Sharjah 90s Festival 2026: UAE’s Biggest Vintage Pop Culture Event
Sharjah is set to transform into a pop-culture time capsule this February as it hosts one of the largest 1990s-inspired vintage festivals in the UAE, blending music, movies, games, food and immersive experiences that celebrate a generation’s most iconic decade. The event, called “The 90s by RBO,” will run from February 12 to March 01, 2026 at the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park, offering visitors a chance to relive the sights, sounds and tastes that defined the decade.
Sharjah’s 90s-inspired vintage festival: A time machine for a generation
The festival is designed as an immersive throwback, from classic VHS tapes and flip phones to vintage gaming consoles and themed zones that trigger nostalgic memories for those who grew up in the 1990s. Sharjah’s vintage celebration aims to recreate the cultural energy of the era through environments evocative of living rooms, arcades and pop-culture hangouts of the time. Visitors will find sections dedicated to classic gaming, where cartridge consoles featuring likes of Sega and early PlayStation games take centre stage, along with a memory wall encouraging attendees to reconnect with treasured personal moments from their youth. In addition to games and artefacts, the festival features open-air cinema screenings showing beloved films and TV moments from the decade, allowing guests to revisit favourite entertainment experiences under the stars.
Music and movies: The soundtrack of the ’90s at Sharjah festival
Music will be a key pillar of the event’s programming, with DJ sets, curated playlists and live performances inspired by chart-topping hits of the 1990s. Expect the anthems that dominated Walkmans, car stereos and TV music shows, from pop and rock to early hip-hop and dance tracks, all designed to immerse attendees in the familiar rhythms that shaped a generation’s cultural identity. Large screens throughout the venue will showcase iconic movies and television highlights, emphasising the era’s memorable pop-cultural moments while offering attendees a shared, communal viewing experience reminiscent of family movie nights and outdoor screenings.
Food with a retro vibe at Sharjah festival
No nostalgic festival would be complete without food and this event’s menu leans into classic diner-style fare reminiscent of 1990s comfort cuisine. Visitors can enjoy burgers, milkshakes, fries and other favourites that evoke the tastes and flavours of the decade, adding a sensory element to the overall retro experience. Food stalls and themed eateries scattered across the grounds aim to complement the pop-culture ambience, offering both older visitors and younger attendees a taste of the era’s most cherished culinary staples. The retro festival is emerging during a busy festival season in Sharjah, alongside multiple cultural and community-driven events in 2026 that continue the emirate’s commitment to creative engagement and tourism.
Why is the 90’s festival in Sharjah trending
Earlier in February, the 23rd Sharjah Heritage Days finished a multi-city celebration of Emirati and global folk culture, featuring traditional music, performances and heritage displays in the historic Heart of Sharjah. In addition, Sharjah’s broader events calendar shows a spectrum of experiences, from literature and animation festivals to Ramadan celebrations, that are attracting diverse audiences and reinforcing the emirate’s growing reputation as a cultural hub in the UAE. The 1990s revival festival is tapping into a powerful current of nostalgia and pop-culture fascination that resonates across generations. Millennials who grew up in the decade, as well as younger visitors curious about the era’s styles, media and tech, find in this festival an opportunity to relive and reinterpret shared cultural touchstones.The event also aligns with a broader trend of retro and vintage festivals worldwide, where communities celebrate music, fashion, games and media from past decades as a form of collective memory and intergenerational connection. By bringing this experience to the UAE, Sharjah positions itself at the intersection of culture, entertainment and tourism, attracting both residents and international visitors. Set across open-air and indoor spaces, the festival welcomes attendees daily from 4 pm to midnight, allowing families, young adults and night-owl festival-goers alike to explore at leisure. The venue, the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park, is easily accessible and provides immersive stages and installations designed to make attendees feel transported back in time.Whether you are reliving your own 1990s memories or discovering them for the first time, the event promises a shared social experience rooted in nostalgia, community and cultural curiosity. Sharjah’s 1990s-inspired vintage festival is more than just an event; it is a cultural flashback that blends music, film, games and retro lifestyle moments into a multi-sensory celebration of an iconic decade. As a part of Sharjah’s wider schedule of festivals and cultural showcases, it underscores the emirate’s vibrant role in the UAE’s cultural calendar and its ability to host events that entertain, educate and connect people of all ages through shared memories and experiences. Go to Source
