Al Qana Waterfront is adding a creative twist to its lineup of attractions this August, with two new painting workshops launching at The Butterfly Gardens Abu Dhabi and The National Aquarium Abu Dhabi. Both venues have partnered with FoscaArt to run guided sessions every Thursday throughout the month, giving visitors a reason to swap the usual walk-through for something a little more hands-on.
The first is a butterfly painting workshop held inside The Butterfly Gardens Abu Dhabi from 8am to 10am, priced at Dhs250 per person. The early slot is deliberate: mornings are when the butterflies are most active, so participants set up their easels among the tropical planting and paint while the insects move freely around them. The price covers all painting materials, instruction from FoscaArt, a finished canvas to take home, and admission to the gardens themselves.
The second option is billed as a Neon Underwater Painting workshop, running from 4pm to 6pm at The National Aquarium Abu Dhabi for Dhs260 per person. This one takes a very different visual approach, using fluorescent paints and UV black lights to turn the session into a glow-in-the-dark studio. Participants paint with the aquarium's marine life, including hammerhead sharks and rays, visible behind them for the duration. As with the butterfly workshop, the fee includes materials, FoscaArt instruction, a take-home canvas, and admission to the aquarium.
Both workshops run weekly across August 2026, so there's room to pick whichever suits your schedule, or to try both for two very different creative moods. One leans into daylight and living colour among the butterflies, the other into darkness, glow and the quiet drama of an aquarium after hours.
For anyone in Abu Dhabi looking to do something a bit different with a Thursday, these sessions offer a low-effort way to combine a day out with an actual souvenir rather than just photos. No art experience is required for either, and the finished canvas gives the outing a tangible payoff beyond the usual gift shop stop.
Reported by What's On.