​ELEPHANT PARADE MAKES MIDDLE EAST DEBUT IN DUBAI

From 24^thOctober to 29^thNovember 50 of the iconic baby elephant statues will be displayed across Dubai Festival City Mall.

Fifty Elephant Parade art pieces are en route to Dubai Festival City Mall for the launch of the fourth annual IMAGINE show, Hathi’s Gardenon 24^thOctober 2019. Elephant Parade, the world’s leading public art exposition, prepares to make its Middle-Eastern debut at the renowned retail establishment in its grand celebration of biggest and best IMAGINE show yet.

Elephant Parade’s unveiling in ‘Hathi’s Garden’ aims to align international attitudes towards conservation – and the belief that art as a universal language can bring people of all cultures together to inspire people and paint a brighter future for the much-loved elephant.

This new Elephant Parade comes at a time when the classification of the endangered status of elephants has been hotly debated at the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). After the extinction of the West African Black Rhinoceros, the need for events that raise awareness of endangered species are vital.

With ‘Hathi’, the little elephant with the big heart being the star of the show, the IMAGINE show perfectly reflects the true story of Mosha, the baby Asian elephant whose legacy inspired the inception of Elephant Parade as a global movement.

Dubai Festival City Mall’s IMAGINE shows have won two Guinness World Records - for their visual and sensory production that combines lights, lasers and water - fuses exceptional art and technology to create an unforgettable and seamless experience that perfectly mirrors Elephant Parade’s philosophy on the power of art to inspire people.

Alongside the exhibition, visitors can drop-in to a dedicated Elephant Parade Pop-up shop on Ground Floor – Festival Square to purchase merchandise, paint an elephant statue with a workshop, watch a short documentary film and find out more about elephant conservation and the story behind the figures. 

René de Wit, Managing Director atElephant Parade, said: “Collaboration is at the heart of what we do at Elephant Parade and the opportunity to team up with Dubai’s Festival City Mall and its IMAGINE show allows us to add further colour to this fantastic annual event. After over a decade of visiting so many great cities around the world, Elephant Parade has become a truly global movement, bringing together the worlds of art and business to paint a brighter future for the elephant. Our debut this month in Dubai is one of the true high points of the last 10 years, and we hope it is just the beginning of a creative love affair with the Middle East.”

Steven Cleaver, Director, Shopping Centres Dubai, Al-Futtaim Mallscommented: “Our IMAGINE shows have always been extremely popular amongst our visitors so we are thrilled to be back again with our fourth show. This year is not just about hosting an exceptional show for our audience, it’s also about raising awareness around the conservation of threatened animals and endangered species.”

About Dubai Festival City Mall

Dubai Festival City Mall is one of the major shopping destinations in Dubai. With over 400 outlets, the mall is home to Dubai’s only IKEA, renowned fashion brands like Zara, H&M, Top Shop, Coach, DKNY, Kate Spade and for the first time in the Middle East, luxury Singaporean department store, Robinsons. The dining destination offers iconic waterfront Dining on Festival Bay, 56 restaurants and café, the largest Food Court in Dubai and first to market F&B concepts like Sugar Factory, Tortilla, and the Middle East’s only Hard Rock Café. The entertainment venue offers a 7-star 18-Screen Novo Cinemas with 4D IMAX, a 70,000 sq. ft. family entertainment centre, Fabyland and Festival City’s newest addition the global attraction IMAGINE.

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 be believed, leaving a long-lasting impression on all that experience it and live the feeling that is IMAGINE.

Festival Bay, is the ‘most instagrammable sunset in Dubai’, meets the waters of the historic Dubai Creek. There are over 15 waterfront dining options at Festival Bay, some of which include, Cheesecake Factory, Eataly, Turkish Village and authentic Emirati cuisine at Al Fanar.