Some of Sharjah’s most well-known landmarks will be transformed into canvases for light shows that show the story of the emirate.
The initiative is part of the Sharjah Light Festival 2020, organised by the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), and starts on Wednesday, February 5 until Saturday, February 15. This will be the 10th anniversary of the cultural and artistic event that celebrates the emirate's achievements in the fields of education, knowledge and innovation.
The festival will kick off with a show on the Sharjah City Municipality building, highlighting the history of Arab culture and its impact on the past and present. From 6pm to 11pm, the building will light up with shows representing the four elements – fire, earth, water and air – highlighting the traditional culture of Sharjah, before moving on to showcase the first Emirati astronaut in space, surrounded by a visual allegory of Arabic sciences.
Some of the other architectural landmarks that will be lit up as part of the festival are the University City Hall, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah Police Academy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah Mosque, Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority, Al Majaz Waterfront, Masjid Al Noor, Al Qasba, Omran Taryam Square, Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Al Hamriyah Area Municipality, Al Wousta TV Building (Al Dhaid), University of Sharjah (Kalba), House of Justice (Khorfakkan), Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (Khorfakkan) and the Masjid Sheikh Rashid bin Ahmad Al Qasimi (Dibba Al-Hisn).
Each of these landmarks will have light shows all days of the festival from 6pm to 11pm on weekdays and 6pm to midnight on weekends. The shows are done in collaboration with local and international artists, and this year, the festival will also see the participation of students from the American University of Sharjah and the University of Sharjah.
The festival will also include three interactive shows – two at Al Majaz Waterfront and one on the facade of the University City Hall. The show at University City Hall will blend video mapping technology and augmented virtual reality to create an illusion of travelling around the world, inspired by the elements of Sharjah. Meanwhile. Al Majaz Waterfront will also have live shows at 9pm daily, featuring performances and firework displays over Khalid Lagoon.
The festival will also see the return of the Food Truck Zone opposite University City Hall and in front of Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Last year, the festival took place across 17 locations around the emirate.
