DUBAI – The stage is set for Diwali at Expo 2020 Dubai, which will host a jam-packed festival calendar as rich and diverse as India’s customs and culture.
Diwali, also called Deepavali, is the biggest annual holiday in India, and with more than 3,420,000 Indian expats estimated to be living in the UAE – more than 38 per cent of the country’s total population – Expo 2020 will be amping up its festivities this week, with celebrations running from Friday, 29 October to Friday, 5 November. Al Wasl Plaza, the beating heart of Expo, will mark the occasion with striking traditional décor and specially curated illuminating projection showcases.
A joyous time of the year that celebrates the triumph of good over evil, the Hindu festival will be marked at the Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre today (29 October) from 1800-2000. The event will be attended by HE Dr Aman Puri, Consul General of India, Dubai, along with other dignitaries and entrepreneurs from the Indian business community in the UAE.
The celebration will commence with a procession from the India Pavilion to Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre, with guests of honour accompanied by the marching band of Dhol Tasha, and finish with colourful and vibrant performances of 12 different folk dances from across India, performed by 150 dancers.
Live music and dance also takes centre stage at the impressive four-storey India Pavilion. An interactive musical LED rangoli – an artform originating in the Indian subcontinent, created on a floor for special occasions – will be activated when visitors step on sensors, radiating light and patterns that represent happiness, positivity and prosperity.
On 2 November, award-winning band Rooh will entertain onlookers with their hit songs at Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre from 2030 onwards, while the India Pavilion will host a night of music on 4 November that includes performances by sibling duo Salim and Sulaiman Merchant, and Bollywood playback singer Vipul Mehta.
The week of celebrations will come to a resounding end on 5 November at Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre, as energetic Dubai-based Hindi rock band Dhruv take audiences on a rollicking ride through Bollywood, rock, prog and fusion genres.
To top off the festivities, Late Nights @ Expo, at the Jubilee Stage on 4 and 5 November, will be devoted to Diwali, with highlights including Badshah presents The Live Experience, featuring Aastha Gill and Rico; Peter Cat Recording Co; When Chai Met Toast; and Shilpa Ananth.