AlUla Arts Festival hosts hands-on workshops and walks

Experience cinema screenings and street art tours in the desert.

There are plenty of reasons to visit Saudi Arabia’s AlUla, from the UNESCO World Heritage Site to world-class concerts. Now, there’s one more: AlUla Arts Festival. Running until 24 February, it brings together artistic workshops, immersive experiences and exhibitions.

At the core of the festival are its three standout flagship events. Desert X AlUla makes its triumphant return from 8 February to 23 March 2024. This event showcases visionary contemporary artworks created by Saudi and international artists amid the extraordinary desert landscape of AlUla. 

Offering free and open access to all, Desert X AlUla stands as the first site-responsive exhibition of its kind in Saudi Arabia, fostering meaningful exchanges among artists, curators, and both international and local communities. 

Visitors can anticipate another enchanting experience at Wadi AlFann, the upcoming cultural destination set to open its doors. From 2026 onwards, Wadi AlFann will serve as a permanent home for large-scale, site-specific works of contemporary land art. As a preview to its official opening, this year’s festival will feature a pre-opening program at Wadi AlFann, including an exhibition by Saudi artist Manal AlDowayan. Her participatory work captures stories from AlUla’s communities and serves as a precursor to her groundbreaking commission for Wadi AlFann, titled “Oasis of Stories.”

‘More than Meets the Eye‘ marks the culmination of the flagship event series, offering visitors an opportunity to delve into an exhibition featuring modern and contemporary works by Saudi artists. Supported by influential Saudi art collectors, this exhibition aims to re-canonise the history of modern and contemporary art in Saudi Arabia. It serves as a documentation of the narratives of artists and recent artistic movements.

Other events include live performances, photography exhibitions, street art tours, cinema screenings, and hands-on workshops.

Look out for amazing events throughout the year during AlUla Moments 2023. Other events include Winter at Tantora which returns from 21 December to 27 January.

GO: Visit www.experiencealula.com for more information.