Ras Al Khaimah will welcome 2027 with fireworks and drone shows illuminating 5km of coastline, as the emirate prepares to host an 11-hour New Year's Eve festival with live music and family activities.

The celebrations on December 31 will be free to attend, but visitors must register to enter the RAK NYE Festival at Jais Festival Ground. Registration opens on November 15.

According to details announced by Visit Ras Al Khaimah and published on the official RAK NYE website, the main fireworks and drone show will run from 11.50pm to 12.05am, with both displays choreographed to music.

The festival will begin at 4pm on December 31 and continue until 3am on January 1.

Visitors can register through the official website starting November 15.

One registration can cover a main guest and up to four additional people, including children, along with one vehicle. Larger groups or those travelling in multiple vehicles will need additional registrations.

Visitors must present their registration QR codes at the festival entrance.

Separate registration categories have been introduced for festival visitors, Al Marjan Island residents and their guests, and hotel or restaurant guests.

Organisers said roads will close from 7pm on December 31 and advised visitors to arrive early.

This year, Exit 122 will be the only designated public car park for the festival, with free parking available from 10am on a first-come, first-served basis.

Visitors will not be permitted to drive directly to the festival venue, and roadside parking will not be allowed.

Instead, free shuttle buses will operate between the Exit 122 car park and the festival ground from 4pm. The service will run in both directions, with the last shuttle bus leaving at 3am.

Organisers have also clarified that the Exit 122 car park is not a fireworks viewing area.

Access to Al Marjan Island will be by registration only on New Year's Eve.

Residents must register their households and guests, with each apartment entitled to two digital car passes. Each pass will be valid for one-time entry.

Hotel guests and visitors with restaurant reservations must register using their booking confirmations. Registrations in this category can cover one main guest and up to four additional people, with one car pass available per booking, subject to availability.

Apart from the main midnight display at the festival, residents and visitors will have another opportunity to watch fireworks earlier in the evening.

A separate fireworks display will take place over the Ras Al Khaimah Corniche, opposite Julphar Towers, at 9pm. Visitors can watch from the Manar Mall promenade and surrounding waterfront, with no advance registration required.

Entry will be free on a first-come, first-served basis, and visitors can park at Manar Mall.

For those unable to attend in person, the main fireworks and drone show will be streamed live on the official RAK NYE website from 11.50pm to 12.05am.

Organisers said there will be no other official public viewing areas for this year's celebrations. Visitors with confirmed hotel or restaurant bookings can also watch from participating venues.

Beyond the fireworks, the RAK NYE Festival will feature two main entertainment zones.

The Stage Zone will host five DJs, music and the midnight countdown, with MC Parikshit leading the celebrations.

The Family Zone will offer more than 25 activities, including giant chess, mini golf, football shooting, balloon darts, soft play areas and a 360-degree video booth.

A walking carnival will move between the two zones at 7.30pm, 8.30pm and 9.30pm, featuring Arabic dance performances by the Warrior Squad, acrobats, jugglers, LED characters, roaming mascots and a pyro show.

Food trucks will serve a variety of dishes, including burgers, pizzas, shawarma, tacos and desserts.