National Day and New Year's Eve in the UAE 2026: What Is Confirmed
Photo: Adam Bielawski, CC BY-SA 4.0
Two dates anchor the UAE's December. One is fixed and one mostly is not, and it helps to know which is which before you book.
National Day: Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 December
Property Finder and Gulf News both give 2 and 3 December 2026 as the public holiday for the 55th National Day, under the theme Spirit of the Union. The city programmes had not been published when we checked, so we do not list specifics.
In past years the pattern has been fireworks and drone shows at major landmarks and festivals, flag displays, heritage performances and concerts. Global Village has held nightly fireworks on the holiday, and Sheikh Zayed Festival ran Union Day celebrations and a parade last season. These are past plans, not announcements.
Taking Friday 4 December as leave would make a five-day break, and it falls straight into Abu Dhabi Grand Prix week, which starts on 3 December. Book hotels early.
New Year's Eve: one gala confirmed
The one headline event we can confirm is Katy Perry's New Year's Eve gala at Atlantis, The Palm, on 31 December 2026. The National lists tickets at AED 6,500 for children and AED 8,500 for adults. It is a hotel gala, so check the hotel's own site for what a ticket includes.
Official fireworks plans for 2026-27 had not been announced for any emirate when we checked. For context, on 31 December 2025 Dubai made the Burj Khalifa the centrepiece with fireworks at more than 40 locations, Ras Al Khaimah staged a 15-minute show from Al Marjan Island to Al Hamra with more than 2,300 drones, and Sheikh Zayed Festival in Abu Dhabi ran fireworks, lasers and a drone show with more than 6,000 drones. Last year's plans may not repeat.
Planning without a programme
- Pick one place and commit. Moving between emirates around midnight is how people miss both.
- Book a table or a room with a view months ahead, because prices for the night are set early.
- Check road closures and public transport in the final week with the RTA, Abu Dhabi Mobility and each emirate's announcements.
- The Dubai Shopping Festival (4 December to 17 January) and the DXB Winter Festival run over New Year's Eve, and the DXB Winter Festival says it plans a New Year's Eve celebration.
We update the New Year's Eve page when official programmes appear, and the National Day page likewise.
FAQs
When is UAE National Day 2026?
Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 December 2026.
Where are the best New Year's Eve fireworks?
We do not rank them. Last year's reports named the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Festival in Abu Dhabi and Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah.
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Younus leads corporate and MICE delivery at Sparkling Sandset, including team-building programmes, incentive groups and DMC partnerships across Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE. He writes about the operational side of corporate events: venue selection, group logistics, facilitation and what changes when the guest list is a client's, not a family's.