The 16th edition of the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF 2025) is set to open on Wednesday, April 23. Held at Expo Centre Sharjah, this year’s festival promises a vibrant 12-day celebration of culture, creativity, and learning for children, families, and young adults.

With the theme “Dive Into Books,” the event will feature 122 publishers from 22 countries, as well as over 200 writers, illustrators, and cultural figures from the UAE and around the world.

The festival’s agenda is packed with over 1,000 activities, including 600 workshops covering everything from storytelling and science to arts and crafts. There will also be 85 cooking sessions with renowned chefs, alongside 150 sessions in the Comics Corner, which aims to inspire young minds through creative exploration.

Fun and Learning for Kids

One of the most exciting additions this year is the Sherlock Holmes Competition. This immersive experience takes festival-goers back to the Victorian era, turning the venue into a 10,000-square-foot playground filled with mystery and hands-on challenges.

Another new feature is the Future Makers Museum, where kids can dig for dinosaur fossils, build mechanical machines, and even launch rockets, making science fun and interactive.

The festival will also include over 35 panel discussions on the future of children’s literature and the book industry, focusing on ways to foster a reading culture and tackle challenges in publishing.

For those looking for entertainment, the festival offers a wide range of performances, from thrilling science experiments in Science Street with Abdullah Anan to musical evenings like The Golden Generation: A Musical Evening with the Spirit of the East Choir. Other performances include Magic in the Air, Junklandia, and The Nutkins.

Festival mascots Wamda, Shoaa, Qalam, and Noqta will also roam the venue, bringing extra fun and excitement for visitors of all ages.

The Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival will run daily from 09:00 to 21:00, except on Fridays when the event will operate from 16:00 to 21:00.