Quoz Arts Fest by Alserkal to return in January

Two-day festival will include live music, outdoor installations and a midnight movie marathon

Quoz Arts Fest, which last took place in 2020, is set to return in January 2022. Photo: Alserkal Avenue

The Quoz Arts Fest by Alserkal will return for two days in January, bringing to Dubai a weekend of live music, outdoor installations, contemporary art exhibitions, a midnight movie marathon and more.

The festival, which last took place in January 2020, welcomed 40,000 visitors to more than 100 creative events. The entire weekend is free to attend and open to the public.

“Al Quoz is the heartbeat of Dubai’s creative economy and, since its founding almost a decade ago, Quoz Arts Fest by Alserkal has been a platform to celebrate and support the homegrown artistic pioneers and their audiences, who together form the foundation of the city’s cultural scene,” said Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal, founder of Alserkal.

Exploring the theme of Waking Dreams, the festival has been described by organisers as a celebration of dreams where visitors will be invited to “sleepwalk through daytime dreamscapes”. Creating a parallel universe, Alserkal Avenue becomes a space suspended in time.

Beyond Alserkal Avenue, Quoz Arts Fest will also include the participation of the wider Al Quoz community, including The Courtyard, Times Square, The Smash Room, and Akka Project, and will involve partners such as Sharjah Performing Arts Academy, Goethe Institut, NYU Abu Dhabi, and Zayed University.

Some of the weekend highlights include live music in The Yard, with a set by Hamdan Al Abri and music in collaboration with The Fridge, a midnight movie marathon curated by Cinema Akil, a play called Every Brilliant Thing by The Junction, new exhibitions at the contemporary art galleries, a dance performance by Moncef Zebiri in collaboration with Sima Performing Arts, the Market of Misfits by Kave showcasing a selection of sustainable and creative items, Reel Palestine Market, activities for families and children including painting, face painting, and workshops with thejamjar, and outdoor spinning and yoga classes.

The 9th Quoz Arts Fest is free to the public and will take place on Saturday and Sunday, January 29 and 30, 2022.

Al Quoz creative district - in pictures:

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  The Mosque of Light in Dubai's Al Quoz Industrial Area. Pawan Singh / The National.

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  Al Quoz Mall with its fort-like structures. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Artist Gordon Cheung exhibits work at Al Serkal Avenue in Al Quoz. Antonie Robertson/The National

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  A teak horse from Thailand is on display at the Antique Museum in Al Quoz. Pawan Singh / The National

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  A mural brightens up the industrial area. Pawan Singh/The National.

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  The Mud House in Al Quoz offers classes for beginners and seasoned potters alike. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  The UNS Hydroponic Farm also calls the industrial area home. Antonie Robertson/The National

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  Michela Colella conducts a training session with a learner diver in the newly opened indoor pool at Dive Garage in Al Quoz 4. Antonie Robertson/The National

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  Pawsome Paws has opened a new luxury cat hotel in Al Quoz. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Woo-hoo is a new children's edutainment museum in Al Quoz. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Petsville water park for dogs is also in Al Quoz. Antonie Robertson/The National