The Department Of Culture And Tourism – Abu Dhabi’s Early September Events Round Up – Festivals, Visual Arts, Workshops
Visual Arts
ANA ESCOBAR SAAVEDRA: IT STARTS WHERE IT ENDS (Until 7 September 2025)
Ana Escobar Saavedra’s “It Starts Where It Ends” is her first solo exhibition, exploring identity through installations that examine the tension between permanence and impermanence, inspired by the Spanish verbs “ser” and “estar.” Her work utilises materials like marble to reflect the body’s changing nature, challenging how both personal experience and bureaucratic systems shape identity.
Time: Arabic Tours: 3:00 PM & 5:00 PM
English Tours: 4:00 PM & 6:00 PM
Location: 421 Arts Campus
Entry: Free entry
For more details, please visit: https://www.421.online/whats-on/ana-escobar-saavedra-it-starts-where-it-ends/
‘UNSTABLE GROUNDS: NYUAD MFA GRADUATE 2025’ EXHIBITION (Until 7 September 2025)
This exhibition showcases the work of NYU Abu Dhabi’s MFA graduates, highlighting research and experimentation across photography, video, installation, painting, and performance. Exploring themes of environment, migration, memory, and human connection, the artists present interdisciplinary works that reflect personal and collective stories grounded in the region while engaging with global contemporary practices. Now in its fourth year in partnership with 421 Arts Campus, the exhibition offers a platform for emerging artists to share their artistic growth with the public.
Time: Arabic Tours: 3:00 PM & 5:00 PM
English Tours: 4:00 PM & 6:00 PM
Location: 421 Arts Campus
Entry: Free Entry
For more details, please visit: https://www.421.online/whats-on/unstable-grounds-nyuad-mfa-graduate-exhibition-2025/
TO KNOW MALAYSIA IS TO LOVE MALAYSIA: HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE AFK COLLECTION’ EXHIBITION (Until 10 September 2025)
This exhibition showcases the work of NYU Abu Dhabi’s MFA graduates, highlighting research and experimentation across photography, video, installation, painting, and performance. Exploring themes of environment, migration, memory, and human connection, the artists present interdisciplinary works that reflect personal and collective stories grounded in the region while engaging with global contemporary practices. Now in its fourth year in partnership with 421 Arts Campus, the exhibition offers a platform for emerging artists to share their artistic growth with the public.
Time: Saturday to Thursday: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Friday: 2:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: Cultural Foundation
Entry: Free Entry
For more details, please visit: https://culturalfoundation.ae/en/event/To-Know-Malaysia-Is-To-Love-Malaysia
PILLARS OF EXPRESSION: STUDENT SHOWCASE (Until 10 September 2025)
Student artworks developed as part of the set design for Cranleigh School’s recent performance of Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Jessica Nicholls. The students explored Shakespearean themes through visual storytelling and theatrical motifs. While the play was staged at Cranleigh, this exhibition at Manarat Al Saadiyat offers the artworks a dedicated platform celebrating youth creativity and the intersection of art and theatre. Each piece reflects the students’ individual voice while contributing to a shared narrative revealing how art, like theatre, can be both deeply personal and powerfully collective.
Time: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Location: The Art Studio, Manarat Al Saadiyat
Entry: Free Entry
For more details, please visit: https://manaratalsaadiyat.ae/en/artstudio/pillarsofexpression/
HARRY POTTER: THE EXHIBITION (Until 21 September 2025)
Harry Potter™: The Exhibition is a touring experience that delights fans worldwide with authentic film props, exclusive behind-the-scenes looks, and fun interactive surprises to find. Feel the nostalgia and the magic while celebrating some of your favorite moments from the Wizarding World.
Time:
Monday-Wednesday-Thursday: 12:00 PM – 7:30 PM (venue open until 9:30 PM)
Tuesday: closed
Friday: 12:00 PM – 8:30 PM (venue open until 10:30 PM)
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 8:30 PM (venue open until 10:30 PM)
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 7:30 PM (venue open until 9:30 PM)
Location: Manarat Al Saadiyat
Entry: Tickets start from AED 115 per person
For more details, please visit: https://manaratalsaadiyat.ae/en/seeanddo/harry-potter/
NATIVE: PLANTS IN THE UAE (Until 31 December 2025)
The ‘Native’ exhibition explores the life conditions of each plant indigenous to the UAE’s landscape, examining the surrounding atmosphere that influences its growth and gives it unique variations in colour, texture, size, and behaviour. From the iconic Ghaf tree to the resilient desert grasses, each specimen tells a story of adaptation and survival. The exhibition features a curated collection of art installations and informative exhibits that highlight the ecological significance of these plants and trees.
Time: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Location: Al Qattara Arts Centre
Entry: Free Entry
For more details, please visit: https://abudhabiculture.ae/en/events/native-plants-in-the-uae
QUANTUM DOME PROJECT: A COLLECTIVE VR EXPERIENCE (Until 30 June 2026)
Immerse yourself in our new, family-friendly collective virtual reality experience.
Travel back in time through the ages and discover breathtaking historical landscapes—from Imperial Rome and Medieval Baghdad to Mughal India.
Time:
Weekdays: 10:00 AM – 6:30 PM (last entry: 6 PM)
Weekends: 10:00 AM – 8:30 PM (last entry: 8 PM)
Location: Louvre Abu Dhabi
Entry: AED 120 (full price)/ 95 AED (reduced price) per person
For more details, please visit: https://www.louvreabudhabi.ae/en/whats-on/vr-experience
ABU DHABI MASTERPIECES COLLECTION: EXHIBITION-DOSSIERS (Ongoing)
The Abu Dhabi Collection, showcased through “Exhibition-Dossiers,” presents global artworks from prehistory to the present, fostering cultural dialogue. The second series highlights Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin’s reunited 18th-century pair and Jean-Michel Basquiat’s “El Gran Espectáculo (The Nile),” currently on display at Manarat Al Saadiyat. The first series featured Nicolas Poussin’s “Confirmation,” Pierre Bonnard’s “Self-Portrait,” and Zao Wou-Ki’s “Triptyque 2000 – 23.12.2001.”
Time: 10:00 AM–8:00 PM
Location: Manarat Al Saadiyat
Entry: Free entry
For more details, please visit: https://abudhabiculture.ae/en/cultural-programmes/exhibitions-and-fairs/abu-dhabi-collection
Community
A VIEW FROM THE SKIES: FALCONRY, A LIVING HERITAGE (Until 7 September)
Qasr Al Hosn invites you to “A View from the Skies: Falconry, a Living Heritage” at the 2025 edition of the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX), an exhibition and experience celebrating falconry, a tradition deeply rooted in the UAE.
Time: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Location: ADNEC Centre, Abu Dhabi, Stand # 5-0065
TAKE THE MIC: PODCAST W NOS (5 September 2025)
Join Hadeel Marei & Maha Jafar from Podcast W Nos as they dive into the nostalgic chaos of first-day-of-school vibes vs. the “fun” of adult responsibilities. Expect laughs, memories, and a little bit of reality check!
Time: 6:30 PM
Location: Manarat Al Saadiyat
Entry: AED190 per person
For more details, please visit: https://tickets.manaratalsaadiyat.ae/buy-tickets.html?workstation=MAS.WKS1
URBAN MARKET CONCEPT (6 September – 7 September 2025)
30+ pop-up vendors, street fashion, vintage gems, tasty bites & live music.
Time: 3:00 PM
Location: Manarat Al Saadiyat
Entry: AED15 per person
For more details, please visit: https://manaratalsaadiyat.ae/en/seeanddo/weeklyschedule/
BU DHABI PEARL WEEK AT DELMA MUSEUM (8 September – 14 September 2025)
Abu Dhabi Pearl Week at Delma Museum, in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Pearls Centre. Discover how the UAE’s pearl-diving heritage is being preserved andpassed on to future generations through interactive educational experiences and innovative, sustainable practices.
Time: Saturday – Thursday: 10pm – 6pm
Friday: 2pm – 6pm
Location: Delma Museum, Delma Island
Entry: Free Entry
For more details, please visit: https://abudhabiculture.ae/en/events/abu-dhabi-pearl-week-at-delma-museum
Workshops
DELMA MUSEUM EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS (6 September – 27 September 2025)
Creative & cultural experiences for all ages.
Time: Introduction to Local Fish (Cultural Session) September 6, 2025, 5:00 PM
Clay Fish Sculpture (Art Workshop) September 20, 2025, 5:00 PM
Painting on Seashells (Art Workshop) September 27, 2025, 5:00 PM
Location: Delma Museum
Entry: Free entry
For more details, please visit: https://abudhabiculture.ae/en/events/delma-museum-educational-workshops
ARTFULLY LIVING WORKSHOPS (Until 29 September 2025)
Artfully Living Program is a joint initiative between the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and Mubadala aimed at enhancing the well-being of elderly citizens and residents aged 55 and above, through a variety of cultural and creative activities that contribute to skill development, mental stimulation, and social connection.
Time: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Location: Locations Vary
Entry: Free entry
For more details, please visit: https://abudhabiculture.ae/en/events/artfully-living-workshops
ART WORKSHOPS CULTURAL FOUNDATION (Until 30 September 2025)
Cultural Foundation is hosting a series of engaging art workshops.
Time: Times vary
Location: Cultural Foundation
Entry: Tickets vary
For more details, please visit: https://culturalfoundation.ae/en/calendar?category=Workshops
PROGRAMMES AT ABU DHABI CHILDREN’S LIBRARY (Until 30 September 2025)
Enter a world of imagination where your children can explore books and engage in library activities that encourage your child’s creativity.
Time: Saturday – Thursday: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Friday: 2:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: Cultural Foundation
Entry: Free Entry
For more details, please visit: https://culturalfoundation.ae/en/event/children-library-admission
AL QATTARA ART WORKSHOPS (Until 30 September 2025)
Enjoy a series of workshops and courses for the entire family, giving arts enthusiasts the chance to immerse themselves in the creative arts scene.
Time: 3:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: Al Qattara Arts Centre
Entry: Tickets vary
For more details, please visit: https://abudhabiculture.ae/en/events/al-qattara-art-workshops
ACTIVITIES AND WORKSHOPS AT MAKTABA BRANCHES (Until 30 September 2025)
Maktaba is hosting a series of engaging and informative workshops.
Time: Times vary
Location: Locations Vary
Entry: Tickets vary
For more details, please visit: https://library.dctabudhabi.ae/calendar
ART STUDIO WORKSHOPS & DROP-IN SESSIONS (Until 30 September 2025)
Art Studio at Manarat Al Saadiyat is a multi-disciplinary arts space designed to bring hands-on arts education programmes, art classes, drop-in sessions, workshops, and outreach initiatives to students, adults, children, and families in the emirate.
Time: Times vary
Location: Manarat Al Saadiyat
Entry: Tickets vary
For more details, please visit: https://manaratalsaadiyat.ae/en/artstudio/workshopsandclasses/
AL-QOMRA PHOTOGRAPHY MEET UPS (Bi-weekly sessions on Tuesday)
A bi-weekly programme of meet up sessions, workshops, photo walks organized by MAS photography Studio.
Time: 6:00PM – 8:00PM
Location: Manarat Al Saadiyat
For more details, please visit: https://manaratalsaadiyat.ae/en/photographycentre/alqomraphotographymeetups/
