Party from dusk ‘till dawn
Destination Dawn, a 12-hour island music festival, launches this month
If the idea of partying until the sun comes up on a picturesque island in the middle of the Arabian Gulf is up your street then you might want to check out Destination Dawn. It’s a 12-hour music festival on the pristine beaches of Al Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah.
Thrown by the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA), early bird tickets are incredibly well priced at just Dhs100 – including a free return shuttle bus from Dubai. Headliners so far include hip-hop star Taboo (of Black Eyed Peas fame) and Ukrainian DJ Juicy M. In January, Taboo (real name Jaime Luis Gomez) released The Fight, a track about his secret battle with testicular cancer in 2014. A Native American, he’s also been busy of late rallying against the Dakota Access Pipeline, using his celebrity status to draw attention to this and other social issues. Juicy M, meanwhile, recently made her South American debut in Peru alongside Armin van Buuren and Sander van Doorn. Her latest track Fire & Ice is out now. Local likely lads Hollaphonic are also on the bill with more UAE artists to be confirmed. There’ll be various food and drink outlets on hand, as well as designated chillout zones for those wanting to take a break from the all-night dance floor.
Located an hour’s drive from Dubai, the festival kicks off at 5pm on Friday, May 12, with party people also being encouraged to pitch their tent and settle in for the night.