Dubai’s Onam calendar is stretching well into October, with AKCAF Association preparing its 28th Ponnonakkazhcha celebration for Sunday, 11 October 2026 at Dubai World Trade Centre.
The main event begins from 8:00 AM at Za’abeel Halls 5 and 6, with an Onam Sadya, cultural programmes, competitions and live music forming part of the day. AKCAF’s official ticketing page also confirms that the Onam Sadya is included with every entry ticket. Q-Tickets Events
Organisers had earlier said they were preparing for around 10,000 people for the Sadya, making this one of the larger late-season Malayali community gatherings in the UAE. ManoramaOnline
When and where?
Date: Sunday, 11 October 2026
Time: From 8:00 AM
Venue: Dubai World Trade Centre
Halls: Za’abeel Halls 5 & 6
Event: AKCAF Ponnonakkazhcha ’26
Sadya: Included with the entry ticket Q-Tickets Events
Tickets are currently being routed through the official AKCAF website to Q-Tickets, so readers should use that route rather than relying on forwarded payment links or old posters. AKCAF
The preliminary competitions have already taken place
The first stage of Ponnonakkazhcha was held at Amity School in Al Qusais on 4 October.
According to reporting published on 7 October, around 100 children took part in the Kids Fashion Show, while preliminary rounds were also held for Malayali Manka, Purusha Kesari and Nadan Pattu. ManoramaOnline
From those rounds:
12 contestants qualified for the Malayali Manka final, while 10 contestants qualified for the Purusha Kesari final.
The finalists will compete again during the 11 October programme at Dubai World Trade Centre. Winners from the folk-song competition and the top three children from the fashion show will also appear during the main event, with the children taking part in a ramp walk. ManoramaOnline
So the October 11 programme is now the culmination of activities that have already begun, rather than simply a standalone Onam gathering.
28 mothers and the Mathruvandanam story
One of the most distinctive parts of this year’s programme is Mathruvandanam.
AKCAF announced that 28 mothers of UAE expatriate workers would be brought from Kerala to Dubai as part of the initiative. ManoramaOnline
The idea gives Ponnonakkazhcha a different dimension from a large cultural show or Sadya.
For many expatriates, living abroad can mean spending important family occasions thousands of kilometres away from parents.
Bringing mothers to the UAE for the celebration reverses that usual journey: instead of expatriates going home for Onam, part of home is brought to them.
AKCAF has used Mathruvandanam in earlier editions as well, making the tribute to mothers part of the association’s wider community tradition. Gulf News
There will be live music too
The current official ticket listing confirms that Masala Coffee will perform during Ponnonakkazhcha ’26.
The band is known for combining Indian folk influences with rock, pop, blues and contemporary music, fitting the event’s wider mix of traditional Kerala culture and modern stage entertainment. Q-Tickets Events
The programme will also include the competition finals and other Kerala cultural performances developed through AKCAF’s member and alumni network. ManoramaOnline
What exactly is AKCAF?
AKCAF is a Dubai-registered association bringing together alumni from more than 100 colleges in Kerala.
Its activities extend beyond Onam into cultural, professional, social and community programmes throughout the year. AKCAF
That alumni structure helps explain why Ponnonakkazhcha can become such a large gathering.
For many attendees, it is simultaneously an Onam celebration, a family outing and a reunion with people connected through colleges and earlier life in Kerala.
Why is Dubai still celebrating Onam in October?
Thiruvonam was back in August.
But as MalluMetro’s wider Onam 2026 coverage has shown, diaspora celebrations operate on a different practical calendar.
Large community events have to work around venue availability, weekends, volunteers, performers, catering and the schedules of thousands of expatriate families.
An October celebration therefore does not extend the traditional Malayalam festival calendar itself.
It shows how the diaspora adapts the festival to the realities of life abroad.
Ponnonakkazhcha is a particularly large example of that pattern.
Before going
Families planning to attend should confirm their tickets before travelling, particularly because of the expected crowd size.
It is also worth checking:
- the latest admission and ticket conditions;
- arrival and parking arrangements at Dubai World Trade Centre;
- Sadya serving arrangements;
- the day’s stage programme and competition timings; and
- any instructions issued by AKCAF closer to Sunday.
Because the event begins from 8 AM, families planning for a full-day visit should also expect the programme to be substantially larger than a Sadya-only gathering. Q-Tickets Events
AKCAF official website and ticket access
MalluMetro Take
The interesting part of Ponnonakkazhcha ’26 is not simply its expected size.
It brings several strands of Gulf Malayali life together in one place:
college friendships, children growing up in the UAE, Kerala cultural traditions, a Sadya for thousands and 28 mothers travelling from Kerala to share the occasion with expatriate families.
That makes the event about more than keeping Onam alive after August.
It also reflects how a community that has spent decades building lives in the UAE continues finding ways to connect those lives with the people and traditions left behind.
For families considering attending, the practical details are:
Sunday, 11 October · from 8 AM · Dubai World Trade Centre, Za’abeel Halls 5 & 6 · entry ticket includes Sadya. Q-Tickets Events
Verified sources: AKCAF Association official website and ticketing channel; Ponnonakkazhcha organiser information; Malayala Manorama reporting dated 23 September and 7 October 2026.