New Year’s Eve Fireworks in the UAE: Every Location & Free Viewing Spots

The plans for New Year’s Eve 2026, welcoming 2027, had not been announced when we checked on 14 October 2026, but last year set the pattern: Dubai ran 48 fireworks displays at 40 locations, led by the Burj Khalifa at midnight, Ras Al Khaimah lit a 6 km stretch from Al Marjan Island to Al Hamra Bay for 15 minutes, and Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Festival in Al Wathba fired a 62-minute display with 6,500 drones. Free viewing is possible in every emirate: the Downtown Dubai public zones open at 5pm, The Beach at JBR, Al Seef and the Palm Jumeirah Boardwalk cost nothing, and Sharjah’s Al Majaz Waterfront and Khorfakkan Beach are free. New Year’s Eve falls on a Thursday this year, and New Year’s Day, Friday 1 January 2027, is a public holiday. We will update this page as each emirate announces its programme.

On this page

1. Is the New Year’s Eve 2026 programme out yet?
2. Every emirate at a glance
3. Dubai
4. Abu Dhabi
5. Ras Al Khaimah
6. Sharjah
7. Ajman
8. Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah
9. The best free viewing spots
10. Arrival cut-offs and roads in brief
11. Weather on New Year’s Eve
12. Rules and safety
13. Paid packages compared
14. New Year’s Eve fireworks FAQs

Is the New Year’s Eve 2026 programme out yet?

Not yet. The UAE’s emirates usually confirm their fireworks sites in December. Last year, Ajman Tourism, Ras Al Khaimah and the Sheikh Zayed Festival announced their shows in the first half of December, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Dubai Police published closures and security plans in the final week, and the national news agency WAM put out a round-up of every emirate on 31 December. Expect the same order this year, and treat any website quoting firm 2026 times before then as a guess.

The calendar helps this year: 31 December 2026 is a Thursday, so New Year’s Day on Friday 1 January 2027 gives most people a three-day weekend. See the UAE public holidays for the full year. If you are flying in for New Year, check your flight status in the days before you travel, as Gulf schedules have changed at short notice in 2026.

Every emirate at a glance

Dubai

Burj Khalifa

The main event: a midnight countdown with fireworks launched from the tower, an LED light show on its facade and The Dubai Fountain set to music. Last year Dubai Police deployed more than 23,000 security staff, and the RTA planned for about 800,000 people in Downtown Dubai alone.

• Free public viewing zones: opened at 5pm on a first-come, first-served basis, including areas around The Dubai Fountain, Souk Al Bahar and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard. Once a zone is full it closes.
• Burj Park: a ticketed party from noon, about AED 997 for adults last year, with cheaper children’s tickets.
• Restaurants and hotels: tables with a fountain or tower view are sold as packages and sell out weeks ahead.
• Further away: the tower is visible from Dubai Creek Harbour, Al Jaddaf, Business Bay’s canal side and the beaches at Jumeirah, with less crowd but a smaller view. See the best Burj Khalifa views.

Global Village: seven countdowns

Global Village counts down to the New Year in seven time zones, each with fireworks or drones, so families can celebrate early. Entry is the normal Global Village ticket, about AED 25, and the gates stayed open from 4pm to 2am last year.

Other Dubai sites

The full list of 40 Dubai locations last year also included the Bvlgari Resort, Nikki Beach, One&Only Royal Mirage, One&Only The Palm, Four Seasons Resort Jumeirah, FIVE Palm Jumeirah, Palazzo Versace, Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort, Sofitel The Palm, Park Hyatt, JA Beach Hotel, Dubai International Stadium, Emirates Golf Club, Jumeirah Golf Estates, Topgolf Dubai, Arabian Ranches Golf Club, Trump International Golf Club, Address Montgomerie, Town Square, Al Arab Marina, Nammos and voco Monaco Dubai on The World islands. For more of the Palm, see things to do on Palm Jumeirah.

Abu Dhabi

• Sheikh Zayed Festival, Al Wathba: the country’s longest show. Fireworks ran in timed segments from 8pm, building to a 62-minute continuous main display that ended at midnight, with 6,500 drones flying together for 20 minutes. The festival reported five new Guinness World Records, all for fireworks, more than 163,000 visitors inside and about half a million people watching from the surrounding area. Entry was AED 10.
• Abu Dhabi Corniche: 8 km of waterfront with organised viewing zones; last year the Mother of the Nation Festival held a concert followed by fireworks along the coast, with drone shows at 6:30pm and 9:30pm and festival tickets from AED 35. See the Abu Dhabi Corniche.
• Yas Island: two shows, at 9pm and midnight, seen from Yas Bay Waterfront, Yas Marina and Yas Beach. Watching is free, but last year the pier was for restaurant guests only.
• Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental: a gala from AED 3,500 with fireworks that can also be seen from public areas nearby.
• Hudayriyat Island: open beaches and picnic space for a calmer countdown.
• Al Maryah Island: in recent years The Promenade has run laser shows at 10pm, 10:30pm, 11pm and 11:30pm before midnight fireworks.
• Liwa Festival, Al Dhafra: midnight fireworks against Tal Moreeb, one of the region’s tallest dunes, seen from the festival, the dune or Liwa Village; festival entry about AED 10.
• Al Ain and Al Dhafra towns: in recent years, free fireworks have also been held at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain, Madinat Zayed Public Park and Ghiyathi.

Ras Al Khaimah

Ras Al Khaimah, through the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, has turned New Year’s Eve into a record attempt every year, with Ras Al Khaimah Police managing the roads and car parks. Its Guinness World Record titles include the longest chain of floating fireworks on water, at 5.8 km, and the longest straight-line drone display, at 2 km.

• 8pm show: over Corniche Al Qawasim, with a second early show opposite Julphar Towers that can be seen from Manar Mall and the RAK Corniche; good for families with young children.
• Midnight show: 15 minutes of fireworks along 6 km from Al Marjan Island to Al Hamra Bay, with more than 2,300 drones, including pyro and laser drones. Last year’s finale was a phoenix of drones above the bay.
• Entry: free, but vehicle registration on Ras Al Khaimah’s official channels was required last year.
• Al Hamra Beach: opened from 2pm with family and bachelor zones, live music and a camping area.
• Parking: large free car parks with free shuttles, the biggest at Exit 122 with about 55,000 spaces, and others at Yanis, Jais and Dhaya.

Pair it with a day at the Ras Al Khaimah beaches or the Al Jazirah Al Hamra ghost town nearby, and book a hotel early: Al Marjan Island fills up for New Year.

Sharjah

• Al Majaz Waterfront: a five-minute midnight show over Khalid Lagoon with the fountain show and live entertainment; more than 20 restaurants and cafés in one place. Free.
• Al Heera Beach: a 10-minute display along the 3.5 km beachfront of the Al Heera Corniche, with 18 cafés and restaurants.
• Khorfakkan Beach: a 10-minute midnight show over the bay with mountains behind and 22 seafront restaurants and cafés. See things to do in Khorfakkan.
• Al Noor Island: a dinner and stargazing evening, AED 340 for adults and AED 150 for children last year, with a view of the Al Majaz fireworks.
• Sharjah Boats: 45-minute private cruises for up to 10 guests leaving Al Majaz Waterfront at 11:30pm.

Ajman

Ajman Tourism listed four sites last year: Ajman Corniche opposite the Ajman Saray hotel, Ajman Festival Land in Al Jurf, Ajman Boulevard in the city centre, and Sweer Park in Masfout for a quiet show in the mountains. The corniche fireworks can also be seen from beachfront hotels such as the Bahi Ajman Palace, Fairmont Ajman, Ajman Hotel, Ajman Beach Hotel, Radisson Blu and Marsa Ajman. See things to do in Ajman.

Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah

WAM’s round-up confirmed celebrations in Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah too, but neither emirate published a list of fireworks sites last year, and the shows are smaller. From Umm Al Quwain, the Ras Al Khaimah midnight show is about 40 minutes up the coast. On the east coast, Khorfakkan Beach, run by Sharjah, is the biggest show and about 30 minutes from Fujairah city. Beach hotels in Fujairah and Dibba usually run their own countdowns for guests.

The best free viewing spots

Arrival cut-offs and roads in brief

The safest plan anywhere is to be in place by 8pm and stay put until the crowds thin.

• Downtown Dubai: roads closed in phases from 4pm last year, and parts of Sheikh Zayed Road closed close to midnight. Parking in the Emaar area, more than 20,000 spaces, came with free shuttles, and Dubai’s public transport ran through the night. The nearest station to The Dubai Mall closed early in the evening.
• JBR: closed to private cars from 4pm last year.
• Ras Al Khaimah: roads to Al Marjan Island and Al Hamra closed before 8pm, with heavy traffic on the E311 and E611 from Dubai.
• Abu Dhabi: roads around Al Wathba and Yas get congested from early evening.
• Afterwards: leaving straight after midnight means long queues; waiting an hour is often quicker.
• Never stop or stand on a road or hard shoulder to watch.

Check the RTA and police announcements in the last week of December for this year’s closures.

Weather on New Year’s Eve

Late December evenings are usually pleasant, around 18 to 22°C in the cities and cooler in the desert, at Hatta and on the dunes at Liwa. Bring a light jacket for a long wait outdoors. Last year the night brought scattered rain, strong winds and rough seas, and high winds can delay drone shows. See the UAE weather by month.

Rules and safety

• Do not set off your own fireworks: buying, selling or using fireworks without a licence is illegal in the UAE.
• Do not fly your own drone: airspace near the shows is restricted.
• Children: agree on a meeting point and put your phone number in their pocket or on a wristband.
• Bags: pack light; expect security checks at the big sites and report unattended bags to the police.
• Emergencies: call 999 for the police.
• Bring: water, snacks, a charged phone and a power bank; queues at shops are long and the mobile network gets slow at midnight.

Paid packages compared

New Year’s Eve also falls during the Dubai Shopping Festival, the Expo City winter season and the Hatta Winter festival, so many of the same sites run events all week.

New Year’s Eve fireworks FAQs