Harry Shopper…

Starting on September 9, shoppers heading to Abu Dhabi Mall will be able to experience a little bit of the magic of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

10 points from Gryffindor

‘Celebrate Hogwarts’ is a walkthrough interactive Harry Potter themed experience, offering opportunities to take Snapes, ahem, snaps against some of the saga’s most memorable backdrops — there’s the full and unabashed Escherian majesty of the Hogwarts Grand Staircase, a Common Room (that may or may not contain invisibility cloaks, it’s hard to tell), Hagrid’s infamous Hut — you know the one routinely filled with murderous and occasionally Fantastic Beasts, the whomping willow’s stomping ground — AKA The Forbidden Forest, and even a recreation of the iconic Hogwarts Express train, chuffing its way out of platform 9 and 3/4, filled to the brim with Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans and obnoxious sixth formers.

In a bit of a muggle

You’ll be invited to take part in immersive games (quick round of Quidditch anyone?) and, to separate the Weasleys from the Grangers — a quiz on the weekend (although you’ll need to be on the look out for those sneaky Slytherin lot, guaranteed they’ll have designs on Dumbledore’s answer sheet).

Expo of Patronum

You’ll be able to visit the ‘Celebrate Hogwarts’ exhibit daily between September 9 and October 4, 2022 between midday and 9pm, although some parts of the experience will be limited to those able to show receipts for purchases made in the mall.

We solemnly swear we’re up to no good

Other than the diverse collection of retail stores — there’s a strong portfolio of fun, family freindly entertainment outlets we’d highly recommend experiencing at Abu Dhabi Mall. Take for example — Prison Island, one of our favourite challenge-based (think escape room, but better) adeventures available in the emirate; there’s Xtreme Zone with its trampoline park, climbing walls and soft play; Fun City filled with all sorts of neon-lit distractions for the little ones; and the Vox Cinema — now showing all the latest Hollywood Blockbusters, as well as rather appropriately, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azakaban.

Images: Provided