Quoz Arts Fest 2024: What not to miss

Palestinian-Jordanian rapper The Synaptik is set to take the stage along with a number of local and regional artists, with a host of activities and installations on offer

Palestinian-Jordanian artist The Synaptik is set to take the stage at this year's Quoz Arts Fest. Photo: Alserkal Avenue

The Quoz Arts Fest 2024 is returning this weekend for its 11th year, with a diverse programme of artists and performers.

The arts and culture festival will be running from 8am-11:30pm on Saturday and Sunday at its home in Alserkal Avenue and the surrounding Al Quoz area.

There will be more than 200 activities throughout the event, from art performances to live musical acts, public art installations and contemporary dance. There will also be 50 creative concepts opening their doors across the Al Quoz area along with plenty of food trucks and pop-ups.

Here's what not to miss out on this weekend.

Public Art

Echoes of Nature by Yuri Suzuki will be on show at Concrete at Alserkal Avenue during the Quoz Art Fest. Photo: Alserkal Avenue

Visitors to the festival can immerse themselves in a number of public artworks.

French-Tunisian graffiti artist eL Seed has created Collection of Moments, a large mural, on the facade of his studio, while art gallery Carbon 12’s German-Iranian artist Anahita Razmi’s installation Red Flags features a series of colourful banners and flags that will be hung down the avenue.

The work of Japanese artist Yuri Suzuki, who lives in London, will also be on show. Set to be an interactive, ambient-sound installation that mimics nature, his piece Echoes of Nature will be displayed at Concrete.

Contemporary art gallery Lawrie Shabibi has also curated a new iteration of visual artist Hamra Abbas's graphic artwork Every Color is a Shade of Black, which will be on view as part of the festival.

Film and Dance

Artist Usha Jey will be performing her hybrid dance style of hip-hop and Bharatanatyam. Photo: Alserkal Avenue

Millennial viral artist Usha Jey will be performing her hybrid dance style that energetically blends hip-hop and Bharatanatyam, the classic Indian dance, alongside her fellow contemporary dancers Mithu and Janu. They will be performing twice on the festival's stage area – at 6pm on Saturday and 4pm on Sunday.

The opening of the Reel Palestine film festival’s 10th year will also take place on the weekend, with Cinema Akil showcasing a number of Palestinian stories in feature and documentary form.

The independent theatre will present an outdoor screening of Slingshot Hip Hop in the Yard at 10pm on Saturday. The 2008 documentary traces the history and development of hip-hop in Palestine.

The Sima Dance Company will be performing the choreographed piece The birds were not singing, The birds were crying by Lana Fahmi at 4.30pm on Saturday.

The performance explores concepts of silence and noise within the framework of an exhausted generation in search of peace. Performed by dancers Rei Co, Mazen Nahlawi, Mohsen Al Abdalla, Tomomi Aramaki, Lisa Rowley and Rama Khalifa, the piece will express our search for the sense of calm first experienced within a mother’s womb.

Live Music

Live performances at the festival will include both established and up-and-coming local and regional musical talent. Photo: Alserkal Avenue

A number of musical talents from across the region and the Arab diaspora will also be taking to the stage.

Live performances include Moroccan-French singer Amina, known for her blend of pop and traditional folk music.

The South Asian DJ Stick No Bills is set to entertain the crowds at night along with Sudanese fusion artist MarSimba’s mix of modern Afrobeat and traditional African rhythms.

Perhaps the most anticipated act of the weekend will be The Synaptik. The Palestinian-Jordanian artist’s singing and rapping style, which also merges rap, trap and his distinct songwriting style, has won him fans across the region and has quickly positioned him as an innovative Arabic-speaking artist.

There will also be plenty of home-grown musicians of all ages, genres and languages to experience in Quoz Encores – a series of live performances aiming to support emerging musicians in the UAE.

Food Trucks and Pop-ups

There will be an array of food trucks and pop-ups down the avenue throughout the weekend. Photo: Alserkal Avenue

Foodies will also be spoiled for choice with over 50 food concepts available across the weekend from pop-ups to food trucks.

These include home-grown brands and staples from the UAE food scene. Healthy restaurant and cafe One Life , which focuses on using natural ingredients, will be collaborating with Ali Cha’aban for Falafel For The People to create authentic sandwiches. While home-grown bakery Oma will offer a variety of street food. Mexican restaurant Tacos Los Hermanos' pop-up will serve authentic Latin American cuisine, from classic chips and guacamole to cheese birria tacos.

The avenue's permanent food and beverage spots will also be open throughout the festival.

Nightjar will be serving their craft brews, artisan coffees and food items while DJs such as Mr Fresh, Tarik Omar and 199x will take to the restaurant's stage for musical sets from 1pm-10pm on both days of the festival.

The Quoz Arts Fest 2024 is a ticketed event priced at dh 63 for full-weekend access or the same price for a single day.

More information is available at www.alserkal.online/event/quoz-arts-fest