SCRF 2025 opens with 1,000+ activities, global cultural line-up

Sharjah 24: Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and the guidance of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness, and Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, the 16th edition of the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF 2025) will open tomorrow, Wednesday, April 23, ushering in 12 days of vibrant cultural exchange, creative exploration, and engaging activities for children, youth, and families.

Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority under the theme "Dive Into Books", at Expo Centre Sharjah, the event will host 122 publishers from 22 countries and over 200 writers, illustrators, and cultural figures from the UAE and around the world.

This year’s programme includes 1,024 activities led by 133 guests from 70 countries. The agenda features over 35 panel discussions addressing the current landscape of publishing, with a special focus on children’s literature. The sessions will also explore strategies for fostering a reading culture and tackling challenges in the regional and global book industry. The festival will also feature a mobile exhibition, theatrical performances, and a range of complimentary and ticketed workshops.

600+ workshops, 115 events at the Cookery Corner, 150+ at Comics Corner

The 12-day agenda features over 600 workshops tailored for children, adolescents, and adults, alongside 85 cooking sessions and more than 30 live sessions by acclaimed chefs from the region and beyond. Complementing these are over 150 sessions in the 'Comics Corner', which aim to nurture skills in storytelling, science, arts, crafts, music, creative thinking, and technology. Among the standout sessions are 'The Art of Thread Drawing', 'Manga Drawing Techniques', 'Designing Character-Inspired Candles', 'Writing Dialogues for a Short Comic', 'Digital Cubes', 'Rotating Robots', 'The Good Old Days Bag', and 'Make Your Mechanical Brush'.

Sherlock Holmes and the Future Makers Museum

New to this year's edition is the 'Sherlock Holmes Competition', which transforms the festival into an immersive Victorian-era playground spanning 10,000 square feet, brimming with mystery, science, and deductive challenges. Adding to the excitement, the 'Future Makers Museum' blends scientific discovery with hands-on fun, inviting children to engage in activities such as excavating dinosaur fossils, operating mechanical machines, and launching rockets.

Theatre and roaming shows

Further enriching the experience, the festival will feature 85 theatrical and roaming performances, along with a diverse line-up of musical and scientific shows for visitors of all ages. Among the highlights are "Science Street," where Abdullah Anan will present thrilling experiments, such as exploding hydrogen balloons and giant nitrogen clouds, and "The Golden Generation: A Musical Evening with the Spirit of the East Choir."

Other performances will include 'Magic in the Air' featuring French entertainer Philippe Bougard, as well as dynamic shows such as 'Junklandia', 'Airfoot Works', 'Robots', 'Marty Boots', 'The Nutkins', 'The Paddle Ducks', 'Masked Wonderland', and 'Winged Wonders'. Adding a lively touch to the atmosphere, festival mascots Wamda, Shoaa, Qalam, and Noqta will perform roaming acts throughout the venue’s halls and corridors.

The festival will be open to the public from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM throughout the week, excluding Friday, which will operate from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

For the full agenda of activities, list of guests, and participating artists, visit: https://www.scrf.ae/