Sharjah Light Festival off to a brilliant start

 The seventh annual Sharjah Light Festival got off to a brilliant start at the University City Hall in Sharjah late on Thursday.

The seventh annual festival, organised by Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, will run for 10 days till February 11, covering 14 locations across the emirate.

The shows will be held everyday from 6pm to 6.35pm and from 7.30pm to 8.15pm to observe Maghrib (sunset) and Isha (night) prayers, respectively.

The Buhairah Corniche Road between Al Majaz Waterfront and Al Majaz Amphitheatre will be closed for the daily parade from 9pm to 9.45pm, till February 11.

In his speech at the opening ceremony, Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of SCTDA, placed the festival it on par with high-profile events organised in Lyon, Sydney and Berlin

“The Sharjah Light Festival is a culmination of art, culture, science and the renaissance movement initiated by His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah,” he said, adding that this year’s festival stands out from previous editions for its use of 3D video techniques at all 14 locations.

This year’s festival will focus on certain areas to make it easier for people to move between the venues, Al Midfa explained, while pointing out that Khalid Lagoon in the centre of Sharjah City has been chosen to host the main event while the interactive show will be hosted — for the very first time — by Dr Sultan Al Qasimi Centre for Gulf Studies.

The festival uses the buildings of Sharjah as a canvas for dynamic light shows, highlighting their Islamic as well as modern architecture. The event features large-scale light installations and projections — some accompanied by music — all celebrating Sharjah as a creative and cultural hub in the Middle East.

Over the years, the Sharjah Light Festival has succeeded in attracting thousands of visitors each year. The 2016 edition drew in more than 560,000 visitors from the UAE and abroad, while social media channels recorded 2.8 million interactions, according to Google Analytics.

Also new this year will be enhanced 3D effects of video-mapping onto the buildings and touchscreen options enabling visitors to control the multimedia content projected on to some of the sites.

There is no fee to enjoy the colourful shows and displays at the locations. This year, there will also be competitions, including one for the best picture of the festival on Instagram. The prize and other details will be announced soon.

Light festival

When: Till February 11.

6pm to 11pm on weekdays

6pm to midnight on weekends

Locations: University City Hall, Cultural Palace, Al Noor Mosque, Al Taqwa Mosque, Al Qasba (internal facades), Palm Garden, Khalid Lagoon Corniche, Kalba University, Khor Fakkan University, Dibba Mosque, Masjid Shaikh Rashid Bin Ahmad Al Qasimi in Dibba, Al Dhaid Mosque, Dr Sultan Al Qasimi Centre for Gulf Studies

source : gulfnews