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What's on

Seasons of the district

From the Sikka art festival to Ramadan nights and National Day — the living calendar of Al Fahidi.

  1. 20 September 2026 – 19 November 2026ExhibitionUpcoming

    Calligraphy Season: From Kufic to Calligraffiti

    House of Arabic Calligraphy, Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood

    A two-month autumn exhibition at the House of Arabic Calligraphy pairing classical masters with contemporary calligraffiti artists from the UAE and the region. Weekly beginner workshops cover the foundations of Kufic, Thuluth and Diwani scripts, with ink, qalam and paper provided for every participant — you will leave with your own name written the way names deserve to be written.

  2. 5 October 2026 – 10 January 2027ExhibitionUpcoming

    Creek Memories: Dubai Before Oil

    Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House, Al Shindagha (adjacent landmark)

    A photography exhibition at Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House drawing on Dubai's historical archives: pearling fleets leaving the creek, the city before its channel was deepened, old souk life and family portraits from the early twentieth century, shown alongside recorded testimonies from the descendants of divers and merchants. A quiet, moving portrait of the city before oil changed everything.

  3. 1 December 2026 – 3 December 2026National DayUpcoming

    Eid Al Etihad in Al Fahidi

    Throughout Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood

    The quarter dresses in the colours of the flag for the UAE's union celebrations. Expect heritage performances of ayala and harbiya, poetry evenings in the courtyards, craft corners and flag-raising ceremonies, alongside children's workshops and evening light displays on the wind towers, while families settle into the old courtyards late into the night in a mood where pride mixes with nostalgia.

  4. 11 December 2026 – 3 January 2027MarketUpcoming

    Winter Heritage Market on the Creek

    Dubai Creek edge at Al Fahidi

    A creek-side winter market in the old style: stalls of oud, spices and incense, hand-woven sadu textiles, pearls and silver, honey and dates, with evening abra rides, street food from Emirati home kitchens and live craft demonstrations every night. Cool winter air, warm lights on the water, and the best people-watching of the entire season.

  5. 8 February 2027 – 8 March 2027RamadanUpcoming

    Ramadan Nights in Al Fahidi

    Courtyards and sikkas of Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood

    After iftar, Al Fahidi becomes the gentlest place in the city. Lantern-lit sikkas lead to majlis gatherings open to everyone, Ramadan sweets and gahwa served in the courtyards, the echo of the iftar cannon rolling in from the creek, and late-night conversations on Emirati traditions of hospitality and fasting, hosted by the district's cultural houses throughout the holy month.

  6. 19 March 2027 – 28 March 2027FestivalUpcoming

    Sikka Art & Design Festival

    Houses and sikkas of Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood

    The annual celebration of emerging art returns to the lanes it was named after. For ten days the heritage houses and sikkas of Al Fahidi fill with murals, installations, film screenings, live calligraphy, music and talks, most of it by rising artists from the UAE and the wider Gulf. Entry is free for everyone, and wandering from house to house is the entire programme.

  7. 18 April 2027 – 24 April 2027FestivalUpcoming

    Dubai Heritage Week

    Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood and surroundings

    Timed around the International Day for Monuments and Sites, a week of open doors across the district: restoration architects walk visitors through the craft of conserving coral-stone and gypsum buildings, museums extend their evening hours, elders share creek-side memories in recorded majlis sessions, and children learn to build a miniature barjeel that genuinely catches the wind.