Hatta's 2025-2026 Winter: Magic Under the Stars

Hatta Winter Season 2025–2026: Floating Dinners, Dome Cinema, and Six Themed Festivals Await Visitors

Hatta, a region belonging to Dubai, is becoming an increasingly popular winter destination year after year, and for the 2025–2026 season, organizers are preparing a more grandiose program than ever before. This year's edition of Hatta Winter not only offers new experiences but also six separate themed festivals, covering culture, gastronomy, sports, and showcasing local producers.

Hatta Wadi Hub: Cinema in the Mountains and Candlelit Evenings

One of the biggest innovations is the so-called cinema dome, a dome-shaped cinema to be located among the mountains. Here, visitors can watch the latest movies in collaboration with Roxy Cinemas. Additionally, the Hatta Wadi Hub offers special candlelit evenings on weekends, where live music and spectacular light shows enchant the audience.

The illuminated path that starts after dark promises to be particularly popular: guests can wander along a designated walking route, while light installations and nature-related attractions make the night magical.

Hatta Winter Festival: Handcrafts, Gastronomy, and Local Arts

The flagship of the winter season is the Hatta Winter Festival, organized by Brand Dubai under the Dubai Destinations campaign. More than 30 vendors offer local products, particularly representing small businesses from Hatta and Dubai. This year, works by six Emirati artists will also be available, and visitors can choose which design elements they would like to see on a shirt, mug, or other souvenir.

The experience is completed by pop-up bakeries, local specialties, and community activities for children. As part of the Young Merchant program, young entrepreneurs aged 7 to 13 showcase their projects, supporting youth entrepreneurship.

Hatta Cultural Nights: Crafts and Community Memory

From December 20 to January 1, the Hatta Heritage Village hosts the Hatta Cultural Nights series, where traditional crafts are demonstrated daily from 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM with the active involvement of local residents. This year, the focus is on leather tanning, which is highlighted as an endangered craft.

For children, a theater and play area equipped with modern technologies are available, as well as an outdoor cinema showing classic Emirati series. In Hatta Park, more than 30 local families and home-based entrepreneurs display their handmade products, while at the Henna Center, visitors can learn about local innovations.

Sports Events in Hatta: Running, Water Sports, Hiking

The Dubai Sports Council organizes more than eight sports events during the winter season, including the popular Hatta Trail Run, where participants can choose from 100 km, 50 km, 30 km, and 5 km distances, with children's races included.

Additionally, numerous active recreation options are available: kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, cycling, climbing, and camping await nature lovers, taking advantage of the region's unique natural features.

Honey Days: Hatta Honey Festival

The Hatta Honey Festival will be held for the tenth time from December 27–31, with more than 50 beekeepers and producer families invited. The event includes tastings of various types of honey and a marketplace as well as educational activities for all ages.

Organizers expect even greater interest than the more than 10,000 visitors registered last year.

Agricultural Heritage: Hatta Agricultural Festival

The Hatta Agricultural Festival will take place from January 16–20 at the picturesque Leem Lake area. The event showcases 25 local farmers' products, along with agricultural workshops and educational programs for everyone from children to adults.

The event not only strengthens the region's agricultural identity but coincides with local infrastructural development: a new school accommodating more than 1,000 students is to open soon. Over 213 new residential units are under construction, and a new hospital is also being established.

Enhanced Accessibility and Sustainable Transportation

This year, organizers are focusing significantly on improving transport connections. More than 1,000 parking spaces are available, complemented by shuttle buses. Visitors can also rent bikes and scooters, and well-designed walkways ensure convenient transportation.

The Hop On Hop Off service connects seven locations in Hatta, while the Hatta Express operates over 18 departures daily from Dubai. Tourists can access about 27 different hiking trails in the region.

Hatta: One of the World's Best Small Towns

A renowned American magazine has named Hatta among the world's 50 best small towns. This prestigious recognition is due not only to its natural beauty but also to the long-term development vision associated with Dubai's leadership. The goal is clear: to enhance the quality of life of local communities, develop tourism experience-based, and preserve the natural, authentic Hatta for future generations.

Those visiting the Dubai area during the winter season will find Hatta's special programs an unmissable experience, whether for a day trip or a longer leisure getaway.

(Source based on Hatta Winter 2025-2026 announcement.)