News you might have missed in Abu Dhabi | 28 October
From waterfront dining and family-friendly art, to horse racing, sports leagues, and creative competitions. Here are the latest updates to catch up on this week.
Dine & Vibe at Mamsha Al Saadiyat
This winter, Mamsha Al Saadiyat is hosting live entertainment along the promenade with Dine & Vibe, running from 6 to 29 November. The line-up features 11 restaurants and cafés along the promenade, from NIRI and Antonia, to Black Tap and Mamafri where you’ll hear everything from jazz and reggae, to Mediterranean tunes, and pop beats.
Catch the live performances every Friday to Sunday, from 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm, with three 45-minute sets each evening.
Grab a bite, catch up with friends over dinner, or tap your feet along to the tunes while enjoying views of the white sandy beach and turquoise waters of the Arabian Gulf.
Where: Mamsha Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi
When: 6 to 29 November 2026, every Friday to Sunday
Time: 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm
Abu Dhabi Festival's outdoor children’s art biennale at Umm Al Emarat Park
Give the kids a different way to explore Umm Al Emarat Park this November. The Middle East’s first outdoor Children’s Biennale runs from 6 November to 6 December, with eight interactive art installations that invite little ones to touch, listen, move, and discover the world through art. With the theme of How the World Feels, the exhibition features works by UAE artists, alongside an immersive installation by Indonesian artist Eko Nugroho.
There’s more for children to try at the artist-led workshops on 6, 7, 13, and 14 November, where they can get creative with drawing, explore sounds, plus weave colourful yarn around rocks to take home.
Where: Umm Al Emarat Park, Abu Dhabi
When: 6 November to 6 December 2026
Time: 8:00 am - 12:00 am
More info here
Abu Dhabi Turf Club - Sunset at the Turf
Abu Dhabi Turf Club is giving your Thursday evenings an upgrade with its new Sunset at the Turf series. Each meeting includes five races for Purebred Arabians and two for Thoroughbreds, with the action unfolding as the sun sets over the track.
Premier Admission gives you access to the garden overlooking the track and finish line, where you can watch the races and catch up with friends between races. Plus there’s also Pick and Win, a free game where you can predict the evening’s race winners for a chance to win prizes.
Where: Abu Dhabi Turf Club, Al Khail Square
When: Selected Thursdays, running until 15 April 2027
Time: 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Get your tickets here
Design Oasis by ADNOC’s Eid Al Etihad cup collection
Your artwork could end up on Oasis by ADNOC cups across the UAE. They want you to put your own spin on a four-cup collection celebrating the country’s culture, people, and future.
Imagine each cup as a different part of your vision for the UAE’s future, with each one featuring one of the UAE flag’s colours. The winning design will be printed on a limited-edition collection of Oasis cups sold across the UAE during Eid Al Etihad.
There’s a year of free fuel up for grabs, too, along with the chance to see your designs on cups across the country, which sounds pretty cool.
How to enter: Download the design template, bring your vision to life across all four cups and submit your artwork here.
Submission deadline: 31 October 2026
More info here
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week opens its global digital art competition
What does a resilient future look like to you? That’s the idea behind Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week’s fourth Global Digital Art Competition, which is open to digital artists aged 18 and above. If your work explores sustainability, technology, or how we live in the future, this could be a chance to showcase it to a wider audience.
You can submit anything from moving images and interactive art to generative pieces, immersive experiences and web-based work. The brief covers five themes, including future energy systems, AI and advanced technology, water, food and resource security, investment and infrastructure, and human development and prosperity. You can focus on one theme or explore several, but if you use AI or other creative tools, be sure to explain how they contributed to your work.
If your artwork makes the cut, you’ll get to see it displayed at ADSW 2027 on 13 January 2027. The winner also gets a trophy, and everyone who enters walks away with a free one-year membership to District1795.
Submission deadline: 16 November 2026
Submit your art here
More info here
421 Online - Bow Making with Zara Peters
421 Arts Campus is hosting a hands-on bow-making workshop with British maker Zara Peters. You’ll head to the souq to pick your fabric before turning it into a giant bow of your own. Zara will also share a little of the history behind bows and her experience as a maker and mender.
The session wraps up with a show-and-tell, where you can share your finished creation and talk about the joy of making something by hand. You’ll leave with your giant bow and a 421 Artist Kit to keep the crafting going at home. No crafting experience needed, just head over and give it a go.
Where: 421 Arts Campus, Abu Dhabi
When: 15 November 2026
Time: 11:00 am to 3:00 pm
Price: AED 60
Book your spot here
Abu Dhabi to host the Hexagon World Series padel finale in 2027
Padel fans, mark your calendars! Abu Dhabi is set to host the Hexagon World Series season finale in October 2027, bringing the professional team competition to the capital for the first time.
Eight teams will compete across four events in three continents. Each team has a men’s pair and a women’s pair, with both counting towards the team’s score. The season kicks off in Madrid from 21 to 24 January, followed by events in North America in March and Scandinavia in June, before the teams head to Abu Dhabi for the final.
There’s a twist to the scoring, too. Instead of traditional games and sets, matches will use Super Tie-Breaks, with teams collecting points throughout the season to decide the overall winner.
When: October 2027
More info here
Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Abu Dhabi League returns with its biggest season yet
The Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Abu Dhabi League is back for its sixth season, with 240 teams and more than 3,600 boys and girls from schools and communities across Abu Dhabi and Al Ain set to play more than 680 games through to April 2027.
This season also introduces under-18 divisions for boys and girls, with 30 teams in each. Two-time NBA All-Star Isaiah Thomas joined young players for the Season 6 Draft, which took place at NYU Abu Dhabi.
The league will wrap up with 12 championship games during finals weekend in April 2027.
More info here
The 50 Best Restaurants Middle East & North Africa 2027 list to be revealed in Abu Dhabi
Fancy trying dishes from some of the region’s top chefs? The 50 Best Restaurants Middle East & North Africa is returning to Abu Dhabi on 26 January 2027.
There’s more to look forward to beyond the list itself. The four-day programme includes Flavours of The 50, an evening brunch featuring dishes from leading chefs, and The 50 Signature Sessions, where local and regional chefs will team up for collaborative dining events.
There’s also The 50 Best Talks, which brings food industry voices together to discuss what’s happening across the region’s dining scene.
When: 26 January 2027
More info here
