Liwa International Festival 2026-27

Liwa International Festival is Abu Dhabi's winter festival in the western desert. It is held every December in the Al Dhafra Region, around Tal Moreeb, one of the tallest dunes in the world, and mixes motorsport with music, Emirati heritage and family entertainment. The Department of Culture and Tourism lists adventure, hot-air balloons, dining, Monster Jam and freestyle drifting alongside Liwa Village, the heritage and market area.

The 2026-27 festival runs from 11 December 2026 to 2 January 2027, according to The National. The full programme had not been published when this page was checked, so what follows describes last year's edition (12 December 2025 to 3 January 2026) as a guide to the shape, not a guarantee.

The 2025-26 edition included Liwa Drift, Monster Jam and the Tal Moreeb Running Challenge on 26 and 27 December, with padel, cycling and sand-wrestling championships that weekend. The Tal Moreeb Car Championship ran from 31 December to 3 January. Daily dune projection and drone shows lit the desert in the evenings, and hot-air balloons flew at weekends when the weather allowed. Camping was bookable through the Liwa Sports Club app.

Liwa is a long drive: roughly three hours from Abu Dhabi city, and further from Dubai. Most visitors go for a night or two rather than a day trip. Hotels in Liwa and nearby fill early around the weekends of the festival, so book first and plan second.

Desert driving changes the maths. Roads to the dunes are well made, but keep to marked routes, carry water, and leave daylight to arrive. Balloon flights and some events are weather-dependent and can be cancelled at short notice.