Liwa Festival runs 11 December to 2 January, with Nitro Circus for the first time
Abu Dhabi's desert festival at Tal Moreeb returns for 23 days with new rides, motorsport, a heritage village and two nights of Nitro Circus stunts on 19 and 20 December.
Liwa International Festival 2027 will run from 11 December 2026 to 2 January 2027 around Tal Moreeb, the giant dune in the Liwa desert in Abu Dhabi's Al Dhafra region. The Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi organises it with the Liwa Sports Club and other government bodies; last season it drew more than 700,000 visitors over 23 days.
New this year is Nitro Circus, the freestyle motocross and BMX show, on 19 and 20 December, with more than 15 riders across three performances. Liwa Village returns with more than half its rides new or redesigned, among them a Space Tower, a Tagada and a circus swing, plus a new bungee jump, archery, climbing, go-karts on water, paintball and a four-wheel-drive track.
The motorsport calendar runs the whole festival: freestyle car shows on 11 and 12 December and 21 and 22 December, falcon racing on 14 to 16 December, sand-dune freestyle on 18 and 19 and 27 and 28 December, Liwa Drift on 25 and 26 December and the Tal Moreeb car championship from 30 December to 2 January. There is also a heritage village with falconry, Nabati poetry, Emirati coffee and traditional games, and a community race on 23 December.
The drive from Dubai is long, so plan an overnight stay: the festival is launching its first app, where you can see the schedule and book camping pitches and motorhome parking. Ticket prices have not been announced yet. Weekends around Christmas and New Year will be the busiest.