Quoz Arts Fest 2025 to spotlight creativity, community and belonging

Quoz Arts Fest by Alserkal, the region’s leading community-driven arts and culture festival, will make its return on Saturday, 25, and Sunday, 26 January 2025. Taking place in Alserkal Avenue, Dubai’s vibrant cultural district, and the wider Quoz Creative Zone, the festival spotlights the best of homegrown and international talent in a thoughtfully curated mix of live music performances, art exhibitions, installations, food experiences, and conversations, alongside a special programme designed to inspire kids.

Gilda Gilantash, Director of Events, Programming and Partnerships at Alserkal Avenue, said: “Since its inception in 2012, Quoz Arts Fest has been a creative meeting ground for Dubai’s diverse communities—a place to come together and celebrate culture. Over the years, it’s grown into a major regional attraction while staying deeply connected to the grassroots, homegrown scene. It’s also become a platform for international artists redefining what’s next, offering a glimpse into the next wave of creative talent. This year, we’re proud to offer our most expansive programme yet, with cultural expression at its widest and the community at its heart.”

Festival Headliners

At the forefront is Syrian rapper, poet, and storyteller Omar Offendum, who gives voice to the experiences of immigration. Tunisian singer and songwriter Emel Mathlouthi also takes the main stage, renowned for her soaring voice and fusion of traditional Arabic music with contemporary influences.

Joining them is the Tunisian alternative duo Ÿuma, composed of Sabrine Jenhani and Ramy Zoghlemi, whose minimalist folk sound offers an intimate, guitar-driven journey; House of Yanos, delivering an electrifying mix of Amapiano, Deep House, and Afro Tech, Dubai City Sound’s all-female choir stirs with breathtaking harmonies, BOUMPH, a bold Arab hip-hop voice, delivers a raw critique of cultural identity, and DJ Hend, presenting an eclectic blend of Afrobeats, Amapiano, Arabic classics, and old-school R&B, inspired by Dubai's cultural richness.

The main stage will be hosted by Dubai’s own MC, Big Hass, bringing his signature energy to the festival.

Must-See Public Art

A standout highlight of the festival is Forest Dancer and the Path to Pure Creation by Australia’s ENESS at Concrete. This immersive installation blends light, sound, and movement to create a space that emulates the feeling of stepping into unhindered creative flow.

Across the Avenue will be Bright Memories by Abdulla Alneyadi featuring a series of public water dispensers, iconic to the UAE, designed by the artist and a surprise site-specific outdoor installation by Brazilian artist Zé Tepedino.

On the Avenue’s corner facade, Emirati artist Lamya Gargash presents her large-scale commission—the enlarged photograph, A Corridor of Books. Renowned for her exploration of identity through both lived and abandoned spaces, Gargash turns to the private library of a prominent collector and patron of the arts in the UAE. At the heart of the photograph is a golden fabric draped through his library, guided by the Qibla—a compass pointing towards prayer. The installation invites a meditation on memory, devotion, and the stories woven into the spaces we inhabit.

Gallery Exhibitions

The Avenue’s galleries and institutions will open an exciting lineup of exhibitions. At Ishara Art Foundation, Shilpa Gupta’s Lines of Flight takes center stage, while Lawrie Shabibi presents a solo show by Farhad Ahrarnia. Over at The Third Line, Neither Here ~ Nor Elsewhere, a group show curated by Sanaz Askari, and Green Art Gallery showcases Citadelles of Today by Chaouki Choukini. Aisha Alabbar Gallery brings Superficial Transactions, a solo exhibition by Eman Al Hashemi, while Gulf Photo Plus The Life of an Itinerant through a Pinhole presents Behzad Khosravi Noori. 1x1 Art Gallery presents a solo show of Sohan Qadri, Custot Gallery features Photosynthetic Forms by Marc Quinn, and Zawyeh Gallery highlights a solo exhibition by Amirhossein Bayani.

Stage 2.0

Throughout the weekend, Stage 2.0 showcases Quoz Encore performances, now in its third year, providing a platform for emerging UAE-based artists and talent making their debut, alongside afikra conversations with artists.

Reel Palestine Film Festival

Cinema Akil hosts Reel Palestine, a film festival celebrating Palestinian stories with screenings and a souk featuring crafts and flavours inspired by Palestinian traditions.

Kids’ Lane

The festival will have a dedicated Kids’ Lane offering interactive art workshops, reading sessions, and community activations led by Artful Minds, Wisdom Warehouse, The Junction, thejamjar, and The Happy Studio, engaging young audiences in creative play.

What The Food

The culinary experiences will be curated by What The Food by Alserkal, featuring the city's most loved chefs, artisanal producers, and food entrepreneurs.

Strategic partners for Quoz Arts Fest 2025 include Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, Al Quoz Creative Zone, and Dubai Economy and Tourism. Lead partners are Mini AGMC, with supporting partners Ounass and Fujifilm.

ENDS

For press interviews, information or imagery:

Gautami Reddy | gautami@alserkal.online

Michela Simone | michela@alserkal.online

Book tickets: https://dubai.platinumlist.net...

Website: https://quozartsfest.alserkal....

Instagram: @quozartsfest
TikTok: @quozartsfest

#QuozArtsFest

ABOUT QUOZ ARTS FEST

Quoz Arts Fest by Alserkal Avenue, is an annual celebration of art and culture that has been held since 2012. The festival takes place in Alserkal Avenue and across the surrounding Al Quoz area, and celebrates the artists, thinkers and makers from this creative neighbourhood. Quoz Arts Fest includes activities for all ages, including exhibitions, art installations, talks, workshops, performances, music, and more.

ABOUT ALSERKAL AVENUE

Alserkal Avenue is a vibrant cultural district located in Dubai’s Al Quoz industrial area. Established in 2008 by Emirati businessman and cultural patron Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal, the district was founded with a vision to foster a dynamic creative community and support cultural production. Today, it has evolved into a hub of over 90 curated, homegrown creative businesses and one of the region’s leading destinations for contemporary art. The Avenue features cutting-edge galleries and dynamic spaces for film, theatre, performance, literature, music, food, education, and wellness. Throughout the year, Alserkal Avenue offers diverse cultural experiences through extensive programming, including pop-ups, commissions, exhibitions, and festivals. It is part of Alserkal Initiatives—a cultural enterprise that includes the Alserkal Arts Foundation and Alserkal Advisory—both dedicated to nurturing homegrown talent and fostering sustainable creative businesses.

ABOUT DUBAI CULTURE & ARTS AUTHORITY

Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), under the leadership of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is committed to enriching Dubai’s cultural scene based on the UAE’s heritage, and is building bridges of constructive dialogue between various cultures to enhance Dubai’s position as a global centre for culture, an incubator for creativity, and a thriving hub for talent. Dubai Culture is keen on reviving and preserving the emirate's historical heritage and developing the regulatory frameworks for the cultural and creative sector in line with its strategic roadmap 2020 – 2025. The Authority also seeks to empower the enablers to support talent and stimulate active participation from society members by investing in the various cultural and heritage assets under its remit, including the management of six heritage sites, five museums, Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children and eight Dubai Public Library branches, all of which help contribute to creating an economic system that stimulates the cultural and creative industries.