Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2027: dates, venue and how to get there
Emirates LitFest 2027 is set for April. The last two editions ran at InterContinental Dubai Festival City: how to get there, pickups and group transport.
Chauffeur operations specialist, Dubai · Updated · 7 min read
The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2027 is planned for April 2027, according to the festival’s official channels. Exact dates and the venue haven’t been announced yet. The 2025 and 2026 editions both ran at InterContinental Dubai Festival City, on the creek close to DXB. Festival City isn’t on the metro, so most people come by car or taxi.
LitFest isn’t a single show with one start and one finish. It’s a week of ticketed sessions, and people drift in and out all day, for one author talk or for five. That changes how you plan the ride. We arrange event chauffeur transport around timetables like this, and the notes below come from that side of the job: when to book a transfer, when hourly hire makes more sense, and how to move a school or book-club group.
One naming point, because search mixes them up. Emirates is the title sponsor; the festival itself is run by the Emirates Literature Foundation. If you’re after the airline’s own chauffeur drive for Business and First Class passengers, that’s a different thing, covered in our Emirates chauffeur service guide.
When is the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2027?
The festival’s official Instagram lists the next festival as April 2027. That’s a shift: recent editions ran in late January and early February. As of mid-October 2026 the Emirates LitFest website still shows the 2026 festival, so the 2027 programme, dates and venue are still to come.
| Edition | Dates | Venue | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 29 January – 2 February 2025 | InterContinental Dubai Festival City | Held |
| 2026 (18th) | 21–27 January 2026 | InterContinental Dubai Festival City | Held |
| 2027 | April 2027; exact dates not announced | Not announced yet | Month from the festival’s official Instagram |
| 2028 | Not announced yet | Not announced yet | 2025–2026 ran late January to early February; 2027 moves to April |
The January 2026 festival had nearly 200 speakers from more than 40 countries and over 200 events, according to the Dubai Media Office. Gulf News reported session tickets from AED 50 that year, plus passes for people attending several events.
We’ll update this page when the Foundation confirms the 2027 venue. Until then, plan around Festival City and check our Dubai events calendar for what else is on in April.
What happens at the Festival of Literature, and why it matters for transport
Most of the programme is author talks, panels and workshops, with family activities (the LitFest Families strand) and a handful of evening events. You buy tickets per session. So two people at the same festival can have completely different days, and the car plan should follow the ticket list, not the festival dates.
Four patterns we see:
- One session. A transfer there and a separate pickup booked for about 15 minutes after your session ends. Cheapest option, and fine if you’re not staying for anything else.
- Two or three sessions with gaps. Hourly hire usually wins. The minimum is 3 hours, the car waits in the parking area, and you don’t queue for a taxi between talks.
- Families. A car that waits means you can leave the moment a tired six-year-old decides the day is over, without hunting for a taxi with a pushchair.
- Speakers and visiting authors. Usually an airport pickup, hotel stays at Festival City or in town, then several short hops across the week. We plan those as a daily schedule.
How do you get to InterContinental Dubai Festival City?
Dubai Festival City is on the east bank of Dubai Creek, south of Al Garhoud and close to Dubai International Airport. From Downtown, Business Bay and DIFC it’s a short run over the creek crossings. From Dubai Marina and JLT it’s the full length of Sheikh Zayed Road, so a morning session needs an early start.
| Option | How it works | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chauffeur, transfer or hourly | Drop at the hotel entrance, same car home | Multi-session days, families, speakers | Book the return when you book the outbound |
| Taxi or ride-hailing | Hotel forecourt drop-off | A single session | Demand jumps when a big session lets out |
| Self-drive | Festival City parking; Dubai Festival City Mall also offers valet | Residents | Weekend afternoons, when the mall is busy too |
| Metro plus taxi | Festival City isn’t on the metro network | Budget trips | You’ll need a taxi or bus for the last stretch |
If you’re coming from Sharjah, Festival City is one of the easier Dubai venues to reach because you don’t cross the whole city. Peak-hour traffic on the Sharjah–Dubai roads still applies, though.
Drop-off and pickup: the part to plan
Arrival is easy. The car pulls up at the hotel entrance and you walk in. Leaving is where time goes, because a popular session empties a hall all at once and everyone heads for the same forecourt.
What works for us:
- Send us your session list the day before. We’ll time the pickup to the end of your last ticket, not a guess.
- The chauffeur parks nearby rather than circling. On hourly hire he’s a message away.
- Message 10–15 minutes before you walk out. By the time you’ve finished the book-signing queue, the car is at the door.
- For evening events, tell us if dinner is booked elsewhere afterwards. The same car takes you on.
Flying in for LitFest
Festival City’s position near DXB is a real advantage for visitors. With our airport transfer, the chauffeur tracks your flight, meets you in arrivals with a name board and includes 45–60 minutes of free waiting, so a delayed landing doesn’t cost you a session. Authors arriving on a tight schedule often go straight from the airport to a green room; tell us and we’ll plan for it.
Groups: schools, book clubs and corporate tables
Match the vehicle to the headcount, then add luggage or bags of books.
| Group size | What we’d send | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | Business or first-class sedan | Quiet, easy at the hotel forecourt |
| 4–6 | Large SUV or Mercedes V-Class | Room for bags and a stroller |
| 7–12 | Two V-Classes travelling together | Keeps a small group on the same timing |
| 12–30 | Minibus with driver | School trips, book clubs, staff outings |
| 30+ | Coach from our bus rental service | Whole year groups, delegations |
For schools, give us the session start time and the time the group must be back at school. We work backwards from both, with a buffer for the walk from the hall to the coach.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Emirates Literature Festival?
The 2025 and 2026 festivals were held at InterContinental Dubai Festival City, on Dubai Creek near Dubai International Airport. The venue for the April 2027 edition hasn’t been announced yet, so check the Emirates LitFest website before you book transport or a hotel nearby.
When is Emirates LitFest 2027?
The festival’s official Instagram lists the next edition for April 2027. Exact dates haven’t been published yet. For reference, the 2026 festival ran 21–27 January 2026 and the 2025 festival ran 29 January to 2 February 2025, so April is a change from the usual slot.
Which metro station is closest to Dubai Festival City?
Dubai Festival City isn’t on the metro network, so there’s no station at the door. If you take the metro, you’ll finish the trip by taxi or bus. Most visitors drive, take a taxi or book a car, which is simpler if you’re attending more than one session.
How much are Emirates LitFest tickets?
Tickets are sold per session. Gulf News reported prices from AED 50 for the 2026 festival, with passes available for people attending several events. Prices for 2027 will come with the programme, and the Emirates Literature Foundation’s membership offers discounts on tickets.
Who organises the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature?
The Emirates Literature Foundation runs the festival, and Emirates is the title sponsor. Dubai Culture supported parts of the 2026 programme. The festival is separate from the airline’s chauffeur service for premium passengers.
Written by
Arshad HussainArshad Hussain has run chauffeur and limousine operations in Dubai since 2014: dispatch, fleet allocation, airport pickups and event transport.
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