Abu Dhabi is bringing its official Ramadan festival concept to Al Dhafra this season, with Lammat Ramadan scheduled at Madinat Zayed Park in Zayed City, Al Dhafra Region, from Friday 20 February 2026 to Sunday 1 March 2026, running nightly from 8:00 PM to 2:00 AM. For navigation, use “Madinat Zayed Park Al Dhafra” in your maps, and the location code 7HMMJP59+Q8 can help drivers land at the correct entrance. For general event enquiries in Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Contact Centre is reachable on 800 555, while destination support can also be routed through DCT Abu Dhabi on +971 2 444 0444. Tickets are sold via PLATINUMLIST and start from approximately AED 20, so it’s smart to check your preferred date early.
A Ramadan festival built as a neighbourhood
Lammat Ramadan is presented as a “Ramadan neighbourhood” rather than a single-stage show, so the night feels more like an open-air community walk with pockets of culture, food, and family activities. Because this is the first edition delivered across multiple Abu Dhabi regions under one festival umbrella, it also acts as a shared calendar moment for residents who want something distinctly local after iftar. Meanwhile, the Al Dhafra setting gives the programme a calmer, more spacious feel than a central-city promenade, especially for families who prefer a less hectic pace. If you want a culture-forward Ramadan night without a nightclub-style atmosphere, this format fits well.
What you can actually do on-site
Expect the experience to revolve around Emirati hospitality moments, so you’ll likely drift between Arabic coffee service, incense-style traditions such as mubakhar, and sweet snack stops like luqaimat as you move through the park. In addition, the programme leans heavily into hands-on participation, so you can plan time for Arabic calligraphy, roaming caricature art, henna, and artisan-style corners rather than only watching from a distance. Then, as the night builds, the entertainment layer typically comes through traditional and oriental musicians, family stage segments, puppet shows, and children’s storytelling, which keeps mixed-age groups engaged. If you’re visiting with kids, the late hours feel easier when you treat it like short “activity stops” instead of one long sit-down.
Ticket rules that matter before you drive out
Entry is ticketed, and organisers state that children under 3 enter free, while People of Determination can enter free with one companion. However, the same terms also say tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable, so it’s worth choosing your night carefully if you’re coordinating a group. Also, children under 10 must be accompanied by a ticketed adult, which matters for extended-family visits where older siblings may arrive first. No re-entry is allowed after exiting, so plan your food, prayer, and family needs before you scan in.
Visit plans with different pacing
If you want the simplest first visit (solo, suitable for couples), arrive close to opening, do one full loop for orientation, and then pick two anchors for the night, such as a cultural activity and a short stage set, before you leave while parking still feels manageable.
If you’re going as a family group (family-friendly), start with the children’s corners early, because kids usually focus better before the late-night peak, and then shift to food carts and calmer music segments when everyone needs a slower rhythm.
If your goal is heritage and atmosphere (solo, suitable for couples), prioritise the traditional performance moments and the craft-style walkways first, and then treat the food and drink stops as short breaks rather than the centre of the night.
If you’re using it as a weekend road trip (families, couples), consider staying in the wider Al Dhafra area overnight, because the festival runs until 2:00 AM and the drive back feels noticeably heavier when you’re tired, even if roads are clear.
Getting there from nearby Emirates
Drivers generally approach Al Dhafra via major highways, and the official guidance points to using the E11, then connecting onto the E45 toward the Madinat Zayed area, with GPS strongly advised. From Abu Dhabi city, many drivers treat this as a longer evening run, so it helps to leave with enough buffer to arrive before the busiest post-iftar window. From Dubai, a same-night return is possible, but it becomes a late, fatigue-heavy drive after midnight, so a safer approach is to plan a weekend-style visit or swap to the Abu Dhabi Corniche edition if you want a shorter commute. If you prefer not to drive, taxis and ride-hailing are the recommended fallback, although it’s wise to secure your return pickup early because the festival ends late.
Practical notes for a smooth visit
For the Al Dhafra festival window, the current daily forecast for Zayed City shows warm evenings and cooler late-night lows, with daytime highs around 26–32°C and lows around 8–14°C, so a light layer helps once you stay past midnight. Tuesday 24 February currently shows shower chances, so wear closed shoes and expect some soft ground or muddy patches if rain passes through an outdoor area. Parking is available but still listed as “details to be announced,” so arrive earlier if you want less circling, and expect the busiest arrival period to cluster after iftar. Public transport in Al Dhafra is more limited than central Abu Dhabi; however, Abu Dhabi Mobility notes bus services and support via 800 850, so you can confirm options if you want to combine bus plus taxi for the final stretch. Ticket and door prices can change, and the most reliable place to buy is PLATINUMLIST, with ticket-support commonly handled via their help channels. Finally, according to notes gathered in the same editorial workflow used by the www.few.ae team, the safest approach is to lock your preferred night early and plan your return before the 2:00 AM closing rush.