Anyone passing by the Dado Beach promenade these days can see how the strip of sand below the promenade is gradually transforming into an open-air art exhibition. The “Dance Dreams” event returns to the city for the second year in a row, following the success and great interest it aroused among Haifa residents and visitors last year.
The festival takes place from August 3 to 6, and centers on the process of creating large, complex sand sculptures. A team of sand sculpture artists from the Philippines, specializing in creating sculptures and creating these types of displays, is working at the site. According to the Haifa Municipality, the team was selected for professional reasons and in accordance with the artistic concept of the event. Sand sculpture artists from the Philippines create sculptures inspired by Haifa, the sea and the public space for visitors to see. Alongside the displays, there are sand art workshops, kite-making and activities for the whole family.
The work begins with large piles of sand, which are compacted and shaped into a stable base. The piles are then shaped, and at each stage lines, figures, textures, and fine details are added, until the sand becomes a real sculpture. The artists work for hours on each piece, using water and relatively simple tools. With them, they create depth, expression, and a sense of movement in a material that is familiar to most visitors as a material that spreads easily between their hands. As you get closer to the sculptures, you can see the precision, patience, and great attention that goes into the small details.
Art is created for the audience.
One of the key elements of the festival is the opportunity to watch the artists in real time, and not just the final result. The artists continue to sculpt and design the exhibits throughout the event, so that those who come to the beach on different days can see different stages in the creative process. From the boardwalk, you can follow the process, from the establishment of the initial base to the stage where the work is almost perfect. Throughout the day, residents, hikers, and bathers pass by. Some stop to watch the work, others take photos and continue on their way, and in the meantime, the exhibition continues to change and develop. Every day, new details and exhibits are added, and the view from the boardwalk becomes richer and fuller. For several days, the beach becomes an open creative workshop, where the audience is exposed to art as it is being created.
The works being built this year draw inspiration from Haifa and combine the city, the sea, and the public space. The encounter between the Haifa landscape and the work of international artists gives the beach an extraordinary appearance and allows visitors to experience art outside of the museum and gallery spaces.
The municipality clarifies that the sculptures were designed as frontal displays. Therefore, some of the works are intended to be viewed from the front only, while their backside serves as an engineering base and supports the work and is not part of the artistic display.
Kite making and making workshops
Alongside the work of the artists from the Philippines, workshops are held at the venue in the afternoons. Sand art for children and for families, where participants can experiment with working with sand, design shapes, and create small displays themselves. In addition, there is Kite-making workshop, where children and parents can build and design a personal kite and then fly it on the beach. The activity combines creativity, color and movement and is especially suitable for open spaces and winds coming from the sea.
The Haifa Municipality says that the combination of international art with local creators, suppliers, and operators is intended to create a diverse and enriching cultural experience for the city's residents.
About a thousand visitors on opening day
The opening day of the "Dance Dreams" festival was an impressive success, with a lively turnout of families and visitors from all over the city. According to the municipality's estimate, about a thousand people visited the event complex on the first day.
The complex, which was established on Dado Beach near the Mekhulolim Square, was designed to be accessible, safe, and inviting, and received very positive responses from the audience. Visitors enjoyed viewing the artists' works, various creative workshops, and experiential activities in a pleasant, family-friendly atmosphere.
Festival event "Dance Dreams" takes place at Dado Beach near the Mekhulolim Square, until August 6th.
Dance Dreams 2026 – Sand Sculpture Event at Dado-Zamir Beach (Photo: Sharon Leibel)
Maccabi Haifa fans have time.
We were there and it was great! A real celebration
Why only until 6/8??
Did the statues survive?
Can we see them tomorrow, Friday?
Is there anything to see this Friday?
Palaces of dance and nothing to eat
At least if they advertised we would know to go and see.
The municipality advertised in quite a few places. That's why the article was published the day before the end, so that there would be an opportunity to go and see.
How stupid to import Filipinos for this purpose. A waste of money. There are quite a few Anshils in Israel who know how to sculpt in sand.
There were festivals like this in Tel Aviv, and anyone who wanted to came and sculpted.
All municipalities in Israel use artists from the island of Boracay in the Philippines: Rishon LeZion, Haifa, Ashkelon, and more. Monumental sand sculpture is a relatively narrow field of specialization, requiring experience in huge works, sand compression, skeleton construction, and planning a creation that will survive outdoors.
Will anyone who comes next week still be able to see the dance works?
In a city that brings in foreign workers to erect sand sculptures on its beach, you might as well put a foreign worker in charge of the municipality.
They profit quite a bit from it and are happy to come. You can criticize the municipality for not giving enough space to Israeli artists. But calling professional artists from abroad whose art and work is “foreign workers” is not a criticism of the municipality. It is simply belittling the people who do the work along the way while trying to belittle the mayor. There are artists from all over the world.