Umm Al Emarat Park reveals exciting line-up of events

As temperatures cool down in the nation’s capital, Umm Al Emarat Park is set to welcome guests all season long for an exciting line-up of events featuring food, sports, music, cultural performances and live entertainment shows, all held in the crisp open air. From the fan-favorite Ripe Market, to family-friendly film screenings and global literature and arts affair The Hay Festival – there’s something for everyone to enjoy at Umm Al Emarat Park between now and early 2020. 

Commenting on the upcoming season’s line-up, Rasha Kablawi, Head of Umm Al Emarat Park’s Corporate Affairs and Communication Department said: “Umm Al Emarat Park has long been a meeting place for the community of Abu Dhabi, hosting some of the capital’s most anticipated outdoor events year after year. We are thrilled to be the home to an incredibly rich event calendar that is sure to delight visitors of all ages and backgrounds.”

“At Umm Al Emarat Park, we are constantly evolving and improving our offerings to ensure we can deliver the best possible experience to everyone who walks through our gates. This year, in addition to home-grown favourites, we also look forward to hosting some truly spectacular international events, reflecting our commitment to ensure that the Park maintains as a leading destination in Abu Dhabi” continued Kablawi.

Every weekend the Park’s Children’s Garden will screen back-to-back family-friendly movies, alongside fun-filled activities for little ones such as face painting and origami workshops. Yoga enthusiasts across the nation’s capital are also invited to gather every Sunday and Wednesday from 7:00 – 8:00 pm inside the Park’s grounds by the Wisdom Garden for beginner-friendly outdoor yoga classes set to run until May of next year.

Last but not least, November will see the return of the capital’s favourite Ripe Market, a community alfresco event taking place at the Great Lawn and Promenade featuring stalls selling fresh organic produce and handcrafted products from local SME businesses. As the sun sets, visitors at the Ripe Market can also feast on delectable food, enjoy live entertainment, and partake in kid-friendly activities, as well as free yoga sessions hosted by BodyTree Yoga Studio. Park visitors can enjoy the gorgeous winter weather and support their local SME community at the Ripe Market every Saturday from 3:00 – 9:00 pm, starting 2nd November.

In addition to its mainstay weekly events, Umm Al Emarat Park is also set to host one-of-a-kind festivals, screenings, and activities to keep the heart of Abu Dhabi buzzing, and the Abu Dhabi community entertained. In line with the Park’s ‘education through recreation’ ethos, the Park is gearing up to host its first ever night-time Neon Book Hunt in October. Using maps, LED neon lights, and clues, both little ones and adults alike will have the chance to ‘hunt’ for books hidden throughout the Park.

Visitors looking to travel back in time shouldn’t miss the weekly screenings of landmark documentary series ‘History of The Emirates’. Produced by Image Nation Abu Dhabi, the five-part documentary uses the most innovative filming techniques and 3D imaging technologies, to depict the ancient history of the United Arab Emirates, stretching back 125,000 years and culminating in the union in 1971. Coinciding with National Day celebrations, screenings will take place on Friday evenings in the Children’s Garden.

Art enthusiasts are in for a treat, as they enjoy the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) and New York University Abu Dhabi’s interactive installation of 2019’s Christo & Jeanne-Claude Award-winning work, displayed at the Shade House Lawn.

Celebrating the Year of Tolerance, the Park will also host the second edition of the National Festival of Tolerance and Human Fraternity "On the Way of Zayed", organised by the Ministry of Tolerance. The festival features 150 activities with the participation of over 100 ministries as well as federal, local and private entities. The festival celebrates the UAE’s diverse population, bringing together community groups and embassies from 25 countries to represent their culture, heritage and commitment to tolerance.

Foodies are advised to mark their calendars from December 5th to 9th for the World of Food Abu Dhabi, an international culinary extravaganza. The event will be a journey of funky street food, from more than a dozen countries. Featuring a range of sweet and savoury, quirky, eye-catching Instagrammable dishes. Saturday 7th December will also see World of Food Abu Dhabi attempt to break a Guinness World Record for the world’s largest variety of desserts.

The best chefs from around the globe will also offer live cooking demonstrations, with plenty of entertainment for the whole family including live music, competitions and interactive activities for everyone to enjoy. 

From December 12 – 14, Abu Dhabi’s most popular music, entertainment, family, fashion and food festival, Festember, returns to the capital at Umm Al Emarat Park. Set to take place at the Park’s Amphitheatre, the festival will celebrate contemporary culture, complete with eye-catching art installations, fashion pop-ups, Khaleeji live music and funky food trucks for all to enjoy.

Fitness fanatics across the capital are sure to enjoy the Health and Fitness Fun Festival set to take place in 2020. Hosted by ACTVET (Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education) at the Park’s Amphitheatre and Great Lawn, the event will bring together health and fitness enthusiasts, medical experts, health clubs, wellness brands as well as nutritionists and chefs for an extravaganza promoting awareness on health and exercise in an enjoyable and accessible fashion.

Umm Al Emarat Park will host the closing event of The Hay Festival, organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Tolerance, the Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT), and with the guidance of the Court of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

Park visitors keen to contribute to a good cause are invited to participate in NMC’s Walk of Life for cancer awareness, which will step into action at the Park’s Amphitheatre and Great Lawn on March 2020.