Global Legends Unite: Rahman, Shankar and Mathlouthi Light Up Tanweer Festival 2025

Sharjah strengthens its position as a global stage for music, art and culture.

SHARJAH, UAE, Nov. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Tanweer Festival returns to Sharjah's Mleiha Desert from 21–23 November 2025, bringing together 183 musicians and creators from 23 countries for a celebration of artistic innovation and cultural exchange.

With 28 performances across four stages, the festival guides audiences through a journey of sound, storytelling and shared experience. Highlights include Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman, Grammy-nominated sitar virtuoso Anoushka Shankar, and Tunisian-American singer-songwriter Emel Mathlouthi. They are joined by a curated selection of acclaimed regional voices who bridge musical traditions, underscoring the festival's commitment to connecting cultures through creativity.

Set in the Mleiha landscape, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the 2025 edition embraces the theme "What You Seek Is Seeking You," inviting audiences to discover the universal languages of music and human connection. Purpose-built venues including the Main Stage, the Dome, the Tree of Life, and the Marketplace host starlit concerts and intimate cultural encounters that blend tradition with innovation.

The festival also features workshops led by visionary facilitators and eleven large-scale art installations by Emirati, UAE-based and international artists. Among them are HYBYCOZO's geometric light structures, Seo Young Deok's striking industrial sculptures, and Milla Novo's fiber works rooted in Mapuche heritage.

A curated marketplace of artisanal vendors, culinary experiences, and nature-focused activities—including stargazing and desert explorations —invite visitors to engage with Sharjah's landscape and cultural history.

Tanweer welcomes global audiences and media to experience first-hand a gathering where East meets West, tradition meets innovation, and the desert becomes a stage for stories that unite us.

More information: Here

- Picture is available at AP -

Hussain Al Mulla – Sharjah Government Media Bureau
+971 56 398 0067 | Hussain.almulla@sgmb.ae