From spectacular stage performances to interactive family-friendly activities, this weekend is set to be action-packed at the Mother of the Nation Festival. Organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and held along Abu Dhabi Corniche until Saturday 31st March, the third edition of the festival continues to highlight the values of HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak and the importance of family coherence and cultural understanding across UAE society. 

The activities and performances that surround the festival incorporate values of tolerance, sustainability and above all, happiness. Here are five things you should not miss this weekend: 

1.A-list Performances: The Main Stage plays host to the biggest artists on the Mother of the Nation programme. The grand scaffolding and trussed structure of the Main Stage serves as both performance platform and dramatic festival landmark, with a diverse range of performances highlighting the best of local and international talent set to captivate audiences across pop-up stages and the main stage. This weekend’s performances include:

•Majid Al Mohandis (Thursday): Majid Al Mohandis earned his nickname, ‘Moutrib Al Ochaq’, or ‘the singer for lovers’, for his heartfelt vocals and his dedication to fans, which number over 1.2 million on Instagram alone. In addition to producing a dozen successful albums, the global artist has held concerts for his fans in many prestigious venues in different countries, including the Royal Albert Hall and the Opera House in Egypt. He has also been the recipient of numerous awards, including recently that of ‘Best Arab singer’ according to the Arab Nation Music Awards. This year, he will perform for the first time on the Mother of the Nation Festival’s Main Stage. 

•Ghalia Benali (Thursday): Tunisian-Belgian artist Ghalia Benali is a multi-talented songstress, composer, actress, dancer and visual artist who has captivated audiences all over Europe and the Middle East. Blending different cultural and musical influences - from jazz, Bollywood music and Egyptian melodies from artists like Oum Kalthoum - Ghalia combines her magical, sensuous voice with graceful interpretive dance movements that create a one-of-a-kind enchanting performance.

•Eida Almenhali (Friday): Eida Almenhali brings a delicacy and sensitivity to his music that is absent from much of today’s popular Arabic music. His careful attention to lyrical composition and his unprecedented stream of online distribution has contributed to phenomenal success with Khaleeji and Arab audiences. After releasing his debut album in 2002, Eida has taken the unusual step of remaining focused on the local scene and fans have responded by showing him no end of appreciation. He has popularised many traditional and national songs, and some of his originals have received over five million views on YouTube. His concerts and festival appearances are always wildly anticipated and this year’s performance at the Mother of Nation Festival Main Stage is no exception!

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