Liwa International Festival in Abu Dhabi extended by popular demand

The desert festival will now run until January 8

Liwa Festival has opened in Liwa Village in the Abu Dhabi desert. All photos: Chris Whiteoak / The National

The event celebrates Emirati culture with art, concerts, shopping, cultural workshops, a night market and more

The family-friendly experience is ongoing until January 8

Liwa Village is made up of six zones

The main stage will host a number of performances

There’s an expansive majlis seating at the main stage where live shows will take place

The Souq in Liwa Village

The Souq area is rooted in heritage and tradition and includes a night market, where things such as spices and oud are sold

Live cooking sessions will also be held at The Souq

The Pavilion is an area to relax, rest and reconnect

The Pavilion

Arabic coffee at the festival

Gaze, the immersive dining venue at The Souq

The immersive dining experience

The oasis

The pirate play area

The e-gaming area

A vistor plays Liwa Treasure Hunt in the e-gaming area

Musicians play the hand pan at Liwa Village

Liwa International Festival has had its run extended “following a remarkable turnout”, the Abu Dhabi Media Office has announced.

The event, which is currently taking place in the Abu Dhabi desert, was meant to end on December 31, but organisers will keep it going until January 8.

The festival puts Emirati heritage front and centre, attracting local and international visitors to take part in a variety of activities — from desert motorsports to family-friendly fun.

This year marked the opening of Liwa Village, which is split into six thematic zones.

One of these is the Souq, which houses a night market selling spices and oud. Visitors can also experience customary practices such as henna art, khoos basket-weaving, live cooking sessions and more in this space.

It also includes Gaze, a multisensory dining experience, which features guest restaurants hosting special meals, with Antika and Zuma taking part.

The Oasis, meanwhile, is a spot offering tranquillity and relaxation. Try your hand at terrarium-making, jewellery-designing and terracotta pot-painting, or sign up for a tea excursion. There is also the central pavilion filled with e-gaming machines and an arcade zone.

Liwa Village also houses a main stage, where several regional household names are scheduled to perform, including Khaled Al Mulla, Khalid Abdulrahman and Ali Bin Mohamed, who are taking to the stage on December 31.

All of the activities will be retained until January 6, but it's not clear yet whether new musical performances will be added to the programme.

The event was extended after a visit from Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed, the Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region, who toured the village and met several celebrities including Steve Harvey, Tyrese Gibson and Cody Walker.

The US stars were in Abu Dhabi for FuelFest Arabia, the Middle East debut of the car and music festival founded by Walker, brother of the late Fast & Furious star Paul Walker. American rapper Ludacris performed as part of the event, along with Gibson.

Until January 6; from Dh15; liwafestival.com

This story was originally published on December 28

Scroll through the gallery below of Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed, the Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region, visiting the festival