It first made an appearance in the Ras Al Khaimah desert last year, but for 2020, Dawaran has ramped things up a notch. The UAE music festival will extend into a weekend-long programme of music, art, food and activities for its second iteration this year.
The event, which was first held over one night in April 2019, will take place in the RAK desert – about a 30-minute drive from the emirate's airport – between Thursday and Saturday, February 20 to 22.
The home-grown music festival is somewhat reminiscent of Burning Man, which takes place annually in the US's Nevada Desert and fuses music with wellness activities, shopping and food pop-ups.
The Dawaran line-up for 2020 includes performances from Egyptian EDM artist Youssef Abouzeid, Lithuanian DJ Manfredas, Dubai DJ Shadi Megallaa and Jordanian techno artist Ayn.
The weekend will also feature food stalls, a 'Zen Den' that offers sound healing, installations from local artists, yoga and meditation classes, and a relaxation station with free organic facials and complimentary herbal tea.
Tickets for the weekend cost Dh275 per person, with festival-goers able to bring their own tent and pitch a spot for no extra cost.
Those who want to attend in style, however, can purchase glamping accommodation for a little extra. The festival features treehouse-style rooms for two on stilts, for Dh1,500, but these are currently sold out, as are the double or twin deluxe dome tents, priced at Dh1,600. The Rococo Domes, which includes a private bathroom for Dh2,000, are also sold out.
The Happy Camper option, which provides a two-person tent with mattresses, duvets and pillow, is still available for Dh400 in case party-goers don't want to pack their own abode.
All accommodation options offer access to shared bathrooms, while pets can be accommodated in the Happy Camper offer only. A heads up: Dawaran will not sell water in plastic bottles, and asks ticketholders to bring their own reusable bottles or buy a stainless steel one for Dh40: free water to refill them will be available on site.
Here is a map of the site: