Everyone has a date worth circling in red, and ADREA is no different. The world’s fifth school of classical horsemanship, and the first outside Europe, had a big one on its calendar: October 31.

Now, how does one usually celebrate? Blow out a few candles? Unwrap presents from a carefully curated wishlist? ADREA had something rather different in mind. Guided by the idea that “caring is sharing”, it turned its anniversary into a month-long celebration. And instead of receiving gifts, it is giving them, with a specially curated programme of events and experiences.

What is on the agenda? Quite a lot: equestrian performances, behind-the-scenes tours, art, workshops, a book fair and more. With so much on the calendar, you might be wondering where to begin. No worries! We have selected the highlights, organised by interest, to help you decide what deserves a place in your plans.

Please note: Events requiring reservations must be booked through the ADREA website. Dates and timings are subject to change; please check the website before visiting. This article features a selection of events. For the complete schedule, download the full anniversary programme here.

Okay, we are starting big — with the horses themselves! But if you have never been particularly close to these beautiful, noble creatures, don't worry. There is no need to jump straight into the saddle. You can get to know them step by step, and ADREA has a few lovely ways to do just that.

1. A сelebration of horses and heritage

When? Wednesday to Sunday throughout November, three daily time slots

How much? 130 AED per person / 100 AED per person for groups

Some of ADREA’s best-kept secrets have manes. And if you want to discover them, the best place to start is behind the stable doors. Join a guided tour that takes you from the stables to the Tack Room and out to the arena. You will meet the people who care for the horses, see how every saddle and bridle is prepared, and discover the stories and traditions that shape this classical riding school. 

2. Outdoor training sessions

When? Saturday and Sunday throughout November, four daily time slots

How much? Free. No booking required

Performances get the applause, but the real magic happens on those ordinary mornings when nobody is watching. Throughout November, ADREA opens its Outdoor Arena so you can correct this little injustice and watch riders and horses at work during their regular training sessions.

It is a front-row look at the quiet craft behind classical horsemanship, where practice makes everything possible. No encore, no costumes, just the daily dedication that makes the final performance look effortless.

3. Dressage masterclass with Rafael Soto

When? November 2–4, 45-minute individual time slots between 8 am and 5 pm

How much? Ticketed (price not specified). Ages 16+. Booking required

If your friend is an experienced rider, forget everything on their birthday wishlist. A one-on-one lesson with an Olympian might just beat it all.

Rafael Soto is at ADREA to help riders refine their technique and discover classical dressage through the eyes of someone who has competed at the highest level. Just you, a world-class rider, 45 minutes, and a horse who will notice every little mistake.

We all have those moods when nothing seems quite exciting enough and we want something a little out of the ordinary. Some might say we are acting like spoiled children. I say we all work hard and deserve to be picky sometimes. And luckily, ADREA has a few surprises up its sleeve for exactly those days.

1. The discovery by Matcha Club

When? Throughout November

How much? Free. No booking required

Ever fancied yourself a bit of a Sherlock Holmes? Well, time to put those detective skills to the test. And no, you won't be solving a murder. Your mission is considerably more charming.

To celebrate its opening at ADREA, Matcha Club has hidden 40 horseshoes around the venue, turning the entire place into a month-long treasure hunt. Keep your eyes open, channel your inner detective and see how many you can find. There are prizes involved too, so perhaps don't tell your friends where you spotted that particularly well-hidden one. 

A little test for you. Do you always find yourself admiring notebooks with beautiful, intricate patterns on their covers, even when you don't need another one? Would you rather go for something colourful than the usual black and white? Do you struggle to name just one hobby because you would much rather try a dozen creative things? If you answered yes to at least two out of three, this selection is definitely yours.

1. Workshop: Pigment making

When? November 22

How much? 100 AED per person. Ages 14+. Booking required

Before art shops had every shade on the shelf, artists used to make their own colours. And you know what? Now it is your turn.

In this hands-on workshop, artist Tilika D’Souza introduces you to the process of creating natural pigments from rocks and plants found in the UAE. You will go from grinding and preparation to discovering the colours the landscape itself produces, with a little experimentation and colour theory along the way. Fair warning: you may start eyeing rocks on your next desert walk with suspicious interest.

2. Workshop: Zine making

When? November 28

How much? 50 AED per person. Ages 15+. Booking required

You don't need a publisher, a big budget or even a brilliant idea to make your own magazine. In this hands-on workshop, Sara Ahmed introduces you to the world of zines: small, independently made publications that can be about absolutely anything. Using text, imagery and simple publishing techniques, you will create your own from scratch.

No special preparation required, but here is my little personal suggestion: think about what yours could be beforehand. Your favourite places, a personal story, a collection of drawings or your cat's rather complicated personality. After all, even the most unexpected things can make a good story.

3. Workshop: Sketching ADREA

When? November 28

How much? 150 AED per person. Ages 15+. Booking required

You know those people who can sit in a café, open a sketchbook and casually draw whatever they see? I have always been a little jealous of them. And perhaps this is our chance to become one of them.

Artist Valeria Amer leads a guided sketching walk through ADREA, where you will stop along the way and draw whatever catches your eye: a horse, an architectural detail or a little corner of the landscape you might otherwise have missed.

Some people are early birds. Others need a little time to themselves and only feel ready to go out towards the end of the day. For the second group, ADREA has quite a few events with later starting times. 

1. Performance: Furusiyya — Return to Origins

When? November 14

How much? Starting from 200 AED

Have you ever watched a horse and rider move so perfectly together that you almost forget they are two separate beings? If not, here is your chance!

The performance brings classical horsemanship into the spotlight, showing just how extraordinary the connection between horse and rider can be. In classical dressage, horses learn to respond to the tiniest signals — a subtle shift in body weight or a gentle movement of the leg, so discreet you might not even notice them. And while it all looks wonderfully effortless, achieving that level of understanding takes years of patience and practice. Quite impressive when you realise how much is happening without a single word.

2. Live performance: Listening Room Vol II by Tokyo Listening

When? November 8

How much? Admission price not specified. Ages 15+. Booking required.

If the previous sound performance translated the movements of horses and riders into music, this one asks a bigger question: what if sound is a language we share with animals?

Listening Room Vol II is an intimate live performance by Makiko Allum of Tokyo Listening, taking place at ADREA's Atelier. Same room, same curiosity about how we listen, but a completely different approach.

3. Culinary experience: Oana Maria

When? November 6–7

How much? 250 AED per person. Ages 14+

Some evenings out end with a verdict on the dessert. This one might end with a whole discussion about what you have just experienced. For two nights, Oana Maria brings a specially created dining experience to ADREA's Indoor Arena Hall, where food, art and performance share the same table.

The idea isn't simply to eat and leave. The meal itself becomes part of the creative experience, so come hungry and a little curious. 

4. Culinary experience: Moza Al Matrooshi

When? November 22

How much? 250 AED per person. Ages 14+

Same spirit, different approach, and a second chance to eat your way through an idea.

On November 22, chef and artist Moza Al Matrooshi, founder of Ballad Table, brings a specially created culinary experience to ADREA. She brings her artistic practice straight into the kitchen, making the food part of the creative experience. If Oana Maria's evenings leave you wanting more, this is where you can continue the adventure. And if you miss them, consider this your second chance.

If you have children, you probably know the struggle of finding an activity that keeps them entertained for more than ten minutes. Ideally, something that doesn't involve a screen, too. Well, ADREA has a few ideas. 

1. Children's workshop: The document doctor

When? November 28

How much? Price not specified. Open to all. Booking required.

Some patients are older than anyone in the waiting room, and they come with ink stains. 

In this workshop, run together with the National Archives, young visitors become document doctors for the day. Real old papers are far too fragile for small hands, so they work on replicas made to look aged, trying special dry-cleaning tools and mending torn pages with delicate Japanese paper. It is part history lesson, part detective work, and the only kind of surgery where the patient is guaranteed to survive.

2. Children's experience: Gonzalo's secrets ask a horseman

When? November 20

How much? 50 AED per person. Open to all.

Every child has a list of questions about horses that no adult has ever thought to ask. Here is someone who can answer them. ADREA’s Chief Rider, Gonzalo Obeso, opens the stable doors for a small adventure inspired by Little Heroes’ Quest, ADREA’s children’s book. Young explorers follow the clues, hunt for hidden sugar cubes and meet Gonzalo and Mahboub along the way. They also get a rare look at what happens behind the stalls, and a real horseman to quiz about all of it. Parents, be warned: you may end up as curious as they are.

3. Family experience: Little bakers at ADREA

When? November 26–29

How much? Open to all. No booking required.

Cookies, books and ponies: the three things every good afternoon needs, and this one has all of them. 

Knead Bakery brings a sweet little adventure to ADREA’s Atelier, built around three activities. Children decorate horse-shaped cookies, take on a reading challenge and follow a pony trail around the venue. A word of advice for parents: decorated cookies have a way of vanishing before anyone gets to admire them, so take your photos fast.

Some of us enter a bookshop for one title and leave with a stack nobody planned. If that sounds like you, keep the end of November free: ADREA is turning its anniversary celebrations into a four-day book fair, complete with workshops, talks and two brand-new books of its own.

1. ADREA Anniversary Book Fair

When? November 26–29

How much? Admission price not specified.

Walk in for one book, leave with five. That could easily be the slogan of this fair, although there is one rather unexpected theme: horses.

For four days, publishers, museums and cultural institutions will come together to explore how horses have found their way into literature, art and history. Expect a curated selection of books from Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum, Abu Dhabi Culture, the National Archives, Skira Éditoriale and D'ORO Collection.

2. Workshop: Bookbinding with Yoshi

When? November 26

How much? 150 AED per person. Ages 12+

You have admired a beautiful book cover a hundred times. But have you ever wondered what actually holds all those pages together?

Emirati visual artist and educator Yoshi (Aisha Al Ali) is inviting you to find out for yourself. During this hands-on workshop, you will learn how to assemble, stitch and bind a book by hand, discovering the craftsmanship behind something most of us never think twice about.

3. Book launches: Two new stories from ADREA

When? November 28 (Furusiyya); November 29 (Little Heroes' Quest)

How much? Open to all. Booking required for Furusiyya. No booking required for Little Heroes' Quest.

Two books, two very different readers. And yes, both involve horses. ADREA is launching its first two publications during the fair. The first, Highlights of Furusiyya: The Noble Connection between Horse and Man, created with Skira Éditoriale, explores the research and stories behind the Furusiyya collection. 

The second, Little Heroes' Quest, is ADREA's first children's book, introducing young readers to its horses and riders through an original story. You can also meet the team behind the book and have your copy signed.

All that exploring will probably make you hungry at some point. The good news is that you won't have to go far for food. Falwa, Knead, SALT and ETHR are all at ADREA, whether you fancy a coffee, something sweet or a proper meal.