Sheikh Zayed Festival to Mark New Year’s Eve With 62-Minute Fireworks

The Sheikh Zayed Festival has announced its plans for New Year’s Eve 2026, which will feature a 62-minute fireworks display and a drone show involving 6,500 synchronised aircraft. The event forms part of the festival’s wider winter programme, currently underway in Al Wathba. The evening will include fireworks across five timed phases, concluding at midnight. The drone performance will run in parallel as part of the countdown programme, combining aerial formations with coordinated lighting sequences. Programming for visitors will extend beyond the main show, featuring Emirati heritage traditions such as Al Ayala, Al Razfa and Al Nadooba, alongside international cultural acts and roaming carnival performances. Activities will continue across pavilions, concert stages and children’s zones, including the newly expanded entertainment area. Festival organisers say capacity measures have been increased to manage expected attendance, with more entry and exit points, pedestrian routing and on-site safety teams. Ticket-holders are encouraged to arrive early, and admission may close once capacity is reached. The New Year’s programme forms part of the broader 2025–2026 Sheikh Zayed Festival season, which continues in Al Wathba with cultural exhibitions, live performances and family-oriented attractions.