Dubai Art Season 2025 features innovative creative experiences
- Last updated: January 6, 2025 | 10:27
Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer
Dubai Culture has announced the launch of Dubai Art Season 2025 (Jan. 4 — April 20), under the patronage of Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority with the theme ‘Take a Walk on the Art Side’. It consists of various initiatives, entertainment activities, and artistic festivals. “This announcement reflects the Authority’s dedication to amplifying the role of the arts in enriching Dubai’s vibrant creative landscape, while reinforcing its status as a global centre for culture, an incubator for creativity, and a thriving hub for talent,” says Dubai Culture. Dr. Saeed Mubarak bin Kharbash, CEO of the Arts & Literature Sector at Dubai Culture, said that “through its diverse artistic, cultural, and creative activities, Dubai Art Season offers a unique experience that reflects the essence of Dubai, its vibrancy, and its future aspirations. It also highlights the emirate’s capabilities in attracting creatives from around the world and cultivating connections among them, aligning with the Authority’s responsibilities and sectoral priorities aimed at enriching Dubai’s cultural movement and supporting cultural tourism.”
The season starts with the fourth edition of Al Marmoom: Film in the Desert festival, taking place from January 4 — 12 under the theme ‘Stories at One with Nature’. The programme presents a diverse agenda of activities designed to enhance the sustainability of the regional film industry. It also seeks to create an environment that brings film professionals together to share their experiences and knowledge, aiming at inspiring new talent to engage in the field. Films, live performances, workshops, talks, panel discussions, public art, immersive experiences, a family zone, a marketplace, digital art exhibition, competitions and homegrown F&B concepts, are some of its components.
The film fest takes place at the Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve and its prime goal is to reflect Dubai Culture’s commitment to providing filmmakers with innovative platforms to showcase their creativity. The festival screens 80 films from 240 submissions, including two notable short films by Emirati director Hussain Alansari and a special feature on the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre. Audiences can also enjoy competitive screenings in four categories as part of the Al Marmoom Short Film Competition: documentaries, animation, live-action, and films created using AI.
In addition to screenings, over 30 workshops that aim to spur budding creative arts talent will be conducted by experts and institutions, such as the Zayed University College of Arts and Creative Enterprises. Interactive sessions include pottery workshops and innovative painting techniques for children, hosted by Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children. Dubai Mounted Police also offers pony-riding to entertain young attendees. The festival’s highlights include live digital art installations, performances, and environmental awareness activities such as stargazing sessions with a planetarium dome and a desert safari bus tour, in addition to an activity where the public can create their own films using AI. Visitors can also explore a digital gallery featuring AI artworks by Lina Kattan and compete in a photography contest centred around the landscapes of Al Marmoom.
Inspired by the UAE’s national symbol, the Ghaf tree, the festival layout motivates connectivity, with various zones catering to screenings, family activities, and cultural explorations. Traditional Emirati crafts, performances, and F&B concepts are added to the cultural ambiance. In a curated space, the voice of the ‘Young Muezzin’ adds to the atmosphere. The edition expands its scope and includes digital and performing arts, which are steered for a deeper appreciation for the UAE’s natural and cultural heritage. The Ghaf is a drought-tolerant tree, and can remain green even in harsh desert environments. It has helped animal and plant species survive in the UAE desert.
With an initiative featuring over 200 artistic and cultural events, the twelfth edition of the Al Quoz Arts Fest takes place on January 25 and 26. Supported by Dubai Culture and held in Al Quoz Creative Zone and Alserkal Avenue, it presents a diverse array of musical performances and cultural experiences. Dubai Art Season continues with the seventeenth edition of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, January 29 to February 3, at InterContinental Hotel Festival City. It brings together a group of writers, creatives and thinkers from around the world, featuring 150 events, including author talks, panel discussions and workshops.
The ‘Bil Emirati’ section celebrates UAE culture with Emirati and international authors, including Adel Khozam, Asmaa Al Remithi, and Nahla Al Fahad. Highlights include Desert Stanzas, LitFest After Hours, LitFest Families, and Discovery Talks. The season also includes the 13th edition of Sikka Art and Design Festival, highlighting visual arts and local and regional artistic innovations (Jan. 31 – Feb. 9), at Al Shindagha Historic Neighbourhood, with artworks by Emirati and resident artists and various entertainment and musical performances, workshops, and talks. Al Quoz Creative Zone and Alserkal Avenue will host a series of cultural and creative events, including art exhibitions, discussions, and diverse experiences, during the event.
The season’s programming also includes the 18th edition of Art Dubai, being held in Madinat Jumeirah from April 18 to 20. Visitors will enjoy contemporary and international art, along with workshops and discussions led by experts and artists. This edition of the exhibition involves the participation of various galleries across its four sections: Contemporary, Modern, Bawwaba, and Art Dubai Digital. Dubai Opera presents a series of musical and theatrical performances during 2025, highlighting regional and international talent in the fields of performing arts and music.