Sharjah Light Festival Opens The 15th Edition Under The Theme Reflections Of Belonging

The 15th Sharjah Light Festival is underway across the Emirate under the theme "Reflections of Belonging". The event runs from 3 to 15 February. It is organised by the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority. The main launch took place at Dr Sultan Al Qasimi Centre in University City. H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi attended the opening.

The festival extends beyond University City to 12 other locations, turning key sites into night-time canvases. Installations highlight Sharjah’s cultural identity and architectural style. Light projections and visual stories appear on mosques, forts, dams and cultural centres. The programme targets residents, visitors and photography enthusiasts from the UAE and abroad.

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This year’s Sharjah Light Festival covers a wide mix of coastal, urban and heritage venues. Sites range from cultural landmarks to modern waterfronts. Together, they outline Sharjah’s geographic spread from city to desert and East Coast. The locations chosen also help distribute visitor traffic across different communities and business areas.

The opening ceremony at Dr Sultan Al Qasimi Centre followed a formal sequence. Proceedings started with the national anthem of the United Arab Emirates. Officials, guests and media representatives attended alongside H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi. After the anthem, Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, delivered a keynote address.

Al Midfa reviewed how the event has grown in scale and influence across fifteen editions. He gave special attention to its cultural and tourism role within the Emirate and the UAE. "For more than fifteen years, the Sharjah Light Festival has become an artistic platform that combines light with art, heritage with innovation, offering visual experiences that reflect the beauty of Sharjah’s architecture and cultural identity. This aligns with a vision that seeks to make culture and the arts a vital element in sustainable tourism development," he said.

Al Midfa explained that tourism in Sharjah continues to expand in a measured and planned manner. The sector’s direction is shaped by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. This vision places human development at the centre. It has guided progress in culture, economy, education and infrastructure across the Emirate.

The Chairman underlined the festival’s position within Sharjah’s wider annual events calendar. He noted that the Sharjah Light Festival creates practical commercial and social openings for local businesses. More than 75 national projects take part in the "Light Village" this year. The list includes start-ups and well-established national brands. Their participation supports entrepreneurship and links smaller firms with major public events.

During the ceremony, H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi and attendees watched the official opening show. The production, titled "A Journey of Time, A Legacy of Belonging", used cinematic projections. It presented Sharjah’s story as a shared memory and collective identity. The narrative moved from traditional Emirati roots to a present centred on knowledge and culture.

The projection mapped scenes onto the architecture, highlighting arches, domes and facades. Each sequence connected to the vision of the Ruler of Sharjah. The content highlighted education, community values and the "spirit of the place". Together, the scenes linked the Emirate’s historic landscapes with its academic and cultural institutions.

Across all 13 locations, the 15th Sharjah Light Festival functions as an open-air gallery for creative work. Artists and technical teams present light compositions, animations and interactive features. Installations are designed to respond to building outlines and natural surroundings. The displays place Sharjah’s mosques, forts, souqs and modern landmarks at the centre of each show.

The festival’s current edition combines artistic expression, technology and heritage themes in a structured programme. It supports Sharjah’s tourism agenda, provides a stage for national talent and draws attention to diverse districts across the Emirate. Running from 3 to 15 February, the Sharjah Light Festival continues to link cultural identity with visitor experiences in the United Arab Emirates.

With inputs from WAM