The historic Al Hosn site once again becomes a living, breathing space for Emirati culture, where you can walk through, listen to, taste, and take part.

Before diving into the packed programme, it is worth saying a few words about the festival itself. The Al Hosn Festival has been held since 2013, and from its very first edition, it has been met with overwhelming success. Since then, it has returned every year with the same goal: to bring Emirati heritage closer to both local communities and visitors, and to share Abu Dhabi’s history.

This year, the festival runs from January 17 to February 1. One of its central moments is the evening show, which traces the discovery of water in Abu Dhabi and follows the transformation of Qasr Al Hosn from an 18th-century watchtower into a landmark that shaped the city and its community.

During the festival, heritage shows up in many forms — through poetry, music, and movement, as well as experiences rooted in desert life. At Majlis Al Shilla, visitors encounter traditional art forms such as Al Taghrooda, Al Wanna, Al Mankoos, and Al Radha, alongside falconry displays, saluki demonstrations, and interactive camel experiences that bring Emirati traditions closer, not as performances to watch, but practices to engage with.

Craft and making run through the festival in a very tangible way. At The Freej, there are 18 live artisan demonstrations and seven hands-on workshops, as well as traditional Emirati games and a busy souq with 50 vendors offering perfumes, textiles, jewelry, and locally made goods.

The Building Workshop: Crafting Al Hosn invites visitors to look more closely at traditional construction techniques, offering insight into how craftsmanship shaped the fort’s architecture and continues to influence building practices today.

This year also introduces Bait Al Hazawi, an interactive, escape-room-style experience that blends play and learning through themes like Al Sanaa (etiquette), palm trees, and the sea.

Textiles, clothing, and the people behind them are explored through Threads of Gold, curated by the House of Artisans, which looks at traditional garments and the skills, patience, and stories woven into them. Family workshops run alongside, encouraging shared making across generations.

Hospitality is a constant presence throughout the festival. The Emirati Gahwa Lewan offers a multi-layered journey into coffee culture — from tools, aromas, and etiquette to live Gahwa ceremonies, participatory workshops for adults and children, talks, and youth-focused sessions, including Sanaa Al Gahwa Al Sagheer for young hosts in training. At the heart of it all is the Bait Al Gahwa Café, a place to pause and gather.

As evening falls, sound and storytelling take over. The Jalasat programme features sessions with Emirati musicians and singers performing traditional songs, alongside poetry readings that add another layer of voice and memory to the space. A family-friendly digital experience runs in parallel, celebrating the Emirati dialect through pronunciation, meaning, and cultural context, explored across everyday conversational themes in an immersive way.

And, of course, food is everywhere. The site hosts 60 (!) restaurants and food trucks, alongside retail outlets showcasing products crafted by Emiratis. At some point, the festival stops feeling like a programme and starts feeling like a long walk filled with flavours, conversations, and shared tables.