The onset of pleasant weather only partly explains the overwhelming success of the launch weekend for Warehouse421. The rich array of acts who performed also do not tell the whole story. An integral part of why it worked so well is because this is a kind of cultural destination that has hitherto been absent in the capital.
Unlike Dubai, where the Al Quoz district has morphed from being a charmlessly utilitarian home of light industry into a zone where creative industries are thriving, Abu Dhabi did not have anything similar until the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation decided to repurpose a warehouse in the Mina Zayed area as a venue for the arts.
Even that does not quite capture the something special the opening festival offered: the pedestrian-friendly plaza made up of shipping containers repurposed to showcase designer boutiques, art galleries, DJ booths and street artists. The plaza might be temporary, but we recommend that it become permanent.
