The UAE is no stranger to hosting incredible, record-breaking fireworks on New Year’s Eve, and an upcoming display in Abu Dhabi is vying to uphold that tradition.
Organisers behind Sheikh Zayed Festival have announced the event will host a fireworks show that spans more than 35 minutes, in an attempt to break two Guinness World Records on Thursday, December 31.
The display will include the “world’s first-ever Girandola fireworks show”, according to a tweet shared by the festival. Girandola is the Italian word for pinwheel, so spectators can expect a spinning, sparkling display.
The Guinness World Record that the organisers are looking to set is for the largest straight-line fireworks display.
Besides the fireworks, there will be special fountain and laser shows, performances by local and international bands, and children's activities taking at the Sheikh Zayed Festival to mark the end of 2020.
Gates open at 2pm, but the fireworks display will begin at midnight.
The Sheikh Zayed Festival is an annual celebration of the country's heritage. The three-month-long event kicked off in November and features a wide range of attractions, from Emirati folk exhibits to live performances, at Al Wathba.
More information about fireworks displays taking place across the UAE this New Year's Eve can be found here.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 435hp at 5,900rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,800-5,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Price: from Dh498,542
On sale: now
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
if you go
Getting there
Etihad (Etihad.com), Emirates (emirates.com) and Air France (www.airfrance.com) fly to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, from Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively. Return flights cost from around Dh3,785. It takes about 40 minutes to get from Paris to Compiègne by train, with return tickets costing €19. The Glade of the Armistice is 6.6km east of the railway station.
Staying there
On a handsome, tree-lined street near the Chateau’s park, La Parenthèse du Rond Royal (laparenthesedurondroyal.com) offers spacious b&b accommodation with thoughtful design touches. Lots of natural woods, old fashioned travelling trunks as decoration and multi-nozzle showers are part of the look, while there are free bikes for those who want to cycle to the glade. Prices start at €120 a night.
More information: musee-armistice-14-18.fr ; compiegne-tourisme.fr; uk.france.fr
If you go
The flights
Etihad flies direct from Abu Dhabi to San Francisco from Dh5,760 return including taxes.
The car
Etihad Guest members get a 10 per cent worldwide discount when booking with Hertz, as well as earning miles on their rentals. A week's car hire costs from Dh1,500 including taxes.
The hotels
Along the route, Motel 6 (www.motel6.com) offers good value and comfort, with rooms from $55 (Dh202) per night including taxes. In Portland, the Jupiter Hotel (https://jupiterhotel.com/) has rooms from $165 (Dh606) per night including taxes. The Society Hotel https://thesocietyhotel.com/ has rooms from $130 (Dh478) per night including taxes.
More info
To keep up with constant developments in Portland, visit www.travelportland.com. Good guidebooks include the Lonely Planet guides to Northern California and Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest.
Rashid & Rajab
Director: Mohammed Saeed Harib
Stars: Shadi Alfons, Marwan Abdullah, Doaa Mostafa Ragab
Two stars out of five
Petrarch: Everywhere a Wanderer
Christopher Celenza,
Reaktion Books
