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The Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth handed Friday over to Italy, turning cinemas and craft tables into one busy celebration of how a country tells its stories. Children moved between film screenings, live shows and workshops, and the mood felt less like a formal programme and more like a street festival that happened to come with subtitles. For many young visitors, it was a first real taste of Italian culture, served in a way they could see, hear and taste.

Italy steps into the spotlight

Naming Italy as Guest of Honour gave SIFF 2026 a clear theme, and the organisers leaned into it. FANN Media Discovery Platform, the body behind the festival, built the day around Italy’s cinematic heritage, its arts and its everyday traditions. The aim was simple. Introduce children to a new culture through things they take part in, not lectures they sit through. That approach runs through the whole Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth, where learning tends to arrive wrapped inside play.

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A premiere that speaks to every child

On the Green Carpet, the Italian film Forever With You had its Middle East premiere. Directed by Fabrizio Cattani, the story follows a boy named Filo who heads into the forest with his friend Rolo to find his missing dog, Pirlo. What begins as a search becomes something bigger, a story about courage, friendship and facing fears. Those feelings cross borders easily, and the young audience recognised them at once. Other screenings at VOX Cinemas in City Centre Al Zahia included Atlas of the Universe and the animated feature Tales From The Magic Garden, a trip into a world of wonder and magical stories. The programme also made room for films by children and young filmmakers, offering a window into their ideas and the way they see the world.

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Pasta, masks and the making of young filmmakers

Over at the House of Wisdom in Sharjah, the festival traded the big screen for hands and ingredients. The La Dolce Vita Show brought energy to the venue, while the Colombina Masks workshop drew on Italian theatre, showing children how a mask can carry a character and an emotion. Food played its own part. Young cooks learned to make semolina pasta and tiramisu, two dishes that open a door into Italian home life. A ceramic coaster painting session let visitors design something small to keep.

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What the Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth gives young audiences

Two workshops looked straight ahead to the next generation of storytellers. The Film Strip session showed how a run of still images becomes a moving story, and “From Idea to Screen” walked children through turning a first idea into finished content. You could watch confidence build in real time as a shy suggestion turned into a plan. That is the quiet promise of the Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth. Give a child a camera, a culture, and a bit of encouragement, and you often hand them a voice they keep for life.

The FC Bayern Academy in the UAE is now open, and it changes what a serious football education looks like for children living in Dubai. The German club announced the academy today, built under a license granted to GoldPrime FZCO. It runs out of Amity University Dubai in Academic City, and it takes boys and girls from Under-5 all the way to Under-16.

Here is why that matters to you as a parent. Dubai already has hundreds of youth programmes. What sets this one apart is that FC Bayern is putting its own name, its curriculum, and a resident coach behind it, rather than running a short seasonal camp and leaving.

What the academy actually offers

This is a year-round youth football academy in Dubai, not a holiday camp. Players train one to five times a week depending on the programme, and they are grouped by age and talent level. A coach nominated by FC Bayern will be based in the country throughout the year as Director of Coaching. That coach oversees the local coaching team and keeps the curriculum tied to the club’s player-development standards.

The coaches on the ground get something most academies cannot offer. They receive access to FC Bayern’s training methodology, its coach education content, and ongoing guidance set to the club’s standards. For a child, that means the drills, the structure, and the development plan follow the same thinking used in Munich.

The route from Dubai to Munich

This is the part that separates a football academy for kids in Dubai from a genuine pathway. For talented players, the academy may open the door to the FC Bayern Pathway. High-potential players can be assessed through the club’s scouting network. Subject to FC Bayern’s selection criteria, some could be considered for international development programmes in Munich. Selected players might gain access to relevant programmes at the club’s Campus, including the FC Bayern Global Academy.

Read that carefully. The words used are “may” and “subject to selection.” Nobody is promising your child a contract. What the academy offers is access to a scouting system that most families here could never reach on their own, and a clear line showing where the talent could lead.

Scholarships open two doors

The FC Bayern Academy in the UAE will introduce two scholarships. The Performance Excellence Scholarship is aimed at players showing strong technical ability, game intelligence, athletic potential, and long-term promise. The Future Champions Scholarship targets highly committed and ambitious players who would gain from extra development support.

The two awards work differently. One rewards players who already stand out. The other backs effort and ambition in players who need more support to get there. For families weighing the cost of elite coaching, these matter.

What FC Bayern says about the move

FC Bayern Munich’s Campus Director, Jochen Sauer, pointed to how fast the sport is growing locally. He said the club was glad to enter an academy partnership of this kind in the Middle East as the first Bundesliga club to do so. He noted that football is becoming more popular in the UAE, especially among children and young people, and that the club wants to use its expertise to support local talent.

Mahmoud Abusway, Investor and Partner in the academy, framed the launch around long-term development. He said football shapes ambition, discipline, confidence, and character long before a player reaches a professional pitch. His stated aim is an environment where young players in the UAE can train to world-class standards and begin to understand their potential. He described the agreement as a way to create access, raise the standard of youth football, and build a real pathway for the next generation.

What this means for Dubai families

Dubai has pushed hard to become an international base for sport and young talent. A club of this size setting up a permanent youth operation at Amity University Dubai in Academic City adds weight to that effort, and it reaches a young population that is highly diverse and international.

For you, the practical picture is simple. The academy is accepting players now. Your child can start training locally, under a curriculum run to FC Bayern’s standards, with a resident Director of Coaching keeping it honest. Whether your child ever reaches Munich is uncertain, and the academy is upfront about that. What is certain is the chance to train at a higher standard, close to home, from a very young age.

The Sole DXB 2026 lineup puts Lola Young and Overmono at the top of the bill for the festival’s 14th edition. Both acts headline across three days in Dubai, from 11 to 13 December. The event also moves to a new address, The Square Nad Al Sheba, its first change of home in more than ten years. Release 1 of the program includes these names, with more acts due before December.

Lola Young headlines on Saturday 12 December. The South London artist broke through with “Messy,” which won the 2026 Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance and earned a nomination for Best New Artist. Her sound leans on candid songwriting and rock-influenced pop.

Overmono take the Friday 11 December slot. The British duo, brothers Tom and Ed Russell, arrive after a Glastonbury run and a sold-out show at London’s Alexandra Palace. Their second album, Pure Devotion, landed in August 2026. The live set pairs heavy basslines with melodic electronic rhythms.

The Sole DXB 2026 lineup across four stages

The Sole DXB 2026 lineup runs wider than its two headliners. On the Main Stage, Saudi singer-songwriter Hajaj blends jazz, soul and Arabic influences. British artist Nia Archives layers jungle and drum and bass under soulful vocals.

Stage 2 adds Malian vocalist Fatoumata Diawara, New Delhi band Peter Cat Recording Co., and Egyptian-Lebanese duo Maii and Zeid. DJ sets come from Hong Kong-born Gia Fu, known for Afro-Latin music, and British producer Matthew Herbert. In all, performances span four stages. Each act brings a different regional sound to the bill.

A new Sole DXB venue in Dubai

The shift to The Square Nad Al Sheba is the first change of Sole DXB venue in over a decade. It covers 350,000 square feet and holds 20 dining concepts. Its events arena runs to 24,000 square metres. Parking reaches more than 3,000 spaces, with direct access from Dubai Al Ain Road. The arena will carry cultural programming, live entertainment and community events through the year.

Music, fashion, art, food and sport stay at the centre of the program. Across the three days, the festival adds talks, experiential retail and basketball. Daily hours run from 4:00 pm to 2:30 am. More lineup and program details will follow.

Sole DXB dates, tickets and prices

The Sole DXB dates are fixed for 11, 12 and 13 December 2026. Sole DXB tickets are on sale now through soledxb.com and Platinumlist. General Admission 3-day passes start at AED 495. VIP 3-day passes start at AED 775.

Anyone following the Sole DXB 2026 lineup can buy passes now, though prices rise with each release. Four categories are open. General Admission covers all three days and all programming. VIP Grandstand 21+ adds a raised platform facing the Main Stage. Two Golden Circle passes, one 21+ and one all ages, offer fast-track entry and viewing areas near the stage.

What the move means for Sole DXB 2026

The Sole DXB 2026 lineup continues a shift that reaches past the festival’s hip-hop roots. Programming now spans alternative pop, electronic music, and Afrobeats. The 2025 edition drew more than 48,000 people from over 150 countries. Its recognition from The Business of Fashion names the event a cultural catalyst for the global fashion industry. More than 150 brand partners connect with its audience each year. At a larger home, the 2026 event looks set to build on that base.

World Art Dubai 2026 will run from November 19 to 22 at Za’abeel Halls 2 and 3 inside the Dubai World Trade Centre, drawing more than 300 exhibitors from upwards of 65 nations. The twelfth edition puts 200 solo artists and 65 galleries under one roof, alongside artist groups and collectives. Between them, they plan to present close to 10,000 works over four days. Painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, digital art and installations will share the floor, with styles and price points ranging widely. The strapline this year, Where the World’s Art Comes Together, frames a push toward a stronger gallery presence and clearer curatorial direction.

Four curators will shape how those works are arranged. Rachael Brown and Stephane de Boysson join for the first time, while Gottfried Eisenberger and Samar Kamel return, each bringing a different read on what belongs where.

A fair built around collecting art

The organisers have tilted this year’s programme toward buying. Artwork sales climbed 28 per cent in 2025, and the fair wants to turn that figure into steady, repeat purchases. Collecting art sits at the centre of the plan. Prices run from roughly USD 100 to USD 20,000, a spread wide enough to let a first-time buyer and a seasoned collector shop the same aisles. The aim is to make the move from looking to owning feel simple rather than daunting.

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Who the art fair in Dubai is for

Buyers at this art fair in Dubai are no longer only private collectors. The crowd now includes interior designers, hospitality operators and corporate clients sourcing pieces for homes, hotels, offices and new developments. Asma Al Sharif, Assistant Vice President at Exhibitions at the Dubai World Trade Centre, said the priority is to widen the fair’s reach while giving artists real chances to meet fresh audiences. She tied last year’s sales rise to a growing appetite for owning original work, among both new and experienced buyers.

World Art Dubai 2026 widens its support for emerging artists

Photography gains a dedicated zone through PhotoWAD, setting camera-based work within the wider mix. The Emerging Artist Prize returns as well, handing rising names a route to visibility on an international stage. Gallery numbers keep climbing year on year, a sign of steady confidence among dealers from the UAE and abroad. A dedicated Emirati Artists Pavilion will place emerging artists from the region inside that global setting, next to independent talent and visiting galleries.

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More than a show to walk through

The four-day schedule reaches well past the stands. Visitors can book into more than 20 hands-on workshops, all included in the ticket, plus a run of free talks with artists, curators and market voices. Sunday, November 22, becomes Family Day, with activities built for younger guests. Schools join the programme too, letting students show work in a professional setting. Through its Artist in Residence Programme, the fair pairs artists with Dubai hotels such as Hotel Indigo Downtown Dubai, SO/Uptown and Radisson RED, and that residency activity carries on into 2027.

How to attend World Art Dubai 2026

Doors open from 1 pm to 9 pm daily across the four days. World Art Dubai tickets are on sale now, with early-bird pricing available online. Dubai Culture backs the edition as Strategic Partner, joined by Knightsbridge Group as Legal Sponsor, Qube Art on framing and installation, and DiarBID Art House on artist services. For a city still building its creative economy, World Art Dubai 2026 sits among the region’s broadest ways into owning original art.

The Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth handed Friday over to Italy, turning cinemas and craft tables into one busy celebration of how a country tells its stories. Children moved between film screenings, live shows and workshops, and the mood felt less like a formal programme and more like a street festival that […]

The FC Bayern Academy in the UAE is now open, and it changes what a serious football education looks like for children living in Dubai. The German club announced the academy today, built under a license granted to GoldPrime FZCO. It runs out of Amity University Dubai in Academic City, and it takes boys and […]

The Sole DXB 2026 lineup puts Lola Young and Overmono at the top of the bill for the festival’s 14th edition. Both acts headline across three days in Dubai, from 11 to 13 December. The event also moves to a new address, The Square Nad Al Sheba, its first change of home in more than […]

World Art Dubai 2026 will run from November 19 to 22 at Za’abeel Halls 2 and 3 inside the Dubai World Trade Centre, drawing more than 300 exhibitors from upwards of 65 nations. The twelfth edition puts 200 solo artists and 65 galleries under one roof, alongside artist groups and collectives. Between them, they plan […]