New Year’s Eve Fireworks at Sheikh Zayed Festival 2026

New Year’s Eve at Sheikh Zayed Festival is one of the biggest countdowns in Abu Dhabi, staged on the festival grounds at Al Wathba South, about 45 minutes by car from the city centre. On 31 December 2026 the festival marks the arrival of 2027 with its New Year fireworks, part of a season that opens on 30 October 2026 and runs for 136 days until 14 March 2027.

The festival is held under the patronage of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and supervised by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court. New Year’s Eve is one of three fixed fireworks nights in the calendar alongside National Day, on top of the regular Saturday displays that run through the season.

The fireworks and the record attempts

Al Wathba has built a reputation for going big at midnight. The festival has set Guinness World Records for both fireworks and drone shows in previous seasons, and the countdown to 2026 showed how ambitious the night can be. Organisers planned a 62 minute main fireworks display in five stages, starting at 8pm and building to a peak at midnight, with the aim of breaking five new Guinness World Records.

That same night featured a 20 minute drone show using 6,500 drones in a single sortie, billed as the largest drone performance in the world, with nine giant aerial formations synchronised with a digital countdown and the fireworks. Details of the 2027 countdown have not been announced yet, but the festival has confirmed freshly designed aerial light choreography for the new season, so expect the sky over Al Wathba to be the main event once again.

More than a midnight show

Because the countdown happens inside a working festival, the evening is about much more than the final ten seconds. More than 15 countries and regions have their own pavilions this season, including India, China, Japan, Turkey, Morocco, Egypt, Pakistan, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Iran, the Americas, the Levant and Iraq, Yemen, Syria and the GCC. Each pavilion brings its own crafts, food and performances, which makes a slow walk around the site a good way to fill the hours before midnight.

The Heritage Village shows Emirati customs, crafts and folk performances, and the Emirates Fountain and Laser Show returns for the season. Last New Year’s Eve the cultural programme included Al Ayala, Al Razfa and Al Nadooba performances with hundreds of performers, plus international parades and music shows from the participating countries.

New this season are music and theatre performances, art and photography exhibitions, and weekend concerts on the main stage by leading Arab and Gulf artists with high definition visual staging. Whether a main stage act is scheduled for 31 December will be confirmed by the organisers closer to the date.

Who it suits

This is a family New Year’s Eve rather than a party night. Last year children had their own shows at the Kids’ Theatre and activities at Wonderland, the entertainment city that opened at the festival in December 2025. It also suits visitors who want to see Emirati heritage and an international food and culture fair on the same evening, and anyone who would rather watch fireworks from open desert grounds than from a crowded city waterfront.

If you are planning a night out with friends instead, our guide to New Year’s Eve in the UAE covers parties, dinners and other fireworks spots, and New Year’s Eve in Dubai lists the options across the border.

Practical facts for the night

For the countdown to 2026, organisers added extra entry and exit gates, widened pedestrian paths, strengthened safety and medical services, and placed field teams around the site to guide visitors. Entry closed once the grounds reached full capacity, which is worth keeping in mind on the busiest night of the season. Tickets are sold through the official festival website, zayedfestival.ae, and organisers have encouraged visitors to book early through official channels.

For more ideas across the capital, see things to do in Abu Dhabi, browse the full December events calendar, or look through our art and culture listings for heritage events around the UAE.