy.

Contributions

More than 40 productive families participated this year, presenting their handmade products alongside a farmers’ market experience, creating meaningful opportunities for community interaction. The platform highlighted local products, empowered families to grow and engage, and strengthened their presence within the cultural landscape.

The Emirati Coffee Liwan was a central feature of this edition, offering a comprehensive journey into the world of Emirati coffee — its tools, aromas, etiquette, and rituals that have made it a symbol of hospitality and connection. The experience included a coffee tools exhibition, live demonstrations of traditional coffee preparation, interactive workshops on serving etiquette for all ages, youth-focused sessions, panel discussions, and the popular Little Coffee Maker activity nurturing a new generation of coffee makers. The journey culminated at Bait Al Gahwa, a welcoming space for gathering, enjoying the aroma and craftsmanship of coffee, and learning about its social traditions.

Emirati dialect learning corner

This year, festival visitors also enjoyed live performances by local talents and emerging artists. Families engaged in experiences celebrating the Emirati dialect and community connection through Ramsat Ahl Al Dar, an immersive digital journey exploring pronunciation, meanings, and cultural context of everyday Abu Dhabi expressions across various dialogue themes. Evening programmes featured musical sessions by Emirati talents and poetry recitals by Emirati poets.