Liwa International Festival 2026: A desert stage for culture, competition and camaraderie

Dubai: There are winter festivals, and then there is Liwa. Every year, as temperatures drop and the Empty Quarter turns comfortably crisp, the quiet Liwa desert transforms into a buzzing playground of roaring engines, cultural flair, and Emirati pride. From 12 December 2025 to 3 January 2026, the Liwa International Festival is expected to be bigger, louder, and more globally watched than ever before.

On paper, Liwa Festival is a gathering of desert sports enthusiasts. In reality, it’s a celebration of tradition, bravery, and pure love for the land. The towering dunes of Tal Moreeb, famously nicknamed “the Scariest Dune” for its height and steep 50-degree incline, welcome drivers from across the GCC, Europe, Asia and beyond. Engines scream, crowds cheer, and phones come out to capture those daring climbs that are over in seconds but remembered for years.

But what has kept Liwa relevant, long after the novelty of motorsports could have faded is its spirit. Families and friends gather to camp beneath the stars, while traditional dishes simmer in open-air kitchens. You might come for the races, but you stay for the falconry shows, hot-air balloon rides, classic car exhibitions, karting, and the unmistakable scent of fresh gahwa drifting through Liwa Village.

Compared to the Liwa Festival, Liwa Village is even more family-friendly, offering an exciting lineup of activities like Go Water Kart, Smash Room, 4x4 Track, Skyline, Pony Grove, and much more.

While the days belong to engines and adrenaline, the nights belong to celebration. As darkness drops on the dunes, Liwa lights up with brilliant firework displays; bursts of color exploding across the silent desert sky. The fireworks have become a signature part of the festival, drawing Emiratis, influencers, photographers and visitors who line the dunes just to watch the night come alive. The glow reflects off 4x4 roofs, children gasp, and the whole desert feels like a giant gathering under the stars.

It’s a contrast you only get in Liwa: the raw wilderness of the Empty Quarter paired with a skyline shimmering in greens, blues and gold.

It’s not just locals who mark their calendars. Over the years, Liwa Festival has quietly turned into a global attraction. International drivers ship in modified 4x4s. Photographers in bucket hats crawl up dunes for the best shot. Automotive brands test limits and showcase innovation. Travel vloggers arrive wide-eyed and leave sunburned, excited, and in love with a culture that is both generous and proud.

There’s a certain magic in watching someone experience Liwa for the first time, eyes widening as dunes stretch beyond the horizon, realising that this “empty” desert is incredibly alive.

Still, at the centre of it all are Emiratis, especially Emirati men who have long turned Liwa into a stage of skill, courage and community. For generations, navigating the desert demanded instinct, respect and talent. Today’s competitions, whether drifting, sand racing, or modified car showdowns, are just the modern evolution of that legacy.

Many participants spend months preparing their vehicles, tuning engines and crafting custom builds in small workshops. Winning at Moreeb isn’t just about horsepower, it’s about reputation, belonging, and proving mastery over the desert.

What makes Liwa unique is balance. While you’ll see drones, high-tech safety and global media, you’ll also find elders in Liwa Village reciting heritage poetry and children learning to handle falcons. In a rapidly modernizing world, Liwa remains a bridge between past and present, a reminder that tradition can sit proudly beside innovation.

Expect expanded sports categories, new camping zones, more international participants, and a heavier focus on cultural showcases. And of course, the nightly fireworks; now a tradition of their own, will continue lighting up the desert sky.

After years of rising popularity, Liwa isn’t simply a regional festival anymore, it’s a global destination carved out of sand. For many, it’s the best expression of the UAE’s character: bold, warm, rooted in history, and always pushing the horizon.

So if you’ve never driven into the desert to see Liwa for yourself, this season might be the one. Just follow the glow of campfires, the rumble of engines, and the fireworks that paint the vast desert night with color.