AMEINAH ALZEYOUDI (ABU DHABI)
For many of this year's visitors to Al Hosn Festival 2026, the experience felt less like a cultural showcase and more like a living bridge between generations. From nostalgic evening performances to hands-on workshops and the rhythms of traditional music, guests described the festival as a meaningful return to Abu Dhabi's roots, resonating across age groups and nationalities.
Mohammad AlShehhi, an Emirati visitor who attended the festival with his family, said that the connection to heritage felt deeply personal. For him, walking through the historic Al Hosn site was an opportunity not just to witness tradition, but to pass it forward.
"Al Hosn Festival is more than an event; it's a reminder of where we come from," he told Aletihad.
"It's crucial that our kids hear these tales in a setting with deep significance."
Another thing that stood out to AlShehhi is how the festival fosters a strong sense of community, inviting everyone - regardless of their nationality or age - to experience the UAE's history and heritage firsthand.
Emirati traditional games and live Emirati Gahwa ceremonies invite intergenerational participation, while the "Building Workshop: Crafting Al Hosn" introduces guests to the techniques that shaped the architecture of the fort. Visitors can also explore traditional desert life at Majlis Al Shilla, featuring performances of Al Taghrooda, Al Wanna, Al Mankoos and Al Radha, as well as falconry, saluki shows and camel experiences.
"Here, heritage is portrayed as a living aspect of the present that is practised, honoured, and lovingly and respectfully passed on to future generations rather than as a relic from the past," AlShehhi added.
Among international visitors, many were drawn to the way the festival presented local history through performance and storytelling. For Spanish guest Reham Ibrahim, a key highlight was the signature evening show, designed to make heritage both engaging and accessible, especially for first-time visitors.
"The evening shows were incredibly powerful," Ibrahim told Aletihad.
Through music, narration, and projection, the evening show explains how the discovery of water influenced Abu Dhabi's development and tracks the evolution of Qasr Al Hosn from an 18th-century watchtower into the cultural heart of the capital.
"I was able to comprehend how this city developed from such modest beginnings after learning about the discovery of water and the history of Qasr Al Hosn," Ibrahim added.
Mariam Al Ali, a cultural performer in this year's programme, said that she sees the festival as an opportunity to keep Emirati traditions relevant and visible. According to her, heritage must be lived to survive, and sharing it with a modern audience is both an honour and a duty.
"We are not just performing – we are passing on traditions and stories that define who we are," she told Aletihad.
Each evening, the "Jalasat" programme features traditional music and poetry performed by Emirati singers, musicians and poets. The festival also highlights artisanal skills through 18 live demonstrations and seven workshops in The Freej area, as well as "Threads of Gold" - a House of Artisans initiative celebrating traditional garments and the makers behind them.
Al Hosn Festival 2026 runs daily from January 17 to February 1 - from 4 pm to 11 pm on weekdays and until midnight on weekends. Tickets are Dh35 for adults and Dh15 for children, with free entry for children under five, seniors, and people of determination.