Filipinos in the UAE always enjoy festive activities such as India’s Diwali as their way to appreciate the culture of other countries and to unwind from their usual 9-5s. This is exactly why Dubai Festival City Mall jives in the festive mood with what’s expected to be the biggest Diwali celebration that will take place outside of India.
Dubai Festival City Mall, in collaboration with the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing Dubai (DTCM) and Consulate General of India, said that their fourth magnificent IMAGINE show titled ‘Hathi’s Garden’ is a nod to the vibrant celebrations of Diwali in India that’s set to be showcased for free starting this October 24 from 8:00 pm.
Journey back home
The all-new IMAGINE show story is about Prince Jai and Princess Maya that are living peacefully with a family of elephants in the heart of the Karnataka forest in India. While the Prince and Princess are celebrating the birthday of Hathi, the youngest elephant in the herd, gunshots were heard, and a fire erupts in the forest. During the chaos, Hathi is separated from her family and the story narrates her journeys throughout India to find her way back home to her family.
Steven Cleaver, Director, Shopping Centres Dubai, Al-Futtaim Malls, said: “Our IMAGINE shows have always been extremely popular amongst our visitors so we are thrilled to be back again with our fourth show. Tying in with the ‘Year of Tolerance’ we wanted to celebrate Diwali like never before and give the 3.3 million Indian expatriates that are away from home the chance to celebrate the occasion here with us in Dubai. Elephants have a prestigious place in Indian culture, and the story of ‘Hathi’ the little elephant creates the perfect IMAGINE show for Diwali. We have other exciting surprise up our sleeves for the celebration and will announce them closer to the launch event so stay tuned.”
Month-long festival of lights
Hathi’s story will be told through spectacular technology in water, pyrotechnics, colourful lasers, lights and dramatic effects. As part of the mesmerising launch, the first show at 8:00 pm will be followed by two and a half minute fireworks display for visitors to enjoy. Hathi’s Garden will be running until November 29 and guests can watch it as they dine at one of the 15 waterfront restaurants available on Festival Bay offering Italian, Seafood, Emirati, American, Lebanese, Indian and Turkish cuisine or as they walk through the scenic, instagrammable bay.
IMAGINE, the two-time record-breaking visual and sensory extravaganza, plays live every night on the iconic Festival Bay and is free for all visitors. The truly unforgettable experience promises to enthral every time, combining lasers, light, fire and water to tell remarkable, emotive stories. The state-of-the-art show seamlessly fuses technology and art and has earned two Guinness World Records for the largest water screen projection and the largest permanent projection mapping. IMAGINE uses surround sound to deliver a 360-degree story to emotionally connect with audiences and produce a show like never seen before. The multi-sensory, iconic, unmissable show must truly be seen to believed, leaving a long-lasting impression on all that experience it and live the feeling that is IMAGINE.
