Manar Abu Dhabi is officially back in town, featuring international artists and large-scale light installations
This November, Abu Dhabi will once again be illuminated with imagination, innovation, and artistry as Manar Abu Dhabi returns for its second edition.
View this post on Instagram
The light festival is now on show in Al Ain from 1 November 2025 to 4 January 2026; and in Abu Dhabi from 15 November 2025 to 4 January 2026.
A pioneering initiative under Public Art Abu Dhabi, Manar, meaning “lighthouse” in Arabic, will reawaken the emirate’s coastlines, islands, and public spaces with a new wave of breathtaking light art installations.
Manar Abu Dhabi 2025: your guide to the light festival
Manar Abu Dhabi locations
Unlike the previous edition of Manar Abu Dhabi, which saw the festival a lot more spread out across the city, this year it’s present in three locations: two in Abu Dhabi area (Jubail Island and Souq Al Mina) and in Al Ain. The 2023 edition also had some artworks in Lulu Island, but that is not the case this year.
Manar Abu Dhabi in Jubail Island
Open 5.30pm – midnight; guided tours 7pm-8pm daily (AED 50)
Jubail Island is the main location for Manar Abu Dhabi this year. The location is currently showcasing 15 awe-inspiring, large-scale installations and performances by artists Shaikha Al Mazrou, Iregular, Ezequiel Pini (a.k.a. Six N. Five), Encor Studio, DRIFT, Pamela Tan, Lachlan Turczan, Christian Brinkmann and Kirsten Berg, delivering different approaches to light-based art.
View this post on Instagram
This location also has a food and beverage area, with food trucks like House of Pops supplying tasty treats. There is also a stunning pop-up restaurant, WE ARE ONA X Manar Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with WE ARE ONA and Luca Pronzato, presenting a immersive dining experience by guest chef Solemann Haddad of Michelin-starred restaurant Moonrise.
To make your evening even better, there are musical performers on the Manar Abu Dhabi stage – check the schedule before you plan your visit if you want to watch a show too. The Manar Abu Dhabi schedule also includes lectures and workshops led by artists and partners, like a Fujifilm photography workshop.
For the full schedule, visit paad.ae
Manar Abu Dhabi in Souq Al Mina
Open 24/7
Manar at Souq Al Mina only has one artwork – but it’s a big one. As soon as you walk all the down the port area, you will spot the gigantic new KAWS installation, in collaboration with long-time partner AllRightsReserve. This is KAWS:HOLIDAY Abu Dhabi, a luminous COMPANION reclining on its back while lifting a glowing moon, which highlights the exhibition’s exploration of light, scale, and imagination.
View this post on Instagram
If you want to make an evening out of it, there are plenty of great restaurants around – from the award-winning seafood restaurant Ryba to the casual (but very famous) pizza spot, Marmellata.
Manar Abu Dhabi in Al Ain
Open 5.30pm – midnight; guided tours 7pm-8pm daily (AED 50)
For the first time, Manar has been extended to the cultural sites of Al Ain (part of the UNESCO World Heritage List), where you can explore seven site-specific works along the Al Qattara and Al Jimi Oasis Trails, with pieces artists such as Maitha Hamdan, Ammar Al Attar, Christian Brinkmann, Khalid Shafar, Abdalla Almulla and Rafael Lozano-Hemmer.
View this post on Instagram
You might also like: ADMAF and UAE Pavilion light up Expo 2025 Osaka
Some tips to help you make the most of Manar Abu Dhabi
The Yalla Team has visited all three locations so we obviously have some great tips to share.
- Wear comfortable shoes because you will be walking around – a lot.
- If you’re visiting Manar at Jubail Island, wear shoes you don’t mind getting a bit dirty as you’ll be walking on sandy terrain.
- Manar in Jubail Island starts with a very misty installation so get ready to get a bit wet – you will dry very quickly though.
- Bring a jacket as the weather is cooling down.
The story of Manar Abu Dhabi
First launched in 2023 by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), Manar Abu Dhabi transforms the city’s natural landscapes into a mesmerising gallery of site-specific light sculptures, projections, and immersive experiences.
This public art exhibition is not just a visual spectacle; it’s a celebration of nature, culture, and creative expression.
Building on the success of its inaugural theme, Grounding Light, this year’s edition promises to push boundaries even further.
Expect dynamic new works that invite the public to reconnect with the land, sea, and sky in deeply sensory ways.
With over 35 artists hailing from across the globe, including the UAE, Japan, France, Mexico, and beyond, the exhibition brings together an extraordinary mix of perspectives and mediums.
From large-scale light sculptures and ethereal projections to interactive performances, Manar Abu Dhabi will once again turn the city into a living canvas.
Names like teamLab, Carsten Höller, Shezad Dawood, Shilpa Gupta, and UAE’s own Ahmed Al Areef Al Dhaheri and Nujoom Alghanem are just a few of the luminaries returning or debuting with newly commissioned works.
Manar Abu Dhabi is one of three major pillars under the Public Art Abu Dhabi programme, alongside the Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial, launched in 2024, and a robust series of ongoing artist commissions.
Together, these initiatives aim to weave creativity into the very fabric of the city; honouring Abu Dhabi’s cultural legacy while propelling it toward a bold artistic future.
Follow Yalla for all the latest news
