The United Arab Emirates is staging an unprecedented New Year celebration to welcome 2026, with a series of record-setting fireworks and drone performances across the seven emirates. Organisers say the events will run from 20:00 on Wednesday 31 December 2025 and aim to combine spectacle with broad public access, cultural programming and strict safety oversight.
UAE New Year 2026 celebrations set to dazzle
Al Wathba in Abu Dhabi will host one of the largest gatherings in the region as the Supreme Organising Committee of the Sheikh Zayed Festival reveals final preparations. The programme promises the longest and largest fireworks displays staged in the country, including attempts to secure five new Guinness World Records across five time segments. The sequence will begin in the evening and build to a continuous main fireworks display of 62 minutes that runs through to midnight.
Complementing the pyrotechnics, the festival will present an ambitious drone show featuring 6,500 drones flying simultaneously for 20 minutes. Organisers say the drones will form nine large artistic scenes in precise visual synchronisation with the countdown and fireworks, presenting a spectacle intended for global broadcast.
Dubai will also stage widespread displays, with more than 48 fireworks productions across 40 locations under the supervision of the Security Industry Regulatory Agency in partnership with relevant local authorities. Landmarks included in the citywide plan are Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab, Dubai Frame, Expo City Dubai, Global Village, Bluewaters, Al Seef, Dubai Festival City, Hatta, Atlantis The Palm and Marsa Al Arab. The Dubai Shopping Festival will host the region’s largest narrative aerial drone show at Bluewaters Island and The Beach JBR, using faster, brighter drones, novel formations and fire effects.
In the north, Ras Al Khaimah is mounting its biggest display to date, stretching over six kilometres from Al Marjan Island to Al Hamra Island. That production will run for 15 minutes and combine advanced fireworks, illuminated drones and laser technology, involving more than 2,300 drones and culminating in the launch of the largest fireworks shell ever at midnight.
Sharjah’s programme, organised by Shurooq in cooperation with the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, will include ten-minute fireworks displays at Al Majaz Waterfront, Al Heera Beach and Khorfakkan Beach, alongside family-friendly attractions at Al Noor Island and Mleiha National Park. Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Qaiwain will stage international events that blend visual spectacle with cultural activities and high safety standards.
Organisers say the majority of events will be free and open to the public. The combined scale of fireworks and drone shows reflects the UAE’s growing emphasis on large-scale tourism and entertainment offerings that employ advanced launch and visual synchronisation technologies. The planning agencies have emphasised safety and coordination, noting the involvement of sponsors, strategic partners and security authorities to ensure a managed celebration for residents and visitors alike.
With multiple emirates lighting up their skies simultaneously, the UAE’s New Year 2026 programme aims to deliver a memorable, globally visible welcome to the year ahead, showcasing both cutting-edge drone technology and some of the most ambitious fireworks sequences ever staged in the region.
Key Takeaways:
- UAE New Year 2026 celebrations will span Abu Dhabi to Fujairah, led by a headline show in Al Wathba.
- The festival features a 62-minute continuous fireworks main display and attempts to set five Guinness World Records.
- World’s largest drone formation of 6,500 drones will fly for 20 minutes alongside multiple emirate-wide displays.
- Celebrities, tourists and residents can attend free public events with safety oversight and cultural pavilions.
