Sonara Camp Brings Halloween to the Desert with “Witches of the Dunes”

While everyone else is finding things to do for Halloween in the city, we have found the perfect escape for you hidden in the Dubai Desert Conversation Reserve. “Witches of the Dunes,” hosted by Sonara Camp is a seasonal experience which will be happening on Friday 21st October and Saturday 1st November. This event is more than just an evening out, but it will be a place where you can feast on a delicios dining experience, enjoy family activities and relax watching incredible performances against the stark beauty of the desert landscape and moonlight sky.

If you’re wondering what the night will consist of, we have everything you need to know – drives across the dunes before getting a special welcome by costumed performers who set the tone as the sun dips across the horizon. Children are drawn into games and activities tailored for them, while adults are invited to pause with canapés and seasonal refreshments as twilight falls.

Dinner, designed by Chef Gregory Khellouf, is an interpretation of the occasion through Sonara’s culinary lens. The menu opens with pumpkin soup and black hummus, continues with Angus beef tagliata, and ends with themed desserts. Served within Sonara’s eco-luxury setting, the experience balances creativity with a respect for detail, elevating Halloween into an evening of dining as much as festivity.

Performance threads through the night. Fire artists, Dia de los Muertos dancers, and Tanoura performers animate the dunes, their movements made more striking by the desert’s natural stillness. The much-anticipated rendition of “Thriller” underscores how the evening sits at the intersection of theatre and celebration. Polaroid keepsakes and set design details, such as glowing pathways and decorated tables, ensure the experience is both intimate and memorable.

Packages vary depending on how guests wish to spend the evening, whether arriving early to take in the golden-hour desert or reserving for the full dinner performance. Each format offers an interpretation of the event, but all place Sonara’s hospitality at the centre.

“Witches of the Dunes” is not positioned as spectacle alone but as a seasonal interpretation of Sonara’s ethos: bringing together gastronomy, performance, and the desert environment in a way that feels both unexpected and carefully curated. It reflects the UAE’s growing appetite for experiences that combine international traditions with local landscapes, turning the desert itself into an open-air cultural stage.

Reservations are limited for this year’s edition. Further details are available at www.nara.ae/sonara.