By Mohammed Rashad Hussain, Managing PartnerPublished 3 min read
The Liwa Festival sits at the far edge of Al Dhafra, in the sand sea near the Empty Quarter. It is the longest festival trip from Dubai in the winter calendar, so treat it as a trip, not an evening out.
When is the Liwa Festival?
The Abu Dhabi Media Office lists LIWA 2027 from 11 December 2026 to 2 January 2027. The notice, dated 16 September 2026, names the Al Dhafra Region and promises sports, heritage, arts and family activities. It gives no venue address and no programme.
Last winter’s edition ran for 23 days, from 12 December 2025 to 3 January 2026, and drew over 700,000 visitors according to WAM. Use it as a guide to the shape of the season:
- Tal Moreeb Car Championship in the last days, 31 December to 3 January
- Weekend and New Year’s Eve fireworks
- Daily drone and dune projection shows
- Liwa Village, with rides and a souk zone
Where is Moreeb Dune, and how long is the drive from Dubai?
Tal Moreeb is about 300 metres high, which the Media Office calls the UAE’s tallest dune. It is in the Liwa area, deep in Al Dhafra.
| From | Road distance | Without traffic |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Dubai | about 400 km | about 4 h 30 |
| Return trip | about 800 km | about 9 hours driving |
Figures are OSRM free-flow times from 17 October 2026, using an approximate dune coordinate. Add breaks and weekend traffic leaving Dubai. The route goes through Abu Dhabi emirate, so see our Darb tolls guide if you pass an Abu Dhabi gate. Our general page on intercity transfers covers how longer trips are quoted.
Day trip or overnight: which works better?
| Day trip | Overnight | |
|---|---|---|
| Time on site | A few hours | Evening and next morning |
| Driving | About 9 hours in one day | Split over two days |
| Fits | Daytime events and the dune | Evening shows and fireworks |
| Watch for | Return after dark on a long road | Booking rooms for peak festival nights |
A day trip is possible for one daytime event. For fireworks or an evening show, stay. A driver who has done 9 hours is not the one you want at midnight.
What kind of vehicle do you need for Liwa?
For a long road trip the question is comfort and luggage, not off-road ability. Keep to paved roads and marked festival areas.
| Group | Vehicle | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | Mercedes-Benz S-Class or a similar sedan | Quiet, comfortable for 4 hours |
| Up to 6 | GMC Yukon | Room for bags and a long rear seat |
| 7 to 13 | Mercedes-Benz Sprinter | One vehicle for a group |
Bigger groups can add a coach through our partner network, subject to availability. Read our long-drive car guide before you choose, and see the car with driver page for how a multi-day booking works.
Where to stay near Liwa
Rooms may fill early on festival weekends. We have not verified current hotel names, prices or distances from the festival, so book through the hotel’s own site and tell us the address. We then plan the drive to it.
Your driver stays in the area on an overnight booking. Agree the driver’s accommodation and rest time when we quote.
Liwa trip checklist
- Dates checked against the Media Office notice, and the programme re-checked in early December.
- Festival ground address confirmed by the organiser.
- Hotel booked first for a Friday, Saturday or New Year’s Eve stay.
- Full tank and a spare water case in the car, and a charged phone.
- Dubai return time agreed with your driver.
- A plan for the Abu Dhabi side: the Sheikh Zayed Festival guide compares it with an easier trip, and the events comparison guide shows when a driver beats public options. The UAE events calendar lists the rest of the season, and our events service has the wider offer.
Photos in this guide
A paved road curving beside large orange sand dunes near Liwa in Abu DhabiJSPhotography2016 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
A pickup truck throwing up sand on a dune slope during a sand race at the Liwa International Festival 2022DMPenAd / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Aerial view of the Tal Moreeb dune with event tents and parked vehicles at its footZamir / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
A paved desert road in the Liwa area passing date palms and tall pale sand dunesJSPhotography2016 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
