SceneNoise, Boogie Box & Analog Room to Host 24hr Shams Festival Nov 8

SceneNoise has teamed up with two of the UAE’s most influential electronic collectives, Boogie Box and Analog Room, to launch Shams, a day-to-sunrise festival on November 8th.

Set against the sweeping dunes of Ras Al Khaimah’s Al Wadi Desert, the festival will showcase some of SWANA’s leading electronic acts across two stages. Headliners include Dekmental staple and Syrian selector Fafi Abdel Nour, Lebanese veteran Nesta, and Egyptian pioneer Zeina. 

“For over a decade, SceneNoise has documented and developed the region’s electronic music ecosystem," Timmy Mowafi, Founder of SceneNoise, said. "Shams is the natural next step, a platform that not only positions SWANA artists as headliners but also connects dancefloors across the region.”

“The idea is to do a music festival, specifically focused on celebrating our own regional electronic dance music industry, artists and the club culture developments," Mehdi Ansari, Founder of Analog Room, added. "A presentation of the quality that SWANA has achieved in the past 15-20 years and has to offer, where we can present ourselves to the world. Something to take out of the region.”

“We came together to find a way to showcase the diverse range of talent from our part of the world, with the idea of taking the festival on the road across the region, popping up in a different city for each edition, with the same belief and ethos of celebrating and showcasing Dance Music from our region”, Hassan Alwan, Founder of Boogie Box.

The lineup also features UAE-based Egyptian veteran Omar Fayyad and Saudi trailblazer Biirdperson, Hassan Alwan b2b Tristan Girault, Cyrill Reaidy b2b Motion, and Bazzuk b2b Shemroon, alongside Palestinian DJ Soho, Iranian talents Diana and Mahyar Parsa, Ronin, Horrible and Youssf Yasser, spinning a little bit of everything from house, techno and bass. 

In addition to the music, Shams festival will spotlight local culture with a curated food market and stalls from a wide range of homegrown brands. 

Early bird tickets are now available through shamsfestival.com.