RIYADH: The sky’s the limit for visitors to AlUla this Eid Al-Fitr as the ancient oasis city prepares to celebrate the holiday. The AlUla Skies Festival, returning for a second year, will be the flagship event among a raft of activities. The festival will take place from April 26 to May 13 with a range of adventure, cultural, heritage, and entertainment experiences. By day, visitors will have the chance to get a bird’s-eye view of AlUla from a hot air balloon or helicopter, and at night stargazing, music shows, and astrophotography will be among the offerings. AlUla’s clear, unpolluted skies have become a magnet for stargazers, and those attending the night-time events will be able to learn how ancient Arab astronomers used the night sky as a navigation guide. FAST FACT The festival will take place from April 26 to May 13 with a range of adventure, cultural, heritage, and entertainment experiences. “The AlUla Skies Festival … represents a unique opportunity to enhance the city’s position as a leading tourist destination in the region,” said Phillip Jones, head of the tourism sector at the Royal Commission for AlUla. “In the past, the sky shaped maps to guide travelers, as visitors to AlUla were guided by the stars to travel for the ancient incense trade route. “Today, we celebrate this heritage through a group of activities and performances that establish the AlUla Skies Festival as a pioneering event worth participating in. Hot air balloon trips in the north of Al-Hajar will operate each day from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., with flights over the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Meanwhile, from 4:30 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. in the evenings, experts will take visitors on a journey through the stars before showing them how to take photographs at night.