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Art festival at JOALI Maldives draws on all senses
JOALI Maldives, the Maldives’ very first art-immersive resort, announces its annual Art Week with the April 2023 Imagi-Nature Art Festival. To host the Imagi-Nature Art Festival, JOALI Maldives has collaborated with respected art consultant Tatiana Gecmen-Waldek. Guests are invited to revel in the creative spirit of nature and engage in creative dialogues between international art forms, impressive installations and local influences at JOALI Maldives.
From April 14-18, guests can experience this innovative project first-hand, harmoniously blending art and sustainability and offering creative collaborations with celebrated artists worldwide, including Aurelie Hoegy, Studio Mameluca, Maja Rohwetter, Barbara Veiga, Jeanne Susplugas, Le Petite Chef and Hajja and Joule. Channeling the natural splendour of JOALI Maldives, each immersive installation is created to engage, ignite and free the imagination. Guests of all ages are invited to interact with eco-conscious artwork across the beautiful island. What’s more, special events await guests on World Art Day (April 15). More on each artist is included below.

JOALI Maldives will serve as a gallery in itself as the resort will become a Sculpture Park, housing four permanent installations from the Imagi-Nature Art Festival. Hoegy’s fluid art piece, “JOALI Hammock,” inspired by natural movement and transcending boundaries between art and design; Studio Mameluca’s vicennial installation of the Maldives’ “One Egg, One World”; Jeanne Susplugas’ virtual reality experience, “Daydreaming” and Rohwetter’s multisensory augmented reality app, “Contingencies,” will permanently join the resort’s collection. Embodying movement through her collections of furniture, Hoegy was inspired to create “JOALI Hammock” by the curves of the island, sumptuous white sand and the movement of the Indian Ocean. The ocean motif continues in Studio Mameluca’s “White Tern’s Bird’s Nest,” made with natural resources with ocean life in mind and accompanied by ocean sound customisation. Guests will also be able to dive into the brain’s activity with Suspulugas’ installation, where they can navigate among neurons and synapses through eye movement, and continue their virtual experience through Rohwetter’s expanded dimensions of reality.
To gastronomes’ delight, Le Petite Chef will be redefining the culinary arts with its installation, which will be available in Saoke, the on-site Japanese restaurant designed by world-renowned restaurant architect Noriyoshi Muramatsu, for six months. Guests will be able to memorialise this creativity-inspiring experience with scarves created by Rohwetter, which will be available in the JOALI Art Studio and La Maison de JOALI boutique.
With a network that includes internationally renowned galleries, collectors, auction houses and artists, Gecmen-Waldek has worked as a consultant with greats such as Giorgio Armani, Cartier, Etro, Roger Vivier, Maison Kitsuné Vhernier, Huawei and ACNE. Now, as a valued JOALI Maldives partner, Gecmen-Waldek is poised to bring an extraordinary selection of works by contemporary artists to the resort in the form of exhibitions, performances, limited editions and permanent installations. Born in Austria and raised in Paris, Gecmen-Waldek is passionate about fostering creative collaborations and producing cultural content that inspires the inner artist within each of us. This is embodied through her slogan, “experience art instead of seeing art.”

As a female-owned and connected retreat, JOALI Maldives is committed to gender equality and the development of talented women. Through the resort’s Women in Arts program, JOALI Maldives offers local women a platform to convey their message through the arts by helping them hone their artistic skills with on-site trainings and workshops, which are facilitated by the resort’s resident artist. The artworks and local crafts are then displayed in the JOALI Art Studio for guests to purchase. The Imagi-Nature Art Festival will put female artists at the front of the curation, with highlights including Veiga, whose live performance of “Earth Layers” will give visibility to planet conservation; Suspulugas, whose work offers a reflection, not devoid of humour, derision and cynicism, on the ills of society; Rohwetter, whose cross-medial approach blurs the boundaries between the physical and virtual worlds; and local Maldivian sisters Hajja and Joule, who will be collaborating with Hoegy to create pillows and embroidery with guests.
JOALI Maldives not only showcases its engagement with the arts and the local community but also with sustainability through actions in honour of World Oceans Day (June 8). The resort has always been committed to environmental protection and the local population through various initiatives, including the Olive Ridley Project, protecting sea turtles and their habitats through rescue and rehabilitation, scientific research and education. Although each piece of art throughout the retreat is unique, they are all united by a commitment to sustainability. Many pieces are made from recycled waste, clay or other natural materials and inspire a more sustainable lifestyle. At the Imagi-Nature Art Festival, Parley for the Oceans and Utöpia will be presenting a collaboration with contemporary artist Jeppe Hein, a limited-edition flowing flag in the ocean titled, “We Are All Interconnected,” in support of Parley for the Oceans’ Global Cleanup Network. The installation is made with ocean plastic, a premium material created from upcycled plastic waste recovered from remote islands, waters and coastlines by Parley for the Oceans, and 100% of the proceeds will help fund JOALI Maldives’ programs for plastic interception, education, communication, material science and eco-innovation.
For further details and booking, please visit www.joali.com
Featured
World-first overwater padel tennis court launched at Meyyafushi Maldives
Meyyafushi Maldives, a new five-star premium all-inclusive boutique resort, has introduced what it describes as a world-first in resort recreation: a fixed overwater padel tennis court. Positioned above clear lagoons and framed by sweeping sunset views, the court offers guests an opportunity to play and unwind in a distinctive setting surrounded by panoramic ocean vistas.
Located in the Lhaviyani Atoll, the overwater court allows players to take part in a match while immersed in the natural calm of the surrounding seascape. Guests staying at the resort are offered one hour of complimentary padel tennis as part of the premium all-inclusive package. The setting provides a secluded and tranquil space for both beginners and experienced players to practise with the sound of the ocean beneath.
“Padel tennis has become one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, and we wanted to bring it to life in the most spectacular way possible,” said Ahmed Siaar, Cluster General Manager of BeKind Hotels & Resorts. “Playing on water, surrounded by endless blues, transforms the game into something transcendent – it’s active luxury at its finest.”
The overwater court forms part of Meyyafushi’s wider range of facilities, which include an underwater dining restaurant, an overwater wine cellar, water pool suites with slides, a mini bowling lane, and an adults-only sky bar featuring a glass-bottom infinity pool. Each facility has been created to offer experiences that encourage connection, exploration and wellbeing.
With uninterrupted sunset views and a distinctive overwater location, Meyyafushi Maldives’ padel tennis court marks a global first for the sport, bringing together physical activity, landscape and design in a single setting.
Featured
Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa unveils ‘White Shores & Golden Lights’ festive season
This festive season, Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa invites guests to rediscover the joy of togetherness in what it calls the world’s gathering place. From 1 December 2025 to 7 January 2026, the resort will transform into a luminous sanctuary under its signature theme, White Shores & Golden Lights – a palette of shimmering whites and sunlit gold inspired by the purity of the season and the golden glow of new beginnings.
The festive spirit officially begins on 1 December with a Tree Lighting Ceremony, setting the tone for a season of warmth, celebration, and community. Following a period of serene island relaxation, the programme resumes in full from 21 December onwards, offering a vibrant calendar of curated experiences that continues until the Orthodox Beach Buffet Dinner on 7 January.
Guests are welcomed into an atmosphere where refined island living meets festive cheer. The line-up includes festive aqua aerobics, barefoot beach games, Gingerbread House Decorating, and the energetic Colour Run & Paint Me Wall Marathon along the shoreline. Younger guests can enjoy themed pyjama parties, while those seeking adventure may explore a variety of water sports and wellbeing rituals.
The highlight of the season is the Christmas Eve Gala Dinner, presented along the oceanfront where waves meet the shore and golden lights illuminate the evening. With live music, seasonal cuisine, and candlelit elegance, the event combines the island’s natural beauty with cherished festive traditions.
On Christmas Day, Santa makes a memorable arrival at Kakuni Beach, delighting guests of all ages. Throughout the festive period, in collaboration with Reefscapers, the resort offers coral frame-building workshops, giving guests the opportunity to support reef restoration efforts and contribute to the preservation of the Maldives’ marine environment.
As the year comes to a close, guests are invited to welcome 2026 beneath the stars. Night Under the Stars, the resort’s New Year’s Eve celebration, features a coastal gala with champagne, gourmet dining, fireworks, and live entertainment that continues well past midnight.
From peaceful mornings at Shine Spa to evenings sampling global flavours accented with Maldivian character, Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa offers an elevated festive experience. Whether travelling as a family, as a couple, or alone, guests will find each day filled with moments to remember and each evening touched with a sense of magic.
“We are thrilled to welcome guests to experience the magic of the festive season with us,” says Greg Allan, General Manager of Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa. “Each moment of our festive programme has been thoughtfully designed to reflect Sheraton’s ethos of heartfelt hospitality – bringing people together through meaningful experiences in one of the world’s most extraordinary destinations.”
Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa is also presenting a Festive Special Offer for this season. Guests may enjoy exclusive savings on beach or overwater accommodation, along with daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner, return speedboat transfers, and access to selected festive events and activities. Bookings made before 30 November 2025 will be eligible for stays between 20 December 2025 and 10 January 2026.
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Villa Nautica’s festive glow: Yoga at sunrise, fireworks at midnight
Villa Nautica will embrace the festive spirit from 20 December 2025 to 6 January 2026, offering guests an easy island rhythm that flows from bright mornings by the water to music-filled evenings on the sand. The season begins with illuminated beaches and relaxed barbecues, gradually building through creative afternoons and live performances. Christmas Eve will feature a gala dinner, followed by Santa’s arrival on 25 December. The celebrations will culminate in a vibrant New Year’s Eve countdown with fireworks, before settling into a calm reset on New Year’s Day and concluding with Orthodox Christmas.
The programme balances practicality with a relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere. Mornings will bring sunrise yoga, family pool activities, and interactive cooking sessions, while evenings will feature poolside soirées, wine-paired dinners, and sunset cruises. With simple yet photogenic settings, the lagoon and sky take centre stage in shaping the mood. Guests—whether couples, friends, or families—can participate freely without losing the island’s easy pace.
For younger visitors, the festivities will centre around the kids’ club, where cookie and cupcake decorating, beach games, origami and craft sessions, storytelling, and cosy movie nights will take place. Small groups and attentive care ensure that creativity and play remain the focus, allowing parents to enjoy uninterrupted moments around the island.
A highlight of the season will be the Champagne Lucky Draw & Disco. From 1 to 31 December, each bottle of champagne purchased at resort bars or restaurants will serve as an entry to the draw. Guests are advised to keep their entry stubs for the live draw, held at 01:00 during the New Year’s celebration, where the prize will be a seven-night stay in a Water Villa for two.
Throughout the festive period, private experiences will feel as memorable as the larger celebrations. Guests may enjoy candlelit dinners on the sand, floating breakfasts, or early morning snorkelling sessions to begin the year anew. Whether seeking a lively shoreline celebration or a quiet evening stroll beneath lanterns and palms, Villa Nautica offers an atmosphere where every festive moment can glow in its own way.
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