Nitro Circus at Liwa 2026 in Abu Dhabi

Nitro Circus at Liwa brings the Nitro Circus 2.0 action-sports show to Abu Dhabi’s Liwa Desert on 19 and 20 December 2026, with freestyle motocross and BMX riders flying off ramps at the foot of Tal Moreeb, the towering dune at the centre of the Liwa International Festival. It is the first time Nitro Circus has appeared at the festival, and there are three shows across the weekend: two on Saturday and one on Sunday.

What is Nitro Circus?

Nitro Circus was co-founded in 2003 by Travis Pastrana, the American freestyle motocross rider and rally driver, and began as a series of stunt DVDs filmed with a crew of friends. The videos sold well enough to become a TV series, first on Fuel TV and then on MTV in 2009, and the crew took the idea on the road as Nitro Circus Live, a touring arena and stadium show. Over the years it has added its own competition, the Nitro World Games, launched in 2016, and built a reputation for riders attempting tricks nobody has landed before.

Nitro Circus 2.0 is the latest version of the touring show. On its 2026 dates elsewhere it has been billed around the giant Giganta Ramp, a new ramp design and a set of comedic contraptions alongside the serious tricks, under the slogan “Never Been Done. Never Been Seen. Absolutely Unreal.”

What to expect in the desert

The Liwa show focuses on freestyle motocross and BMX. Expect riders throwing big aerial manoeuvres, precision riding and synchronised routines, with the festival line-up describing jumps through flaming obstacles and special effects. Festival announcements say more than 15 athletes will take part. Each show includes a 20-minute interval, which gives the crew time to reset the ramps and gives younger fans a breather.

Show times

• Saturday 19 December: first show at 4:30pm, second show at 9:30pm
• Sunday 20 December: one show at 4:30pm

The afternoon shows start as the light softens over the dunes, while the Saturday late show runs under floodlights, so you can pick the atmosphere that suits your group.

Meet the riders: the pre-show experience

For fans who want to get closer, there is a separately booked pre-show experience, which needs a show ticket as well. It runs two hours before each show, at 2:30pm on both days and at 7:30pm on Saturday, and includes:

• Entry one hour before general doors open
• First access to the Nitro Circus merchandise stand
• A guided walk on the track, with photos alongside the freestyle motocross bikes
• An athlete meet-and-greet with a selfie, Q&A and autographs

Places are limited, so it is worth deciding early if you have a young rider in the family who would love to meet the crew.

The setting: Tal Moreeb and Liwa International Festival

Tal Moreeb, also called Moreeb Dune, rises more than 300 metres above the Liwa Desert in Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra Region and is the tallest sand dune in the UAE. It is the focal point of the Liwa International Festival, which is organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi and this season runs from 11 December 2026 to 2 January 2027, branded as Liwa 2027.

Your Nitro Circus ticket also includes entry to Liwa Village, the festival’s fun zone. This season it adds rides and challenges such as Circus Swing, Tagada, Space Tower, a bungee jump, a Ninja Challenge and Trike Drift, alongside returning favourites like bumper cars, the Slingshot, go-karts, paintball, a maze and a four-wheel-drive track. The same weekend also brings sand-dune freestyle shows on 18 and 19 December, the Liwa Board Climbing Challenge on 19 December and the Liwa UTV track day on 20 December, so motorsport fans can easily fill two days.

There is also a heritage programme, with a traditional Emirati village by the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, Nabati poetry sessions, a falconry tent, camel rides and palm-frond weaving. The festival’s first official app lists the schedule and handles bookings for camping pitches and motorhome parking, which many visitors use to stay overnight.

Good to know before you go

• Ages: there is no age restriction, but every guest needs a ticket and anyone under 16 must be with someone aged 21 or over.
• Seating: seats are allocated on a best-available basis, and the front row of each grandstand has a restricted view.
• Food and drink: outside food and drink are not allowed.
• Re-entry: there is strictly no re-admission.
• ID: staff may ask for photo ID and the card used to buy the tickets.

Tal Moreeb is a well-known landmark once you reach the Liwa area, which sits deep in the south of the emirate, so most visitors drive and make a full day or a camping weekend of it.

Who it suits

Nitro Circus at Liwa is a strong pick for families with children who love bikes, motorsport fans already heading to the festival and groups looking for a big night out in the desert. Pair it with our guides to sports events in the UAE, things to do in Abu Dhabi, things to do in December and kids events.