Snow fights, Santa and street food: Yas Winter Fest is back

The UAE might still be in hoodie-at-night weather, but Yas Island is going full winter. Yas Winter Fest is back at Yas Gateway Park from 12 to 21 December 2025, turning the park into a mini “snowy” theme park with rides, an ice rink, Santa’s Village, creative workshops, markets and a huge main stage. Tickets start at AED 25, and children three and under enter free, which is rare for a full-scale family festival in the UAE. 

If you want the fast version with timings, ticket types and map, you can also check our full Yas Winter Fest 2025 guide on Tbreak. 

When and where is Yas Winter Fest 2025?

Yas Winter Fest takes over Yas Gateway Park on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, for ten days of festive evenings. 

• Location: Yas Gateway Park, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
• Dates: 12–21 December 2025
• Timings: 4pm–11pm daily
• Tickets:
  • AED 25 for kids aged 4–12
  • AED 35 for ages 13+
  • Under 3s go free

Tickets available via Platinumlist 

Yas Island is already packed with theme parks, malls and attractions, so dropping a winter festival into the middle of it makes sense.  The festival runs evenings only, which is good for after-work trips from Abu Dhabi and weekend drives in from Dubai and other emirates. Tickets are on the affordable side for a Yas Island event, especially if you’re bringing younger kids who get free entry. 

Snow, rides and Santa: main zones this year

This year’s edition leans hard into “theme park for ten days” energy, with different areas for snow, rides, Santa and shows.

• Snowfall Park with a Winter Sparkle Ice Rink and giant Snow Globe photo op
• Inflatable fun: Penguin Snow Park, Frozen Palace and North Pole Challenge obstacle course
• Snowfight Zone for snowmen, snow angels and snowball battles
• Festive Fairground with Santa’s Grand Carousel, Tinsel Tea Swirlers, Frostlight Flyers and bumper “Blizzard Cars”
• Santa’s Village with nightly tree lighting and meet-and-greets

Think of Snowfall Park as your “we live in the desert but we want snow” fix. Kids can glide around the supervised ice rink, then jump straight into the inflatables or the Snowfight Zone for controlled chaos. Over in the Festive Fairground, you’ve got the usual mix of family rides plus mini coasters and bumper cars. Santa’s Village ties it together with tree lighting every night and proper “letter to Santa” corners, so you still get those classic festive moments. 

Creative workshops and activities for kids

If your child is more into glitter and glue than rides, the festival has a full “make things and get messy” programme.

• Winter Workshop with:
  • Marshmallow decorating by Marsh’n’Mallow
  • Beauty-themed fun from Mimar (hair glitter, face glitter, mini manicures)
  • Neon ornament painting, fluid canvas art and T-shirt tie-dye with Picasso Artists
  • Spin art, candle decorating, “message in a bauble” and Nutcracker painting with Titch’s Attic
• Extra crafts with Studiyo Lab: tie-dye shirts, marble ornaments, DIY fidget spinners, drums, photo frames and seasonal décor
• Nature-themed corner from The National Aquarium with Butterfly Gardens, wind chime making, micro-planting and science stations

The Winter Workshop works as a base camp if you have younger kids or those who get overstimulated by rides. They can switch between quiet creative tasks like candle decorating and more hands-on activities like tie-dye shirts or DIY fidget toys. The National Aquarium’s butterfly space adds something calmer and more nature-focused, which is a nice break from flashing lights and loud music. 

Food trucks and the Festive Market

No festival, no food coma. Yas Winter Fest leans into it with a dedicated Winter Feast and a proper market section. 

• Savoury picks: Drip Burgers, Aria Pizzeria, Vietnamese Foodies, Mamacita Latin Flavours, Brassa, Meokja, Sakura, Wingstop, Sausage Saloon, Four Cheese, Double Like Burger & Lobster
• Hot drinks and sweets: L’Arc Café, Back to Roots, Chayaat, Tealive UAE, Stroopwaffle Café, Churro Cone Café
• Festive Market stalls:
  • Candles, beach accessories, festive gadgets and kidswear
  • Jewellery, perfumes, skincare and body care
  • Sweet stalls like Sense Seven Delicacies and Marsh’n’Mallow with chocolate, marzipan and marshmallow-decorating workshops

The food mix is very “Yas Island weekend”: burgers, pizza, Asian bites, wings and Latin grills, with plenty of hot drinks and sugary things to keep you going. The market side lets you quietly tick off small gifts while the kids are in the workshop tent. Expect lots of candles, fragrances and sweet treats — the usual Abu Dhabi festive market vibe, just compressed into ten days. 

If you’re turning it into a full Yas Island day out, you can always pair the festival with nearby attractions on Yas Island’s official site. 

Main stage, roaming acts and why Miral/Brag matter

There’s also a Celebration Stage acting as the festival’s main hub every night. 

• Evening programme with choirs, live bands and family shows
• Roaming performers moving through the crowd
• Outdoor movie-style moments under the “winter” sky
• Produced by Brag in partnership with Miral

The main stage is where you park yourself once the kids are done with the rides and crafts. Expect choirs, seasonal music, roaming characters and some outdoor cinema-style moments. Brag and Miral are behind a lot of Abu Dhabi’s big live experiences and Yas Island projects — from theme parks to festivals — so they know how to build something that feels like a proper destination, not just a pop-up market. 

Yas Winter Fest 2025 FAQs

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