Abu Dhabi Gears Up for Its Most Showstopping Events Calendar Yet

Over the years, Abu Dhabi has become a hotspot for locals and visitors looking to experience the latest music, entertainment, and sports in grand-scale showcases. Continuing to up the ante, the city now reveals a new jam-packed calendar of events for its 2024/25 season.

Ahead of the new season, Shaquille O’Neal took to X to tease the launch of the upcoming events and later, Steve Harvey was tapped to star in its main campaign. The scheduling itself revolves around the overarching focus “Passion is the Occasion,” setting out to inspire new passions and hobbies through a diverse array of fixtures. Each event is carefully detailed in an innovative digital platform, the Passion Calendar, where for the first time, users can integrate the line-up of events into their own personal calendar for ease.

On the schedule this month, Abu Dhabi will play host to its first Animenia convention which celebrates anime, cosplay, and gaming over five days. Setting the tone for the 2024/25 schedule, the convention shows how the city is opening its doors to new communities by introducing more niche events.

With a mix of events scheduled for the end of 2024, Abu Dhabi proves to be the only place to wrap up the year. At stadiums and arenas across the capital, global sounds are set to be served up through several music festivals including Saadiyat Nights, Afterlife, and Wireless Festival Middle East.

As well as showstopping music, art enthusiasts will be able to feast their eyes on masterpieces by 70 UAE-based and international artists in the debut Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial. And finally, the arrival of the annual Formula 1® Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will bring the city onto the sporting world stage with their must-watch competitions taking place in December.

In 2025, the calendar serves up a range of events that aim to awaken the senses through food, history, and the arts. The neo-culture festival BRED Abu Dhabi, which welcomed streetwear brands, next-gen artists, and global musicians last year, will return to Yas Bay Waterfront in April. At Louvre Abu Dhabi, the gallery will be celebrating art against the backdrop of its famed artifacts. Continuing to spotlight heritage and history, the annual Al Hosn festival is scheduled to take place in January along with the Culture Summit Abu Dhabi in early spring.

Get a detailed overview of the 2024/25 line-up on the Abu Dhabi Passion Calendar now online.