The Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi's August Events Round Up
Festivals, Performing Arts, Workshops and More!
Abu Dhabi, 7 August, 2025: As part of their expansive portfolio, DCT Abu Dhabi has a host of exciting new announcements.These activities promise fun and educational experiences for all ages through engaging artistic and cultural events. We believe residents and tourists, always on the lookout for weekly activities, will find these offerings particularly intriguing.
Visual Arts
THE JOURNEY: TALE OF TALLI (Until 17 August 2025)
Discover the craft of Talli—an evolving Emirati tradition—through interactive displays, artisan demos, and hands-on experiences that celebrate its cultural and fashion roots.
Time: 10:00AM - 8:00PM
Location: House of Artisans
Entry Per Person: Free Entry
CRAFTS AND PLAY (Until 15 August 2025)
‘Crafts and Play’ is a unique exhibition celebrating the UAE’s iconic crafts through learning and interactive games. Designed for children aged 3 - 12 and their families, the exhibition offers a hands-on journey into three traditional Emirati weaving crafts: Al-Sadu, Talli, and Khoos.
Time: Saturday to Thursday: 9:00AM to 8:0PM
Friday: 2:00PM to 8:00PM
Location: Ground Floor, Cultural Foundation
Entry: Free Entry
For more details, please visit: https://culturalfoundation.ae/en/event/Crafts-and-Play
MAITHA ABDALLA: BETWEEN METAMORPHOSIS AND REALITY EXHIBITION (Until 30 August 2025)
Step into a world where imagination and reality collide at the upcoming exhibition, "Maitha Abdalla: Between Metamorphosis and Reality."
Time: Saturday to Thursday: 9:00AM to 8:0PM
Friday: 2:00PM to 8:00PM
Location: Ground Floor, Cultural Foundation
Entry: Free Entry
For more details, please visit: https://culturalfoundation.ae/en/event/Maitha-Abdalla-Between-Metamorphosis-and-Reality
SPECTRUM EXHIBITION (Until 1 September 2025)
Cartographies, Revised showcases works from this year’s Spectrum Photography Residency, where artists explored image-making through personal, embodied experiences rather than purely technical methods. The exhibition showcases layered narratives and personal “cartographies” through objects, textures, audio, and moving and still images, inviting visitors to experience intimate, sensory-rich artworks that reflect each artist’s unique perspective.
Time: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Location: Manarat Al Saadiyat
Entry: Free Entry
For more details, please visit: https://manaratalsaadiyat.ae/en/photographycentre/spectrumexhibition/
ANA ESCOBAR SAAVEDRA: IT STARTS WHERE IT ENDS (Until 7 September 2025)
Ana Escobar Saavedra’s first solo exhibition, It Starts Where It Ends, explores the nuances of identity and identification. Through installations and artifacts that serve as repositories of data, memory, and social constructions, Escobar Saavedra examines where the self exists, both within and beyond the physical body, while navigating the tensions between permanence and impermanence, presence and absence.
Time: Arabic Tours: 3:00 pm & 5:00 pm
English Tours: 4:00 pm & 6:00 pm
Location: 421 Arts Campus
Entry: Free Entry
For more details, please visit: https://www.421.online/whats-on/ana-escobar-saavedra-it-starts-where-it-ends/
‘UNSTABLE GROUNDS: NYUAD MFA GRADUATE 2025’ EXHIBITION (Until 7 September 2025)
This exhibition showcases the work of NYU Abu Dhabi’s MFA graduates, highlighting research and experimentation across photography, video, installation, painting, and performance. Exploring themes of environment, migration, memory, and human connection, the artists present interdisciplinary works that reflect personal and collective stories grounded in the region while engaging with global contemporary practices. Now in its fourth year in partnership with 421 Arts Campus, the exhibition offers a platform for emerging artists to share their artistic growth with the public.
Time: Arabic Tours: 3:00 pm & 5:00 pm
English Tours: 4:00 pm & 6:00 pm
Location: 421 Arts Campus
Entry: Free Entry
For more details, please visit: https://www.421.online/whats-on/unstable-grounds-nyuad-mfa-graduate-exhibition-2025/
‘TO KNOW MALAYSIA IS TO LOVE MALAYSIA: HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE AFK COLLECTION’ EXHIBITION (Until 10 September 2025)
This exhibition showcases the work of NYU Abu Dhabi’s MFA graduates, highlighting research and experimentation across photography, video, installation, painting, and performance. Exploring themes of environment, migration, memory, and human connection, the artists present interdisciplinary works that reflect personal and collective stories grounded in the region while engaging with global contemporary practices. Now in its fourth year in partnership with 421 Arts Campus, the exhibition offers a platform for emerging artists to share their artistic growth with the public.
Time: Saturday to Thursday: 9:00AM to 8:00PM
Friday: 2:00PM to 8:00PM
Location: Ground Floor, Cultural Foundation
Entry: Free Entry
For more details, please visit: https://culturalfoundation.ae/en/event/To-Know-Malaysia-Is-To-Love-Malaysia
HARRY POTTER: THE EXHIBITION (Until 21 September 2025)
Harry Potter™: The Exhibition is a touring experience that delights fans worldwide with authentic film props, exclusive behind-the-scenes looks, and fun interactive surprises to find. Feel the nostalgia and the magic while celebrating some of your favorite moments from the Wizarding World.
Time:
Monday-Wednesday-Thursday: 12:00 PM - 7:30 PM (venue open until 9:30 PM)
Tuesday: closed
Friday: 12:00 PM - 8:30 PM (venue open until 10:30 PM)
Saturday: 10:00 AM - 8:30 PM (venue open until 10:30 PM)
Sunday: 10:00 AM - 7:30 PM (venue open until 9:30 PM)
Location: Manarat Al Saadiyat – Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Hwy, Al Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi
Entry: Tickets start from AED 115 per person
For more details, please visit: https://manaratalsaadiyat.ae/en/seeanddo/harry-potter/
NATIVE: PLANTS IN THE UAE (Until 31 December 2025)
The ‘Native’ exhibition explores the life conditions of each plant indigenous to the UAE’s landscape, examining the surrounding atmosphere that influences its growth and gives it unique variations in colour, texture, size, and behaviour. From the iconic Ghaf tree to the resilient desert grasses, each specimen tells a story of adaptation and survival. The exhibition features a curated collection of art installations and informative exhibits that highlight the ecological significance of these plants and trees.
Time: 9:00AM – 8:00PM
Location: Al Qattara Arts Centre
Entry: Free Entry
For more details, please visit: https://abudhabiculture.ae/en/events/native-plants-in-the-uae
QUANTUM DOME PROJECT: A COLLECTIVE VR EXPERIENCE (Until 30 June, 2026)
Immerse yourself in our new, family-friendly collective virtual reality experience.
Travel back in time through the ages and discover breathtaking historical landscapes—from Imperial Rome and Medieval Baghdad to Mughal India.
Time:
Weekdays: 10:00AM - 6:30PM (last entry: 6pm)
Weekends: 10:00AM - 8:30PM (last entry: 8pm)
Location: Louvre Abu Dhabi, Lower Forum
Entry: AED 120 (full price)/ 95 AED (reduced price) per person
For more details, please visit: https://www.louvreabudhabi.ae/en/whats-on/vr-experience
Community
THE LITTLE GUIDE AT DELMA MUSEUM (Until 14 August 2025)
Delma Museum is organising the “Young Guide” Initiative – a programme designed to train participants to become museum guides, while also promoting awareness of local heritage and the history of the region. This initiative offers a valuable opportunity to foster a sense of community belonging and engage with cultural heritage, contributing to cultural dialogue and the dissemination of knowledge.
Time: 4:00PM – 6:00PM
Location: Delma Museum
Entry: Free Entry
For more details, please visit: https://abudhabiculture.ae/en/events/the-little-guide-at-delma-museum
Summer Camps
SUMMER ARTLAB (12-15 August 2025)
ArtLab is an art-centric youth programme offered throughout two seasons of the year: summer and winter. It provides participants with a variety of interactions that foster creative, conceptual, and critical thinking; skill-focused learning through different art processes; and empowerment in expression through the arts and humanities.
Duration: 4 Days - 3 Hour workshop
Location: Louvre Abu Dhabi
Entry: AED 400 (full price)/ AED 360 (reduced price) per person
For more details, please visit: https://www.louvreabudhabi.ae/en/whats-on/summer-art-lab
CHILDREN’S ART CENTRE - SUMMER ART CAMP (Until 21 August 2025)
Keep your budding young artists inspired and entertained through their holidays with our Summer Art Camp for children, filled with a wide range of activities your kids will love, including drawing, painting, arts, and crafts.
Time:
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Location: Children’s Art Centre, ground floor
Entry: 210 AED per person (Package of 4 sessions per week)
For more details, please visit: https://culturalfoundation.ae/en/event/summer-art-camp-childrens-art-centre
MANARAT AL SAADIYAT ART STUDIO SUMMER CAMP (Until 22 August 2025)
Experience an extraordinary art camp designed exclusively for juniors aged 6-12 years, brought to you by MAS Art Studio. This summer break, participants will embark on a journey of creativity with MAS Art Studio leading a variety of engaging and themed art activities that excites their senses.
Time: 10:00AM – 3:00PM
Location: Locations Branches
Entry: AED 1,200 (Weekly fee) per person
For more details, please visit: https://manaratalsaadiyat.ae/en/artstudio/wintercamp/
Workshops
SEASHELL CRAFTING ART WORKSHOP (6 August 2025)
Visit Delma Museum, for a variety of special workshops including art, cultural, and photography workshops and experiences.
Time: 5:00PM
Location: Delma Museum
Entry: Free Entry
For more details, please visit: https://abudhabiculture.ae/en/events/delma-museum-educational-workshops
CUSTOMARY MANNERS IN THE EMIRATI MAJLIS (CULTURAL SESSION) (13 August 2025)
Visit Delma Museum, for a variety of special workshops including art, cultural, and photography workshops and experiences.
Time: 5:00PM
Location: Delma Museum
Entry: Free Entry
For more details, please visit: https://abudhabiculture.ae/en/events/delma-museum-educational-workshops
MY EMIRATI ATTIRE (PHOTOGRAPHY EXPERIENCE) (19-21 August 2025)
Visit Delma Museum, for a variety of special workshops including art, cultural, and photography workshops and experiences.
Time: 5:00PM
Location: Delma Museum
Entry: Free Entry
For more details, please visit: https://abudhabiculture.ae/en/events/delma-museum-educational-workshops
GHAF TREE ART (ART WORKSHOP) (27 August 2025)
Visit Delma Museum, for a variety of special workshops including art, cultural, and photography workshops and experiences.
Time: 5:00PM
Location: Delma Museum
Entry: Free Entry
For more details, please visit: https://abudhabiculture.ae/en/events/delma-museum-educational-workshops
ACTIVITIES AND WORKSHOPS AT MAKTABA BRANCHES (Until 31 August 2025)
Maktaba is hosting a series of engaging and informative workshops.
Time: Times vary
Location: Locations Vary
Entry: Tickets vary
For more details, please visit: https://library.dctabudhabi.ae/calendar
AL QATTARA ART WORKSHOPS (Until 31 August 2025)
Enjoy a series of workshops and courses for the entire family, giving arts enthusiasts the chance to immerse themselves in the creative arts scene.
Time: 3:00PM – 8:00PM
Location: Al Qattara Arts Centre
Entry: Tickets vary
For more details, please visit: https://abudhabiculture.ae/en/events/al-qattara-art-workshops
PROGRAMMES AT ABU DHABI CHILDREN’S LIBRARY (Until 31 August 2025)
Enter a world of imagination where your children can explore books and engage in library activities that encourages your child’s creativity.
Time: Saturday - Thursday: 9:00AM – 8:00PM
Friday: 2:00PM – 8:00PM
Location: Cultural Foundation
Entry: Free Entry
For more details, please visit: https://culturalfoundation.ae/en/event/children-library-admission
ART STUDIO WORKSHOPS & DROP-IN SESSIONS (Until 30 September 2025)
Art Studio at Manarat Al Saadiyat is a multi-disciplinary arts space designed to bring hands-on arts education programmes, art classes, drop-in sessions, workshops, and outreach initiatives to students, adults, children, and families in the emirate.
Time: Times vary
Location: Manarat Al Saadiyat
Entry: Tickets vary
For more details, please visit: https://manaratalsaadiyat.ae/en/artstudio/workshopsandclasses/
ART WORKSHOPS (Daily)
Cultural Foundation is hosting a series of engaging art workshops.
Time: Times vary
Location: Cultural Foundation
Entry: Tickets vary
For more details, please visit: https://library.dctabudhabi.ae/calendar
Al-Qomra Photography Meet Ups (Bi-weekly sessions on Tuesday)
A bi-weekly programme of meet up sessions, workshops, photo walks organized by MAS photography Studio.
Time: 6:00PM – 8:00PM
Location: Manarat Al Saadiyat
For more details, please visit: https://manaratalsaadiyat.ae/en/photographycentre/alqomraphotographymeetups/
