MOTN Festival returns to Abu Dhabi with food pop-ups, rides and more

The annual MOTN Festival has returned to Abu Dhabi, transforming the Corniche into a vibrant destination for family-friendly fun.

Running until December 31, this year’s festival embraces an “Out of This World” theme, highlighted by an Out of This World museum in the Amuse zone, where visitors can bounce across the Dream Nebula, navigate the swirling Time Vortex, unleash creativity in the Cosmic Lab and follow the mesmerising Celestial Trail.

For stunning city views, guests can hop on the Ferris Wheel, which offers panoramic sights of the Abu Dhabi skyline. Families can also visit the MOTN Theatre, which hosts four daily shows featuring beloved characters such as Bluey, Numberblocks, Falfool, Miraculous and Mr Bean.

When it’s time to eat, the Amuse zone houses a couple of international pop-ups. Among them is Pastasole, serving authentic Italian pasta from the East Village in New York City, and London’s Chin Chin, known for its innovative liquid nitrogen ice cream with flavours such as tiramisu with coffee and olive oil and black sesame tahini halva.

There will also be movies in the park, with popular titles such as Wall-E, Black Panther and The Iron Giant to be screened. Arts and crafts activities will also be available for little ones.

Other zones include Thrill, Indulge and Entertain, each offering a unique mix of rides, shopping, food and entertainment.

The Thrill zone is designed to get hearts racing. Horror fans can test their courage in the Five Nights at Freddy’s Maze, which brings the eerie world of the popular video game to life. This is for children aged 12 and above. Guests can also enjoy augmented reality games, a galaxy-themed indoor trampoline park at Ninja Kidz, a basketball hub and an arcade featuring retro games, Skee-Ball and pinball machines.

Meanwhile, the Indulge zone features an array of food pop-ups and shopping kiosks. At its centre is the Food Hall by Dome, which showcases six international outlets: Brooki, an Australian bakehouse known for its cookies; NYC’s Voodoo Rays, offering classic pizzeria fare; Peckish, a London-based smashed burger joint; Frank!, which serves American hot dogs with a London twist; Lucky’s Hot Chicken by Senseless Heat from the UK; and Meltsmiths, known for their decadent grilled cheese sandwiches.

For children, there’s the Lava Pool, a mini obstacle course for leaping, climbing, and balancing, as well as skill games and a DJ booth. Shoppers can browse kiosks selling everything from skincare to perfume and clothing to jewellery.

The Entertain zone features the festival’s music arena, which will host performances throughout its run. The line-up announced so far includes several Arab acts including Tunisian singer Oumaima Taleb on December 14, Jordanian pop star Siilawy on December 21 and Egyptian crooner Mohamed Hamaki on December 31.

Until December 31; tickets start at Dh30