Winter at Tantora Festival is returning to AlUla, meaning there are now even more reasons to visit the UNESCO World Heritage destination before the end of 2021. The festival, one of the very first of its kind in Saudi, celebrates the best in arts, music, fashion and food, and makes its return this December. And this year, it will launch with a new six-week format, alongside three more festivals in AlUla.
So, get the diary out, because you’re going to want to save these dates.
The main Winter at Tantora Festival in AlUla will this year run from Tuesday December 21 to Saturday February 12, and is one of four festivals running until March 30, alongside AlUla Arts, AlUla Skies and AlUla Wellness.
For the 2021-22 season, Winter at Tantora Festival kicks off with a magnificent Candlelit Symphonic Concert at Maraya Hall in Al Hegra archaeological site.
Equestrian events under the Festival include the new horse fashion event, Ikmah Fashion Cavalry, and the AlUla Desert Polo. Meanwhile, on the food front, a new Citrus Festival will spotlight local produce, while Harrat Observation Deck and Back to Black restaurant will serve up dining experiences with unmatched views.
From February 13, 2022, AlUla Arts festival will feature exhibitions by leading artists from around the Kingdom, while Al Jedidiah will host live performances and the outdoor Cinema El House will showcase arthouse films by Saudi filmmakers.
AlUla Skies, meanwhile, promises to take visitors up into them. Float over Hegra in a hot air balloon or chart desert oases in a vintage plane, or just take in sights that Indiana Jones would lose his hat over with a helicopter ride over the rock formations of Madakheel. Star-gazing tour Constellations will also be running, with a high-tech riff, while Symphony Under the Stars promises live open-air musical concerts.
Finally, AlUla Wellness Festival, brand-new to the season, takes place from March 17 to 27, 2022, and will serve up experiences including a new Garden of Moments, with thought-provoking installations, and Five Senses Sanctuary, with body and soul experiences including yoga, meditation and mindfulness. Returning in 2022 will be the adventurer’s beloved Eco-Trail, as well as group exercise classes from Oasis Fitness Infusion.
Other highlights include volcano hikes and new zip line routes.
So, ready to swap the hustle and bustle of Riyadh for the adventures of the desert?
There will be plenty of brilliant dining experiences to check out, too. From Monday November 1, SALT at Elephant Rock opens, offering fast food from burgers to chicken wings, while Annabels will also return.
The British chef, Jason Atherton, who has popular restaurants in the UK and Dubai, is also opening his first venture in the Kingdom. The rooftop restaurant, Maraya Social, not only takes inspiration from AlUla but uses ingredients from local farms.
Ready to hit escape? We think you’ll find more than enough reasons in AlUla this winter.
For more information on Winter at Tantora in AlUla, as well as AlUla Arts, AlUla Skies and AlUla Wellness, visit experiencealula.com.
