Partner Content: Festival-only dishes, homegrown partnerships and Abu Dhabi debuts put food firmly on the agenda.
Come hungry to BREDx Abu Dhabi. Taking over Etihad Live on 13 and 14 November 2026, the two-day neo-culture festival will offer a carefully constructed culinary line-up that puts homegrown collaborations centre stage, with limited offerings created for the occasion and familiar favourites appearing in new formats.
The FACT award-winning Marmellata and Barbassi lead the charge with the Marmellata Abu Dhabi Slice Shop, pairing pizza with Barbassi’s much-loved sandwiches. Sandwich shop regulars get an added incentive, because Barbassi will close its Abu Dhabi premises for both festival days, making BREDx the only place to get its sandwiches during that period.
The Slice Shop’s creative partnerships extend beyond the menu. Marmellata is collaborating with Turbo 45, a Jordanian creative agency specialising in Arabic graphics and typography, on the façade. The result will give regional design a place in the food experience, connecting what visitors see with what they have come to taste.
Elsewhere, Abu Dhabi concepts Bayna and Seven Dawgs will join forces for an exclusive local collaboration. Seven Dawgs is known for hot dogs, burgers and playful flavour combinations. Its regular menu includes the Sweet Saints of Fire, which pairs a beef hot dog with cream cheese, spicy sauce, raspberry jam and jalapeños. The partnership with Bayna takes that spirit of discovery into a festival setting, inviting visitors to explore two local concepts through a collaboration created specifically for the occasion.
Dessert deserves a place on your feasting agenda, too. Chef Khaled of Burnt Butter is teaming up with Mina Creamery and El Botik for a Made in Abu Dhabi collaboration centred on a grilled banana split sundae. Created exclusively for BREDx, the collaboration connects food, dessert and design through an Insta-worthy dish visitors should seek out specifically on festival days – we promise you won’t regret it.
Barjis will also host its first Abu Dhabi pop-up. Having travelled around the world to connect with the Arab diaspora, the concept uses food and community to create a sense of home away from home. Its BREDx appearance introduces that approach to the capital for a one-off experience.
The firsts continue with Ugly Noodles, which will unveil its first-ever BBQ concept, taking its Asian-inspired approach in a new direction. Fowli, led by chef Ali Yazdi, will make its Abu Dhabi debut with its whole-fried chicken concept. Dalia Bagel Bar is also arriving in the capital for the first time, serving its signature bagels and speciality coffee.
UAE concept Holy Smokes will add its backyard BBQ experience to the mix, while Whynot will serve smashed burgers and its popular burger cup.
With exclusive collaborations available across just two days, it pays to plan your food stops and discover what the region’s independent concepts are cooking up. Elsewhere, BREDx spans music, sport and fashion. Central Cee and Bryson Tiller headline on 14 November, with Bu Kolthoum and Zaid Khaled performing on 13 November and Nasser joining the following day.
Where: BREDx Abu Dhabi, Etihad Live, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
When: Friday 13 and Saturday 14 November 2026
Contact: https://bredabudhabi.com