Conceptualised in 2020, the Abu Dhabi Mela will bring the international mela festival concept to the UAE. Partnering with some of the largest public and private event organisations and stakeholders, Abu Dhabi Mela will deliver a wide diversity of cultures, music, dance, arts, fashion and food to name a few. Although the Mela's roots are Asian cultures, this is a festival for all and aims to educate, share and celebrate all cultures.
We are actively taking expressions of interest.
The inaugural Mela plans to attract 30,000+ visitors in a day.
The Abu Dhabi Mela will take place at an exclusive venue in Abu Dhabi in the spring of 2025. The event will open to the public at 5pm and finish at 1am.
Over 50 local, national and international artists will take centre stage to entertain all Mela visitors.
More videos to be uploaded shortly.
Below are some of the international acts that have been booked to take centre stage at the inaugural Abi Dhabi Mela event. Every year, local singers, musicians and other artists will also take centre stage as people from across the UAE will be invited to take part and perform on the main stage. The Abu Dhabi Mela was formed also to provide a platform for anyone who loves to sing/perform/dance to get involved in the Mela. Abu Dhabi Mela is all about opportunity and is open to anyone of all ages. The organisers are excited to be able to offer the chance to perform new works that have never been heard before and are keen to provide a platform for this. Anyone interested in performing in the Mela can register their details by emailing us.
The Abu Dhabi Mela is more than music, dance, fashion and live performance. Amongst additional activities will include: funfair rides, market stalls, mehndi artists, music workshops, kids activities, face painting, sports workshops and much more!
Mouthwatering foods and exotic drink from the indian subcontinent is key aspect of any Mela. The Abu Dhabi Mela is no different and will 'serve' a perfect platform for worldwide food stalls from a variety of local and national caterers.
A large selection of products will be on site from over 80 trading stalls selling clothing, accessories, jewellery, toys, arts and crafts, music and much more! There will also be some exciting product launches.
Businesses and organisations may hire one of our on marquees or stalls which are constructed on site and ready for occupation on the day. As the event takes place on a concrete surface, owns stalls are not permitted. More than one unit can be taken by larger organisations who require additional space.
At this year's event, a number of organisations will be facilitating the Community Zone. Come along and visit a range of stalls which will provide information on services that will benefit Abu Dhabi's diverse communities. The stalls will include information on Health & Wellbeing, Housing, Training, Employment and more. You can also come along and enjoy a variety of interactive activities such as music & arts and crafts.
Mehndi is the art of applying Henna on the body. It is a beautiful form of temporary body decoration. Mehndi is a traditional form of decoration for both men and women in countries such as India, Morocco, and Pakistan. It is generally used for special occasions, particularly weddings. The term refers to the powder and paste, and the design on the skin, as well as the party or ceremony.
Details coming soon.
Whether your focus is on directly marketing your products or services to a diverse audience or build lasting links with the local community.
Please find below some commonly asked questions, should you have any other queries, please email us directly on info@abudhabimela.com
Mela is a Sanskrit word meaning 'gathering' or 'to meet' or a Fair. It is used in the Indian subcontinent for all sizes of gathering and can be religious, commercial, cultural or sports. In rural traditions Melas or village fairs were (and in some cases still are) of great importance. This led to their export around the world by south Asian diaspora communities wishing to bring something of that tradition to their new countries. The Kumbh Mela, held every twelve years, at Allahabad, Haridwar, Nashik and Ujjain is one of the largest fairs in India, where over 60 million people gathered in January 2001 , making it the largest gathering anywhere in the world.
In modern usage outside South Asia it has become a term that shows widespread diversity of interpretation, just as has been the case in South Asia. One can find a Nepalese Mela in the USA or a Bengali Mela in London. For many it is a wider intercultural (though mainly Asian) festival incorporating music, dance, food and other aspects of mainstream culture. Since the 1980s an increasing number of Melas have regularly been held in larger towns outside south Asia, especially in the UK and North America. The larger Melas tend to be those with larger ethnic minority populations, but many Melas are held in communities with small South Asian diasporas. Community ownership of these Melas is important to the south Asian communities who see them as opportunities to share their cultural heritage with the mainstream. They are opportunities for bridge building and community building and can perform a strong socially cohesive function. More successful outside-of-Asia Melas tend to have a strongly diversified funding base with private/public/third sector collaboration. Public money is often spent on the Melas. This reflects the Mela organisers and public authorities joint conviction that, as in the sub-continent, Melas are for everyone.
The Founder, Artistic Director and Event Coordinator of the Abu Dhabi Mela is Mr. Imran Iqbal.
Below are details of previous year Abu Dhabi Mela locations and headline performers:
o 2025 - Abu Dhabi - TO BE CONFIRMED o 2025 - Abu Dhabi - TO BE CONFIRMEDThe Mela is a free event and is kindly funded through a number of sources. Below are our partners for 2025.
Should you wish to perform, sponsor or trade at the event, the best method to get in touch would be to email info@abudhabimela.com and our event coordinator will revert to you immediately.
Once your email is received, we can send you an updated information pack for the event which contains details of sponsorship, stalls and other event information.
We would recommend you register your interest as soon as possible.
2025 MELA POSTERWHATSAPP US ON: 0503782345