2016 QASR AL HOSN festival concludes with a record number of visitors
Over 140,000 visitors gathered to the Capital's cultural heart to go to the Qasr Al Hosn Festival, which occurred in Abu Dhabi from February 3rd to 13th.
The record variety of visitors to the cultural event, an increase of over 15 % compared to the 2015 edition, took part in distinct opportunities to create lasting memories with friends and family in a level narrating the development of Abu Dhabi.
A true symbol of the birthplace of Abu Dhabi, Qasr Al Hosn is thought about as one of the Emirate's most substantial landmarks. The celebration, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and arranged by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi)-- occurs each year to celebrate the Qasr Al Hosn Fort, the UAE's identity, and to keep the Emirate's heritage and values alive and transferred to new generations.
HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), stated: "The variety of individuals that visited the fourth edition of the Festival reflects the symbolic value and significance held by the iconic Qasr Al Hosn within the heart of the country and its individuals. The Festival has been a celebration of our rich history and culture and an opportunity to share with the community the continuous preservation works and the extensive procedure of preservation, restoration and rehab of the fort and its surrounding. This year, the Festival has actually showcased seven components presently inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and visitors had the chance to completely immerse themselves in the UAE cultural heritage.
"Conserving our traditions and sharing them with the neighborhood continues to be among our main top priorities. This year, over 300 Emirati students from nine various universities participated in the Qasr Al Hosn Festival as Ambassadors, and we the celebration program engaged with almost 3,000 school students from throughout the Emirate," included HE Al Mubarak.
This year, Festival visitors were also able to live an immersive extraordinary fort tour experience that traced the evolution of the Fort for more than 200 years, with more than 10,300 individuals signing up with the 10 minute audio visual experience.
Modern heritage was commemorated in the Cultural Foundation Building with areas from the Cultural Foundation being re-opened to host a series of interactive activities focused on commemorating the Building's cumulative memory and bringing it back to life. Cultural Exhibitions were arranged to tell the story of the country and its people, such as: the Anatomy of a Photograph: Iconic Images from the Past exhibit, the unique Archives & Memories: Capturing the Nation's Story exhibition in collaboration with the National Archives, Crown Prince Court, Abu Dhabi Media Baynounah TV, and ADNOC/ADCO; in addition to a collection of testimonials from previous visitors about this symbolic structure in Recollections of the Cultural Foundation.
The outside Cultural Foundation amphitheatre was a successful area that hosted a rich poetry program with popular Emirati poets reminding the visitors about the essential function poetry holds within the UAE culture. In addition to the poetry programme, the amphitheatre also hosted the special 'Memory of the Emirati tune' program that presented eleven Emirati entertainers celebrating the memory of the UAE music heritage. In overall, the double-daily performances drew an audience of over 3,000 poetry and music enthusiasts.
The Cultural Foundation Building likewise hosted the popular Gahwa experience, where more than 4,600 diners enjoyed a full menu, including main courses, of traditional Emirati food and beverages the restaurant and outdoor balcony.
A full range of interactive programmes were included across the festival's five Qasr Al Hosn, Marine, Desert, Abu Dhabi Island and Oasis zones, with their respective Pavilions-- presented to this year's Festival to enable greater visitor participation, with over nine thousand families being led by 630 standard cast and presentation experts
Nearly 15,000 visitors likewise delighted in numerous live efficiencies hosted on The Festival Stage influenced by Emirati cultural heritage. These included The Sky Show's fascinating display screen of speed and agility by the birds of Al Ain Zoo, The Night Safari's instructional tale of experience and a vibrant cast of characters in the Arabic social drama, Bab Al Khair.
With 5 entryways to the festival and a 5 % boost in website location to almost 47,000 square metres, the celebration's busiest day welcomed nearly 20,000 visitors-- the greatest ever single-day attendance recorded.
The revitalised Qasr Al Hosn Exhibition, which brought in an average of 1,000 visitors a day, remains open to visitors daily between 9am and 8pm, and is set to host a year-round public program of talks and instructional workshops.
