The Sheikh Zayed Festival runs from 30 October 2026 to 13 March 2027 at Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi. Entry is AED 10 per person. Doors open at 4:00 pm every day, according to the festival’s own English page.
On 3 November 2026 we read the plan-your-visit page and the 2026-27 bus timetable it links to. We set both against a Khaleej Times report and a Reddit visit report from last season. Gaps are listed at the end.
| Question | Answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Dates | 30 October 2026 to 13 March 2027 | zayedfestival.ae |
| Venue | Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi | zayedfestival.ae |
| Entry fee | AED 10 per person | zayedfestival.ae |
| Free entry | People of determination, children under 3, seniors aged 60 and over | zayedfestival.ae |
| Sunday to Thursday | 4:00 pm to 12:00 am | zayedfestival.ae |
| Friday and Saturday | 4:00 pm to 1:00 am | zayedfestival.ae |
Sheikh Zayed Festival tickets and entry fee
General entry costs AED 10 per person. People of determination, children under 3 and seniors aged 60 and over do not pay, the festival says. Tickets are booked through the festival’s own booking site.
A visitor who went last November put the price in plain terms. We found no 2026 report to compare it with, so treat the parking detail as last season’s.
“First, the ticket was very cheap, only 10 AED. We were happy about that. We drove there and found a free parking space easily. I saw they also have a special paid parking for 75 AED, but we did not need it.”
– r/abudhabi, November 2025 (9 upvotes)
Opening hours and season dates
The festival opens at 4:00 pm daily. It closes at midnight from Sunday to Thursday and at 1:00 am on Friday and Saturday. We found no morning or afternoon session.
The festival gives 13 March 2027 as the last day. Khaleej Times reported on 14 October that it runs 136 days and through 14 March. We use the festival’s date. An r/abudhabi reply to a question about a past season said simply that it had closed in March.
Buses from Abu Dhabi: the 2026-27 timetable
The plan-your-visit page links a bus timetable headed 30/10/2026 to 13/3/2027. It lists three pick-up points in Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Bus Station in Al Nahyan on route 420, Rabdan on 3533 and Jarn Yafour on 40152. The same timetable ends at Al Wathba South, the festival stop.
| Direction | Sunday to Thursday | Friday and Saturday |
|---|---|---|
| First bus from Abu Dhabi Bus Station | 3:00 pm | 3:00 pm |
| Last bus from Abu Dhabi Bus Station | 11:00 pm | 12:00 am |
| Last bus from Jarn Yafour | 12:00 am | 1:00 am |
| First bus back from the festival | 4:30 pm | 4:30 pm |
| Last bus back from the festival | 12:35 am | 1:30 am |
Sunday to Thursday, buses leave the bus station at 3:00, 3:15 and 3:30 pm. They then run about every 30 minutes until 8:00 pm, and again at 9:00, 10:00, 10:30 and 11:00 pm. On Friday and Saturday the timetable shows a gap of about 20 minutes between roughly 5:00 and 7:00 pm.
The timetable is an image, and we read the times from it by eye. Check it against the festival’s copy before you plan a late return.
Getting there by car, taxi or from Dubai
The festival lists parking, valet parking, and a buses and taxis point among its gate services. It gives no parking charge. Our Abu Dhabi taxi guide covers fares and booking if you go that way.
All three pick-up points on the timetable are in Abu Dhabi city, and we found no Dubai stop on it. A reader in Dubai asked on r/dubai in November 2025 about taking a bus alone, but no reply we could find settled the route. Our Global Village guide covers the other seasonal evening destination people compare it with.
Rules and what is on
The festival’s rules are short. Visitors are asked to dress modestly and avoid public displays of affection. Pets and bicycles of any kind are not allowed.
Khaleej Times says the 2026-27 season adds new music and theatre performances, art and photography exhibitions and new aerial light choreography. It lists the Heritage Village, the Emirates Fountain and Laser Show and fireworks every Saturday.
Fireworks are also planned for National Day and New Year’s Eve, which ties in with our UAE National Day guide.
What we could not confirm
Five points stayed open after our reading of the festival’s pages and the Khaleej Times report. We have not filled them with figures from third-party sites.
- The bus fare, if any, on routes 420, 3533 and 40152.
- Whether main-stage concerts and shows need a separate ticket, and what they cost.
- The 2026-27 parking charges.
- A day-by-day programme.
- Whether the season ends on 13 March or 14 March.
Questions about the Sheikh Zayed Festival
Is the Sheikh Zayed Festival free?
No, general entry is AED 10 per person. People of determination, children under 3 and seniors aged 60 and over enter free, the festival’s page says.
What time does the Sheikh Zayed Festival open?
It opens at 4:00 pm every day. It closes at 12:00 am from Sunday to Thursday and 1:00 am on Friday and Saturday.
