Your Complete Guide to Sharjah Light Festival 2023

The magnificent and dazzling Sharjah Light Festival (SLF) will return for its 12^th edition to the emirate from February 8^th to 19^th, which will be a wonderful way to enjoy your February evenings with family and friends for the next two weeks.

What is Sharjah Light Festival?

Under the patronage of the Ruler of Sharjah His Highness Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Sharjah Light Festival was first launched in 2010 by the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority. The festival is conducted annually in the Sharjah emirate and has become entrenched into its cultural landscape attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors.

The event includes projections of creative art designs onto Sharjah’s popular landmarks. These projections are created by various international and local artists using the latest light technology and the projections are enhanced by curated music. The artistic combination of light and music gives visitors an insight into the intellectual and cultural heritage of Sharjah.

Locations

1. University City Hall

The light show will feature a story of the pursuit of hope. The show will highlight a female protagonist’s search for light from her childhood days until her adulthood when she eventually becomes a beacon of light, hope, and inspiration to others.

2. Light Village 

Located opposite City Hall, the Light Village’s light shows will run from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. from Sunday to Wednesday. From Thursday to Saturday, the light shows will run from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Forty restaurants will cater to visitors during the festival.

Light Museum will feature Art in Light workshop’s 20-minute sessions for children to learn about the vintage overhead projector. These visitors will get to know how the projector conducts various operations such as light mixing and pattern projections.

Adult visitors can enjoy the Lighthouse exhibition, which has been curated by internationally renowned 3D artist and video mapping specialist Laszlo Zsolt Bordos. The exhibition showcases artworks that explore the theme of constancy of change through light.

3. Al Noor Mosque

The mosque is located at Buheira Corniche. The light show will highlight the beautiful details of the Islamic architecture of this landmark. The intricate details will be accentuated using various material textures such as gold, marble, and shells.

4. Khalid Lagoon Corniche

The Corniche will feature the Art Walk from Al Noor Mosque to the Al Qasba canal entrance. The Art Walk will feature 80 Gobo projections of artworks of school children in Sharjah.

5. Sharjah Mosque

Another landmark of magnificent Islamic architecture and the largest mosque in Sharjah will host a light show featuring vibrant colors and designs that enhance the architecture of the mosque through a crystalline visual style. The mosque is located at the intersection between Emirates Road and Maleha Road.

6. Al Majaz Waterfront

Located at Buheira Corniche, the waterfront will host the artistic structure Echoes of Dawn. This structure will include the use of more than 150 panels of LED light that will create intricate designs inspired by geometric Islamic patterns. The show will be a combination of light projections and sounds that will pulsate through the structure creating a rhythmic experience for visitors.

7. Sharjah Fort (Al Hisn)

Located in the Heart of Sharjah, the light show at this location will feature a story of adventure, self-exploration, and resilience.

8. Al Hamriyah Municipality Building

The light show here will feature a story of a place that is endowed with a strong sense of community and harmony.

9. Al Dhaid Fort

The light show at the fort will feature a story of travelers who devised means of settling and flourishing in harsh conditions. The show will also shed light on how an oasis brought people together to form a thriving community.

10. Al Rafisah Dam in Khorfakkan

Al Rafisah Dam will host a light show that highlights the story of a resilient man who worked diligently to form something that is long-lasting and beneficial to both the human and animal communities.

11. Kalba Clock Tower

The clocktower will display an audiovisual narrative of a specific period and a natural phenomenon called the blue hour. This hour is the time period before sunrise or after sunset when the sun is below the horizon and a blue-shaded light is cast, which differs from the colour of the blue sky during the day.

12. Sheikh Rashid bin Ahmed Al Qasimi Mosque in Dibba Al Hisn

The light at this mosque will enhance its architecture through projections of geometric Islamic patterns and foliate ornaments that will be featured in bright and contrasting colors. The façade of the building is a study of floral mosaics and the inspiration for it was taken from the Sheikh Zayed Mosque.

13. Beeah Group Headquarters

The building emphasizes the importance of sustainability and being one with nature as its architecture allows the building to blend into its surroundings. Here, the light show will feature a narrative focalizing nature through the representation of herds of oryxes, murmuration of birds, schools of fish, ocean waves, and many other things. The focus of the show is the commemoration of the natural elements: light, water, wind, and sand.

 Timings

Daily light shows will run from 6 to 11 p.m. from Sunday to Wednesday and from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

Images' source: Sharjah Light Festival official website