Taste of Abu Dhabi is back on Yas Island from Friday 13 to Sunday 15 November 2026, and once again Elite Horizon is the fuel behind the fire. We are sponsoring the firewood and charcoal that keep the FirePit burning all weekend, and you will find our team in our own chalet with some of our favourite BBQ kit, ready to talk fire, fuel and flavour from the first service to the last.
Taste of Abu Dhabi 2026 at a glance
- Dates: Friday 13 to Sunday 15 November 2026
- Venue: Gateway Park North, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
- Opening hours: 2pm to midnight on Friday and Saturday, 2pm to 10pm on Sunday
- Tickets: General admission from AED 80, Taster package AED 185 (two food and two drink vouchers), VIP package AED 350 (fast-track entry, VIP Lounge access and vouchers). Advance prices run until 12 November or until sold out.
- Kids: Under 12s go free
What to expect at this year's festival
Taste of Abu Dhabi brings the capital's best restaurants together in one place for a weekend of tasting-sized dishes, live cooking and music. Around 16 restaurants are taking part, each serving three to five dishes created for the festival, including Soraya, Marcella, Almayass, Oak Room, Tanjun by 99, Lento, Paradiso, Ting Irie, Pincode, Villa Toscana at the St. Regis and The Ramen Bar.
On the main stages, celebrity chefs Gino D'Acampo, Rachel Allen and Thomas Straker headline the line-up. Over at the FirePit, the focus is on live-fire cooking and barbecue demonstrations throughout the weekend. Sessions are free with festival entry, but you need to register on the day, so get there early for the ones you want.
The fuel behind the FirePit
Live-fire cooking lives or dies by its fuel. Wood that is too wet smokes and spits, and cheap charcoal burns out before the meat is done. That is why the chefs at the FirePit cook over our two house brands:
- Bad Axe firewood: low-moisture hardwoods that light quickly, burn hot and clean, and give a steady flame for grilling and fire-pit cooking. Choose from oak, beech, birch, olive, cherry and hickory.
- Pure Fire charcoal: 100% natural hardwood lump charcoal with high heat, low ash and a long, even burn, trusted by restaurants and hotels across the UAE.
If you are wondering which wood suits which food, our guide on which firewood is best is a good place to start, and you can read how to choose the best charcoal for your grill.
Our team at the Taste fire pit in 2025.
Come and find us in the Elite Horizon chalet
Between FirePit sessions, drop by our chalet. We will have some of our range on show, from grills to firewood, charcoal and the accessories that make outdoor cooking easier. Mostly, though, we are there to chat BBQ all day long. Bring your questions about lighting a fire properly, picking the right fuel for brisket or pizza, or getting your grill ready for the winter season, and we will happily talk you through it.
A long-running partnership
Elite Horizon has supplied the fuel for the fire pit at Taste of Abu Dhabi and its sister festival, Taste of Dubai, for years, working alongside the organisers at MENA Live Events. At Taste of Dubai 2025 we fuelled the fire pit and BBQ school alongside Exit 10 BBQs and smokers, and in 2025 we also sponsored the Open Fire Food Festival Abu Dhabi. Every year it is a highlight of our calendar, and a great chance to see our fuel doing what it does best.
Getting to Taste of Abu Dhabi
- By car: head to Gateway Park North on Yas Island and follow the event parking signs. Free parking is nearby, but the closest car parks fill up fast.
- By taxi: use an Abu Dhabi taxi, Careem or Uber with Gateway Park North, Yas Island as your destination.
- By bus: route 102 runs from Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station. Check the Darbi app for times.
See you by the fire
Book your tickets early to get advance prices, register for the FirePit sessions when you arrive, and come and say hello at the Elite Horizon chalet. If you run a restaurant, hotel or catering business and want to talk about fuel supply, our team will be there all weekend, or you can get in touch any time.