Tanweer Festival opens in Sharjah’s Mleiha Desert

The second edition of Tanweer Festival opened on Friday evening in the awe-inspiring Mleiha Desert of Sharjah, setting the stage for a transformative three-day celebration that brings together art, music, heritage, and human connection.

Under the guiding theme “What You Seek Is Seeking You,” inspired by the timeless wisdom of Rumi, the festival welcomed audiences from across the world for starlit concerts, intimate encounters, and shared experiences across four immersive performance spaces.

Framed by the desert’s ancient horizons and the newly inscribed Faya Paleolandscape on the UNESCO World Heritage list, the opening ceremony underlined Tanweer’s vision to convene global talent around values of stewardship, cultural memory, and communal creativity.

In her opening remarks, Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder and Visionary of Tanweer Festival, welcomed festivalgoers with a heartfelt message: “At Tanweer, we gather in the sacred Mleiha landscape to pause, reconnect and find stillness far from the rushing, agitated world. Rumi tells us that when we polish the mirror of the heart, we rediscover the light that has always been within us. My hope and belief is that Tanweer offers each of us that – a moment of clarity, presence and renewal.”

Sheikha Bodour’s speech was accompanied by the music of Iraqi santur player Azhar Kubba.

Tanweer features over 28 soul touching performances by more than 183 musicians from over 23 nations across four themed performance areas: the Main Stage, Tree of Life, Dome, and Marketplace.

The programme is complemented by nine knowledge packed workshops led by world class facilitators, and eleven immersive art installations that transform the desert into a living gallery of thought and wonder. Audiences can also explore a rich culinary and craft offering with seventeen food vendors and fourteen marketplace artisans, alongside nine experiential activities—from stargazing and desert explorations to guided archaeological tours—that deepen connection to place and story. The Main Stage, the beating heart of Tanweer, featured performances that bridged tradition and modernity, inviting audiences into a shared space of listening and wonder.

Following Sheikha Bodour’s opening speech, the audience were treated to a mesmerising performance of light calligraphy by internationally acclaimed artist Julien Breton (Alif Motion Artist), accompanied by musicians Oliver Milchberg and Mohammed Al Numa.

Later, Palestinian singer and educator Aya Khalaf delivered a soul-stirring performance which preserved and revived heritage through song.

Indian musical traditions then took centre stage with a pulsating performance from Rooh-e-Noor ensemble. Mentored by AR Rahman under the leadership of Khatija Rahman, the six-member all-women vocal group, added a symphony of magic and a pulse of cinematic and contemporary pop sound to the evening with their eclectic voices.

The Main Stage programme then came to a stunning crescendo with an unforgettable performance from composer, musician, and visionary AR Rahman.

The two-time Academy Award and Grammy Award-winning artist delighted the audience with a beautiful rendition of his piece “Wings of Love.”

Earlier in the day, at the Tree of Life, the Tanweer programme featured Moroccan ensemble Nass El Ghiwane - hailed as “The Rolling Stones of Africa” for their pioneering influence on world music - infused the desert afternoon with rhythms and ancestral voice, connecting audience and landscape through shared memory.

Designed as a locus for inquiry and shared practice, the Dome welcomed audiences into a space of making and meaning. The Marketplace, Tanweer’s communal interface, bustled with artisan makers, storytellers, and musicians.

Throughout the festival, Tanweer presents 11 immersive art installations that turn the desert into a dynamic gallery of cultural heritage and deep connection with nature. The works engage geometry, material, and narrative to connect past, present, and future within Mleiha’s ancient landscape.

Tanweer extends into Mleiha’s natural and archaeological landscape through guided stargazing, desert explorations, and tours of the Mleiha Archaeological Centre and surrounding sites.

Horse riding across scenic vistas, fossil rock safaris, and rides in a custom Unimog vehicle align curiosity with movement, turning nature into a living classroom.