This year’s edition will see OFFLIMITS Festival — the flagship open-format music festival launched in Abu Dhabi earlier this year — join as title partner. Produced by Theory Eleven (T11) Entertainment, one of the UAE’s leading event organisers, OFFLIMITS is rapidly redefining the region’s live entertainment landscape.

Its inaugural edition, staged in collaboration with Miral and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), attracted more than 30,000 attendees and featured major international artists including Ed Sheeran, OneRepublic, Faithless, and Kaiser Chiefs.

IFF 2025 will open on Wednesday 10 September with a session featuring top agents and festival organisers reviewing the upcoming 2025 festival season. The day will conclude with a keynote interview with Jim King, CEO of AEG Presents UK and European Festivals.

New this year is a dedicated series of intimate workshops and expert-led discussions, covering a range of key topics: diversifying festival revenue, improving event safety, amplifying values through festivals, and how AI and emerging tech are reshaping event operations.

On Thursday 11 September, the programme continues with four leading agents discussing how top-tier artists approach festival bookings. EXIT Festival will also present a special session on delivering events under political pressure. Additional sessions will explore the evolving role of festivals as drivers of societal change and the latest innovations in sustainability across the sector.

More info on IFF.rocks