SummerFest Abu Dhabi Takes place For the fifth year running at ADNEC from June 27 to August 17, with a range of activities for THe whole family, fun shows and international performances. We round up our pick of the events and acts not to be missed.
It’s hard to entertain children in the heat of summer in Abu Dhabi. But for the fifth year in a row, help is at hand. Designed for kidlets of all ages, SummerFest provides a variety of entertainment options to keep your little ones occupied with static attractions, such as rides and games, as well as two performance spaces. This year the festival has been expanded into a 52-day event spanning mid-summer, the Holy Month of Ramadan, Eid Al Fitr and the traditional Eid celebrations.
‘There is now much more to see and do in Abu Dhabi than ever before – a fact highlighted in our fantastic SummerFest Abu Dhabi line-up,’ says Sultan Al Muhairi, Manager at SummerFest Abu Dhabi.
‘We have a blockbuster calendar of amazing events and fun, family-friendly activities both at ADNEC and the Du Forum on Yas Island. SummerFest Abu Dhabi is taking our seasonal push to the next level to ensure Abu Dhabi is the place to be for regional travellers over coming months.’
Stomp
The festival kicks off this year with a performance by STOMP, the international theatrical phenomenon. Featuring six performances, the high-energy shows will run at the large auditorium at Emirates Palace from June 27-29. Having played to more than 15 million people in 51 countries and five continents during its 22-year run, STOMP at Emirates Palace will see eight professional performers use a variety of everyday props – from supermarket trolleys, Zippo lighters and a kitchen sink to plastic bags, brooms and bin lids – to bring the show’s universal blend of rhythm, theatre, comedy and dance to life. In addition to new music and choreography, STOMP at Emirates Palace will feature two recently-added routines – ‘Trolleys’ and ‘Frogs’ – which have never been seen before in the UAE.
Emirates Palace Auditorium, June 27-29. Daily shows at 3pm and 7pm. Tickets already on sale and start at Dhs150 bookings can be made at www.ticketmaster.ae.
Open stage events
The cool interactive Cartoon Network Village lets kids immerse themselves into the hilarious world of all their favourite TV shows. Featuring games and activities, the Village also has a Cinema Cube where nippers can relax on beanbags and watch their favourite TV cartoons.
June 27-August 17, ADNEC.
Budding architects, engineers and little construction geniuses can let their imaginations run wild and build their own additions to Abu Dhabi city in the dedicated Lego Zone. With play pens for kids and relaxation areas for parents, this creative area will prove just why everybody loves Lego.
June 27-August 17, ADNEC.
Crafty kids will enjoy the Heritage Creative Centre. This cultural area with competitions, handicrafts, calligraphy, poetry and henna painting, is a specially designed arts and crafts spot for children of all ages to let their inner artist flourish. Workshops will focus on different art forms, material and tools and let kids walk away with their own handmade pieces.
June 27-August 17, ADNEC.
Do you have active children with energy to burn? Well, what takes more than 50 steps to reach the top and only one step to get back to the bottom? The Extreme Tower! One of last year’s most-popular activities, kids hurl themselves off this 10-metre tower and on to an inflatable landing bag.
June 27-August 17, ADNEC.
Show world
With various groups performing twice-daily shows during week-long runs, Show World features regional premieres of shows by kids’ favourites such as Lazy Town, Bananas in Pyjamas, Ben 10 Time Machine, Freej and Scooby Doo.
Join everyone’s favourite bananas, B1 and B2, as they team-up with The Teddies to solve problems and wow audiences with their hilarious adventures in the magical world of Cuddlestown.
July 4-8, 4.30pm and 7.30pm; July 9, 9pm and 11.30pm, ADNEC.
Sesame Street Live! This is your chance to meet Bert, Ernie, Elmo, Khokha, Cookie Monster and Grover, and to let your kids learn with the world-famous Muppets in a music and dance performance. They’ll be performing a ‘Reach for the Sky’ show which is where kids will discover science and astronomy with the Sesame Street gang and a ‘Safe on the Road’ show where the stars explain road safety tips.
July 10-13, 9pm and 11.30pm; July 15-19, 9pm and 11.30pm, ADNEC.
Cartoon Network Ben 10 Live: Time Machine Fans of the hit TV series can enjoy seeing their favourite characters from four Cartoon Network shows – Ben 10 Omniverse, Ben 10, Ben 10 Alien Force and Ben 10 Ultimate Alien – come to life on stage. The show features Ben Tennyson, Rook and Grandpa Max, and Ben’s alien heroes Shocksquatch, Four Arms, Diamondhead, Swampfire, Big Chill and Ultimate Swampfire unleash their cool powers live on stage. You’ll see awesome alien heroes, cool stunts and acrobatics and, cutting-edge digital effects.
July 20-21, 9pm and 11.30pm; July 23-27, 9pm and 11.30pm, ADNEC.
Scooby Doo Live! Scooby and the Mystery Inc. Gang have been called upon to help solve an epic mystery in this show.
August 5, 9pm and 11.30pm; August 7-12, 4.30pm and 7.30pm, ADNEC. Tickets to SummerFest Abu Dhabi at ADNEC are priced at Dhs40 for adults and Dhs20 for under-12s. Kids under two years old enter free. For more information go to www.summerinabudhabi.ae.
