The 14th Sikka Arts and Design Festival, held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture, has achieved remarkable success, highlighting its impact on the cultural landscape of Dubai. This aligns with the authority's responsibilities and sectoral priorities aimed at supporting and empowering creators from the UAE and the Gulf, and enhancing Dubai's status as a global cultural hub, a cradle of creativity, and a meeting point for talents. Dubai Culture revealed the festival's success in attracting over 200,000 visitors who witnessed the participation of more than 1,000 creators from the UAE and Gulf countries. The festival featured 426 artists and 12 curators, supported by a program that included 350 musicians, over 80 workshop facilitators, and 86 speakers and experts, along with a diverse group of shop owners, tasting venue participants, and chefs who contributed to enriching the festival's unique experience and atmosphere.
An Inspiring Platform Halah Khouri, Director of Design at Dubai Culture and Director of the Sikka Festival, noted that the festival's remarkable achievements reflect its status and important role in enriching the artistic scene, supporting the cultural and creative industries ecosystem, and showcasing their potential and qualitative opportunities. She stated: "Sikka Festival continues to strengthen its position as an inspiring platform that opens new horizons for pioneering and emerging artists, providing them with diverse opportunities to share their visions, exchange experiences, learn, and engage in dialogue, as well as build effective networks with the creative community and the public. It also allows them to stay updated on global artistic trends and explore innovative creative practices, contributing to the development of their works and productions, endowing them with sustainable economic value."
A Quality Addition The 14th edition of the Sikka Arts and Design Festival, themed 'Dubai's Visions: Narrating Our Future Identity,' presented a rich agenda of exhibitions, programs, and activities. It showcased over 250 artworks distributed across 16 specialized houses in various creative fields, serving as a quality addition to the festival. This was part of the authority's efforts to enhance cultural exchange, build bridges between communities, and empower local talents to explore global artistic practices.
Workshops The festival, which falls under the umbrella of the Dubai Art Season, hosted over 950 workshops in partnership with the Al Shindagha Museum and the Jalila Children's Cultural Centre, with the participation of a select group of specialists in arts and crafts. The program also included over 40 presentation and dialogue sessions by artists and experts who shed light on the features of the local cultural scene and global arts sector trends. The main stage at Dubai Creek hosted around 55 live music performances, as well as 10 distinctive orchestral, choral, and musical procession shows. These were presented by a large number of artists and performers who amazed the audience with the diversity of musical and artistic masterpieces they offered. This edition also featured 43 local food and beverage projects and 52 local stores, organized by Dubai Culture in collaboration with a group of local brands and a selection of designers and artists. Additionally, nine dinner clubs were curated by an elite of renowned and promising chefs, offering unique culinary experiences inspired by authentic Emirati cuisine.
Project Showcases This edition showcased works developed through the Sikka Platform program throughout 2025, including projects of interactive art installations created by students of the 'Public Space Interactive Arts' program; 10 short animated films produced by participants in the 'Sikka Moves' program, in addition to the first evaluative contributions from Moza Al Uta, Noura Al Falahi, and Saeed Al Katbi from the 'Artistic Evaluation Basics' program.
13 Murals The festival, which supports Dubai's Quality of Life Strategy, featured 13 distinctive murals inspired by the emirate's fabric. Notable among them were the 'Majlis' mural by artist Eman Al Rashid, the 'Between Past and Future' mural created by artists Amina Al Katbi and Fatima Al Hamadi, and the 'Flick the Feather, Sing to the Wind' mural by Kuwaiti artist Noura Al Sabah. The historic Al Shindagha neighborhood was also filled with numerous external art installations that expressed exceptional cultural experiences, contributing to Dubai's strategy for public art, which aims to transform Dubai into an open-air art museum. In this context, the 'Sila Collective' group presented two artistic works: 'Gateway to the Future' and 'Visions of the Future,' while Syrian artist Sandra Batros shone with her installation 'Create'.
• 1000 creators from the UAE and Gulf countries. • 350 musicians and 80 workshop facilitators.
