عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Varieties

Winter at Tantora Kicks off with Large Celebration in AlUla

AlUla's Maraya Concert Hall. (AlUla)
AlUla's Maraya Concert Hall. (AlUla)
    AlUla - Mohammed Halal
TT
TT

Winter at Tantora Kicks off with Large Celebration in AlUla

AlUla's Maraya Concert Hall. (AlUla)
AlUla's Maraya Concert Hall. (AlUla)

The fourth edition of the musical and cultural festival, Winter at Tantoura, kicked off on Thursday, introducing many cultural and historic experiences including musicals and interactive activities that highlight the unique history of the city.

Tantora represents many generations of culture and heritage in AlUla, famed for the sundial used by local residents to tell the time and mark the beginning of the winter planting season. This year, AlUla celebrates this landmark with a series of entertainment and cultural events, musicals, and special experiences.

These experiences include cultural shows and interactive activities that highlight AlUla’s prestigious history and magical season. Winter at Tantora is the largest festival of its kind, hosting over 200 artists, and an orchestra concert that mixes the best Arabic and international music pieces, in addition to a visual presentation on the walls and the fortress of the old town.

During the festival, routes of AlUla will be decorated with many local products such as dates, citrus fruits, and coffee. Visitors will also enjoy the hospitality traditions of AlUla with coffee and dates to celebrate the Year of Coffee 2022 in Saudi Arabia.

The fourth edition of Winter at Tantora is held between December 22 and January 21, 2023, during which visitors will enjoy myriads of entertaining activities including concerts at the Mirror Hall by Majid al-Muhandis on December 23, Mohammed Abdu on December 30, and Assala Nasri on January 13.

Esteemed singer Mohammed Abdu said he has always been happy to partake in concerts in his home country, adding that participating in Winter at Tantora is very special to him given the city’s unique aspect that combines history and modernity. He also said he’s looking forward to seeing his fans and promised them a distinguished concert.

For his part, Majid al-Muhandis said music plays a major role in spreading culture, noting that “Winter at Tantor in AlUla” represents a great opportunity to enhance the prospering cultural and musical scene in Saudi Arabia.

Muhandis noted that AlUla is very special to him, as he previously chose it to shoot one of his music videos, and that he’s so happy to sing in it again surrounded by his fans.

Assala Nasri described Winter at Tantora as an exceptional idea, saying she’s thrilled to partake in it and to sing in such a unique place.

In addition, music will accompany the “Balconies of AlJadidah” segment held in collaboration between the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and the Music Commission. During the segment, the Saudi National Music Band will perform special pieces that date back to the 1970-90s in different regions and along the incense road at AlJadidah.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to fly in the sky of AlUla and enjoy the amazing landscapes in air balloons. The festival offers several experiences including the 15-minute hanged balloon trip, the 45-min free balloon trip, and the hanged balloon in the Khaybar region, the geological miracle known for its green oasis, volcanic rocks, and prehistorical rock formations.

For tour lovers, storytellers will be reciting the old history of the oasis in a two-hour tour dubbed “Folkloric Oasis Path”, during which visitors can wander in amazing natural areas featuring old mud houses and local farms.

Winter at Tantora also offers new and exclusive culinary options and the tastiest international dishes in the desert mountains and historic landmarks. The event hosts some of the most known restaurants and cafés at AlUla oasis during the festival.

Finally, the “environmental agriculture” experience, one of the free, interactive activities in Tantora, offers a three-hour experience including workshops that focus on vegetables, plants, and soil fertilization, in addition to an educational, explorative experience of wandering around the oasis gardens and interacting with animals.

Most Viewed

 
 
Varieties

Olympic Tourists in Cortina Can Explore the Dolomites with the New ‘Uber Snowmobile’ Service

The peaks of the Dolomites are seen from the Cortina Sliding Centre during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo on February 5, 2026. (AFP)
The peaks of the Dolomites are seen from the Cortina Sliding Centre during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo on February 5, 2026. (AFP)
TT
TT

Olympic Tourists in Cortina Can Explore the Dolomites with the New ‘Uber Snowmobile’ Service

The peaks of the Dolomites are seen from the Cortina Sliding Centre during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo on February 5, 2026. (AFP)
The peaks of the Dolomites are seen from the Cortina Sliding Centre during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo on February 5, 2026. (AFP)

The peaks of the Dolomites are seen from the Cortina Sliding Centre during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo on February 5, 2026. (AFP)

For one month starting on Saturday, Olympic spectators keen for a side trip to a UNESCO World Heritage Site can use Uber to reserve a ride on a snowmobile along the snow-covered road to the base of the Three Peaks of Lavaredo.

The dramatic, jagged limestone pinnacles stand just 23 kilometers (14.3 miles) from the Cortina venues where athletes are competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

One of the Olympic torchbearers, Giulia Baffetti, runs snowmobiling tours through Cortina-based winter activities outfit Snowdreamers. The company partnered with Uber, the official ride-hailing sponsor for the Games, to offer free tours on the weekends in February to people in town.

"Uber Snowmobile" tours, which can only be booked through Uber, include a ride in an Uber transfer bus for up to eight people from Cortina to the spot where riders mount their snowmobiles for departure. Tourgoers then follow the instructor, who leads the line of snowmobiles.

The first slots offered went fast, but Uber spokesperson Caspar Nixon said Friday that it planned to add more.

The three peaks are a magical place, Baffetti said, and this is a way for more people to experience it. Hikers and climbers flock there in the warmer months. In the winter, it’s a prime spot for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and sledding. Snowmobiling is allowed in a limited area in order to protect the environment.

"We want to give an experience to the tourists, so they can feel the mountains in a different way," she said.

The Associated Press took the one-hour tour on Thursday, ahead of the Saturday launch, along with one other person. Helmets are essential, while heated handgrips are a most welcome feature. And that red button? Passengers can push it to stop the snowmobile if it veers off course or they feel unsafe.

The adrenaline-filled ride reaches speeds up to 40 kph (25 mph) when zooming past snow-covered trees, and drivers are instructed to slow when coming upon cross-country skiers and sledders. Deer and wolves are sometimes seen along the 7-kilometer (4.3-mile) route up to the base of the peaks.

Also visible on Thursday was the southernmost of the three Lavaredo peaks, rising sharply out of the fog. While the Dolomites are breathtaking from Cortina — and on Friday, the sun shone and the view was clear from town — they are even more impressive up close.

The route back includes a short loop around Lake Antorno. Before traversing all the ups and downs, the snowmobile instructor leading the tour offers a reminder about that red button.

Saher Deeb, an Israeli tourist, was along for the ride Thursday, one day after his 29th birthday. It was his first time on a snowmobile, and he was all smiles as he climbed off at the end.

"It was perfect," he said.

Varieties

French Duo Finish Walking from France to Shanghai After 1.5 Years

Performers throw molten iron to create sparks during a performance on the Bund promenade along the Huangpu river, ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year of the Horse in Shanghai on February 2, 2026. (AFP)
Performers throw molten iron to create sparks during a performance on the Bund promenade along the Huangpu river, ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year of the Horse in Shanghai on February 2, 2026. (AFP)
TT
TT

French Duo Finish Walking from France to Shanghai After 1.5 Years

Performers throw molten iron to create sparks during a performance on the Bund promenade along the Huangpu river, ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year of the Horse in Shanghai on February 2, 2026. (AFP)
Performers throw molten iron to create sparks during a performance on the Bund promenade along the Huangpu river, ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year of the Horse in Shanghai on February 2, 2026. (AFP)

Two French adventurers reached the end of an epic walk from France to Shanghai on Saturday, after nearly a year and a half crossing 16 countries almost entirely on foot.

Loic Voisot and Benjamin Humblot embraced as they stood by the river on the Bund promenade, the financial hub's distinctive skyline glittering in the background.

Voisot and Humblot set off from Annecy in September 2024.

"We were thinking about this moment almost every day for more than a year now, so it's a really strong feeling," Humblot said of reaching their destination.

Hanging out after work one day, the two friends realized they both yearned for a "great adventure".

They wanted to visit China -- but without flying, which they believe is too harmful to the environment.

A plan to set out on foot was hatched, and except for a stretch in Russia which was done by bus for safety reasons, 518 days and around 12,850 kilometers (7,980 miles) later they took the last steps to completing it.

Around 50 people gathered at the start point for the last 10km stretch of their odyssey, many local people who have been following them on social media.

Along the way their numbers swelled, as media, French residents of Shanghai and others joined.

"If your dreams are crazy, just take it step by step and sometimes you will not succeed, but sometimes you will," said Voisot.

Asked what he would do first now the walk was over, he joked: "Sleep a lot!"

Varieties

Annual Orchids Show Brings Vivid Color to Chicago Winter

Orchids adorn a Volkswagen Beetle as finishing touches are placed on the 12th annual Chicago Botanic Garden Orchid Show, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, in Glencoe, Ill. (AP)
Orchids adorn a Volkswagen Beetle as finishing touches are placed on the 12th annual Chicago Botanic Garden Orchid Show, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, in Glencoe, Ill. (AP)
TT
TT

Annual Orchids Show Brings Vivid Color to Chicago Winter

Orchids adorn a Volkswagen Beetle as finishing touches are placed on the 12th annual Chicago Botanic Garden Orchid Show, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, in Glencoe, Ill. (AP)
Orchids adorn a Volkswagen Beetle as finishing touches are placed on the 12th annual Chicago Botanic Garden Orchid Show, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, in Glencoe, Ill. (AP)

A soft layer of white snow blankets the grounds of the Chicago Botanic Garden. The air is chilly, the sky gray.

Inside, however, the air is warm and lights illuminate more than 10,000 vividly colored orchids. Staff members move in and out of greenhouses, preparing to open the garden’s 12th annual Orchid Show on Saturday.

This year’s theme is “Feelin’ Groovy" with several installations calling back to the 1970s, including a yellow Volkswagen Beetle filled with orchids.

“It’s just a really great way to get out of the winter cold and come into our greenhouses,” said Jodi Zombolo, associate vice president of visitor events and programs. “I think people are really looking for something to kind of bring happiness and something that they will enjoy and find whimsy in.”

The orchid family is one of the largest in the plant world and some of the species in the show are rare, exhibits horticulturist Jason Toth said. One example is the Angraecum sesquipedale, also known as Darwin’s orchid, on display in the west gallery.

Toth said the orchid led Darwin to correctly conclude that pollinators have adapted in order to reach down the flower's very long end.

"It has a great story and it’s quite remarkable-looking,” said Toth.

Elsewhere, massive, gnarly roots dangle from purple, pink and yellow Vanda orchids in the south greenhouse. These epiphytic orchids grow on the surface of trees instead of in soil.

“I think everyone’s tired of the winter,” said Toth. “So having some kind of flower show at this point is what we’re all craving. And 'Orchids' fits the bill.”

The show is expected to draw 85,000 visitors this year.