Sharjah Light Festival kicks off with dazzling display

The event also offers an open-air night market with food trucks and entertainment

Projections on Al Noor Mosque as part of the Sharjah Light Festival. All photos: Pawan Singh / The National

An installation at Al Majaz Waterfront

Landmarks around Sharjah will host light shows during the festival.

A projection on Sharjah Fort

The event aims to highlight the latest destinations and landmarks in the emirate

Each of the landmarks will have daily light shows

An installation at Al Majaz Waterfront

The shows have been created in partnership with local and international artists

The event aims to highlight the 'urban and architectural character' of the emirate

A dazzling display of luminosity has marked the return of the Sharjah Light Festival.

The 12th event kicked off on Wednesday evening with a show called Chasing the Lights, a "story of finding that flicker of light in the shadows" and keeping "the flame of curiousity high".

The opening ceremony lit up the emirate's University City Hall with a fireworks display serving as the backdrop. The festival, which runs until February 19, is organised by the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority.

This year, the authority promises a "reinvented" programme, "all in an effort to highlight the latest destinations and landmarks in the emirate of Sharjah and provide more services to the public at each of the festival’s locations", its chairman, Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, said.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Salem Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, attended the opening night, which has become an event that showcases the emirate's architectural prowess.

Over the course of 12 days, several landmarks around the emirate will light up, including University City Hall, Al Noor Mosque, Khalid Lagoon Corniche, Sharjah Mosque, Al Majaz Waterfront and Sharjah Fort.

Each of these landmarks will have daily light shows from Sunday to Wednesday, 6pm to 11pm, and from Thursday to Saturday, 6pm to midnight.

"The Sharjah Light Festival has become a leading event that the public looks forward to every year to create unforgettable memories, immortalised in thousands of posts on various social media platforms that travel across borders and bring joy to millions of followers," Al Midfa said.

"Here in Sharjah, we take pride in all our achievements, and celebrate the festival’s popularity and good reputation, which had a tangible positive impact on the domestic and international tourism sector in the emirate."

Aside from the shows, there is also the Light Village, a 19,000-square-metre open market-style venue that hosts dozens of Emirati-owned businesses, from burger shacks to speciality coffee kiosks. It is located on the grounds of the University City Hall.

The pop-up village houses a Light Museum, as well as several areas for games, live shows and other activities. It will be open throughout the festival from Sunday to Wednesday, 4pm to midnight and from Thursday to Saturday, 4pm to 1am.

The festival is expected to attract more than 60,000 visitors.

Sharjah Light Festival runs until February 19. More information is available at sharjahlightfestival.ae

Scroll through the gallery below for images from Sharjah Light Festival 2022