Eid Al-Adha is likely to arrive on Wednesday, 27 May, and the island has plenty lined up to fill the holiday. From the world’s largest inflatable park to a Wael Kfoury concert, here is where to spend the long weekend. The programme runs across malls, amphitheatres and exhibition halls, with most events stretching well past the first few days of Eid. Some are free, some are ticketed, and most are built for families. Here is the rundown, venue by venue.
Marassi Galleria has a full festive programme running across the holiday, including what it bills as Bahrain’s first light show.
The mall lights up each evening for a half-hour display, with three slots a night.
Dates: 28 to 31 May
Timings: 7:00 pm to 7:30 pm, 8:30 pm to 9:00 pm, and 10:00 pm to 10:30 pm
Visitors can enter prize giveaways throughout the early evening.
Dates: 27 to 31 May
Timings: 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm
A run of live music across the afternoon and evening, on for more than a week.
Dates: 27 May to 6 June
Timings: 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm and 8:30 pm to 10:30 pm
Bahraini hospitality stations welcome guests across the same hours.
Dates: 27 to 31 May
Timings: 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm and 8:30 pm to 10:30 pm
The waterfront mall has spread its programme across several gates, mixing kids’ entertainment with traditional crafts and live music. Here is what is on and where to find it.
Leo and Loona meet and greet runs from 27 to 30 May at Gate 2 (11:00 am to 11:30 am) and Gate 4 (4:00 pm to 4:30 pm).
A caricature artist and balloon twisting alternate between gates: Gate 4 and Gate 2, respectively, on 27 and 29 May, then swapping to Gate 2 and Gate 4 on 28 and 30 May. Both run from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
Walkabout robots appear at Electra, Gate 5, on 29 and 30 May from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The GAME ON grand finale is also at Electra, Gate 5, at 3:00 pm on those two days.
Oud live music plays at The Souk on 27, 28 and 30 May from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. The Ismael Dawas Traditional Band takes over on 29 May from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
Live classical music runs at The Forum, Gate 4, from 27 to 30 May, 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
Basket weaving (4:00 pm to 10:00 pm) and Arabic calligraphy (7:00 pm to 10:00 pm) run at The Souk from 27 to 30 May.
Food carts are stationed at Gate 4 from 10:00 am to 1:00 am, 27 to 30 May. Traditional hospitality runs at Gate 1 and Gate 6 from 2:00 pm to 10:00 pm across the same dates.
Jannat Dilmun (formerly known as the Lost Paradise of Dilmun) runs a daily entertainment programme through Eid, aimed squarely at families.
Daily acts include a meet and greet with Minnie and Mickey, dancing characters, stilt walkers, a Maui of Moana walkabout, human statues and carnival shows.
Special shows on the schedule include a festival drum parade, a live DJ by the beach, a jump rope circus show, the Bloom Parade, beachside games, a fire show and LED stilt walkers.
For younger visitors, there is a meet and greet with Nio, Nia and Nayla, plus arts and crafts.
The world’s largest inflatable theme park is setting up in Bahrain for the holiday, run in collaboration with the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority. Expect giant slides and oversized obstacle courses built for both kids and adults.
It is one of the bigger draws this Eid, and it stays open for more than a week, so there is no rush to catch it on day one.
Dates: 28 May to 5 June
Tickets: From BHD 3
Location: Exhibition World Bahrain
The Lebanese singer and songwriter performs at the Beyon Al Dana Amphitheatre’s Terminal 4, in another event run with the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority. The set leans on his ballads and best-known hits, so this is one for fans of classic Arabic pop.
Date: 30 May
Time: From 8:00 pm
Location: Terminal 4 by Beyon
Most of these events run for several days, so there is no need to cram everything into the first morning of Eid. The ticketed draws, the Big Bounce and Wael Kfoury, are worth booking ahead. The rest are mall and venue programmes you can drop into across the week.
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