Month-long community gathering under Season of Wulfa brings food, culture, and connection to Dubai’s Ramadan evenings
Dubai : The Ramadan Street Food Festival will return from 19 February to 18 March 2026, transforming Sheikh Hamdan Colony into a welcoming evening gathering space throughout the Holy Month. Delivered as part of Ramadan in Dubai, under the Season of Wulfa, the festival creates opportunities for reflection, connection, and shared blessing through food, culture, and community – values that sit at the heart of Ramadan across the emirate.
Returning for its fourth edition, the festival has become an established part of Dubai’s Ramadan landscape, offering residents and visitors alike a warm, inclusive space to gather following Iftar through shared meals, cultural encounters, and meaningful moments of connection. Open daily from Iftar until 2am, the festival will unfold in two phases, beginning with décor and restaurant offerings from 19 to 28 February, followed by a full programme of entertainment, food kiosks, and activations from 1 March until 18 March, encouraging repeated visits throughout the month in a relaxed, family-friendly setting that honours the spirit of the Holy Month.
The Ramadan Street Food Festival embodies the Season of Wulfa’s vision of presenting Emirati cultural practices through a contemporary and inclusive lens, reflecting Dubai’s multicultural reality whilst preserving the authenticity of local customs and values.
Celebrating Dubai’s Culinary Diversity Through Shared Meals
This year’s festival brings together over 100 participating restaurants, showcasing a carefully curated selection of South Indian and Asian cuisines drawn from Dubai’s diverse culinary landscape. Set across two locations, Flavour Lane and Culinary Crossroads at Karama Park, connected by a walkable Food Trail, the festival invites visitors to explore the neighbourhood through food, movement, and shared experience.
With free entry and dishes available from AED 5, the festival reinforces the Islamic values of accessibility and generosity, ensuring that participation remains open to all. The informal, street-food format encourages sampling, sharing, and discovery, creating an atmosphere rooted in community and hospitality rather than commercial spectacle, reflecting how food and generosity are central to the lived experience of Ramadan.
Vibrant Cultural Programming and Nightly Entertainment
From 1 March, a rich programme of cultural performances and community-led activities brings Ramadan evenings to life across Sheikh Hamdan Colony. Each evening, six performance sets take place across the festival’s Main Stage at Karama Park, featuring MC-led storytelling, children’s entertainment, and live musicians, creating an atmosphere of warmth and festivity.
Performances run from 9:15pm to 10:30pm on weekdays and extend until 11pm on weekends, allowing families to settle in after Iftar and enjoy the evening together. Surrounded by F&B kiosks showcasing popular Dubai street food brands, the Main Stage Hub offers the perfect blend of culinary discovery and live entertainment.
Roaming Entertainment: Bringing the Festival to Life
Adding to the magic of the evening, roaming entertainment moves throughout the festival, sparking moments of joy, discovery, and interaction. Starting 1 March, from 8pm to 10pm each night, traditional artisans practising Arabic calligraphy, henna art, and live caricature drawing engage with visitors, offering personalised keepsakes and cultural experiences.
Between 9:30pm and 10pm, the festival comes alive with vibrant roaming acts including LED stilt walkers, mascots, human statues, mesmerising tanoura dancers, and jugglers, weaving through the crowds and creating unexpected moments of wonder that enhance the festive Ramadan atmosphere.
Carnival Zone: Fun for All Ages
The Carnival Zone brings a playful, family-friendly energy to the festival with classic games designed for all ages. Featuring favourites such as Ring Toss, Smash the Can, Hook a Duck, Basketball Throw, and Lucky Bucket, these interactive games create moments of friendly competition, laughter, and nostalgia. The Carnival Zone encourages families to stay longer, try their luck, and create joyful memories together, embodying the spirit of togetherness that defines Ramadan evenings.
Community Iftars: Embodying Generosity and Togetherness
A central feature of this year’s programme is the delivery of 18 Community Iftars held throughout the festival, reinforcing the spirit of generosity, hospitality, and togetherness that lies at the heart of the Holy Month. Each Community Iftar features 30 picnic benches seating up to 150 people arranged in a welcoming, communal setting.
Opening at Iftar time (Maghrib to Isha, approximately 6:25pm to 7:40pm), these gatherings operate on a first-come, first-served basis, creating an accessible environment where anyone can participate in the sacred tradition of breaking fast together. The simple, shared dining format strips away barriers and brings people together around long tables in an open atmosphere that embodies the true spirit of Ramadan hospitality.
In addition, a Community Long Table activation will take place every Friday throughout the festival, creating a recurring weekly moment that has become a beloved tradition. These gatherings encourage communal dining, meaningful conversation, and authentic connection amongst residents and visitors alike, offering a special opportunity to pause, reflect, and share in the blessings of the Holy Month. These initiatives reflect the Season of Wulfa’s emphasis on participation and shared experience, grounding Ramadan observance in everyday neighbourhood life and creating spaces where the values of the Holy Month are lived and felt by all.
Creating Spaces for Reflection and Connection
Throughout the festival period, Sheikh Hamdan Colony will be thoughtfully adorned with festive Ramadan décor, ambient lighting, and visual elements designed to complement the reflective pace of Ramadan evenings. Carefully planned lighting installations and spatial design create a warm, walkable environment that supports both casual visits and extended gatherings, reinforcing the festival’s role as a space for contemplation and community rather than a single-visit destination.
The design approach reflects Dubai’s commitment to creating public spaces that balance reverence with warmth, offering moments of quiet reflection alongside opportunities to come together in cultural and communal settings.
Part of Ramadan in Dubai Under Season of Wulfa
The Ramadan Street Food Festival forms a cornerstone of the wider Ramadan in Dubai programme, delivered under the Season of Wulfa, which traces a cultural journey beginning with Hag Al Leila and culminating with Eid in Dubai.
Throughout the Holy Month, a coordinated calendar of experiences unfolds across the emirate, encompassing government-led initiatives, destination-based programmes, and community activations. These include Ramadan by the Bay at Dubai Festival City Mall, Ramadan Reflections (Atyaf Ramadaniyah), Hai Ramadan at Expo City Dubai, and Layali Al Wulfa cultural gatherings, each contributing to a citywide atmosphere of reflection, connection, and blessing.
Through shared meals, cultural exchange, and opportunities for quiet contemplation, the Ramadan Street Food Festival contributes to this narrative, translating the values of the Holy Month into accessible public spaces. The festival is expected to welcome over 70,000 visitors, making it a significant gathering point within Dubai’s Ramadan landscape whilst remaining rooted in the values of simplicity, warmth, and authentic connection.
VISITOR INFORMATION
- Dates: 19 February – 18 March 2026
- Hours: Daily from Iftar until 2am
- Location: Sheikh Hamdan Colony, 13B street
- Flavour Lane at Karama Park
- Culinary Crossroads at Karama Park
- Entry: Free
- Price Range: Dishes from AED5
- Accessibility: Family-friendly, all ages welcome
