The Journey of the Carnival started from 2018 to celebrate the recognition of Sharjah as a Child Friendly City (CFC). It has been organized in collaboration with 28 entities with an average of 1000 participants from children and youth, and families from different nationalities and culture. The celebration started with a parade from Al Buhaira Road opposite Al Noor, and continued until Al Majaz Waterfront, with a series of entertaining shows, performances, and live music for children and families. Turning childhood dreams into reality, the programme comprised of three main parts: ‘A Magic Garden’ with stilt walkers dressed as colorful flowers and plants turning the city green ‘Make it Bubble’ with colourful bubble-dressed performers turning the city into a giant bubble-filled party. Finally, ‘The Flying Dreams’ with larger-than-life inflatable creations, including a giant bird and cartoon-style houses that soared high in the sky..

In 2019 the second Sharjah Children & Youth Carnival was organized to mark the 30th anniversary of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, that has been ratified by UAE in 1997. Two full days of fun and games have been dedicated to this unique carnival at Al Majaz Island. In celebration of Sharjah’s support for children’s rights and to mark the 30th anniversary of <a style=”color: blue” target=”_blank” href=”https://www.unicef.org/sop/convention-rights-child-child-friendly-version”>the Declaration of the Rights of the Child</a> , the island has been named the ‘Children’s Rights Island’ for the carnival. Thousands of children and youth and families gathered at Al Majaz Island where 48 giant flags of children’s rights were raised to affirm the vision and mission of Sharjah as “Child Friendly City”.

Sharjah also participated in Unicef’s global GoBlue campaign through “Go Blue Sharjah,” which was an intrinsic feature of the carnival, with the Al Majaz Amphitheatre building being lit up in blue symbolically, alongside other destinations such as the 1971 Design Space and the flag pole at the Flag Island, Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Musical Fountain at Al Majaz Waterfront and Sharjah Municipality to show the emirate’s support for children’s rights globally.

During the second Carnival, SCFO broke a Guinness World Record title in the category ‘Most people in a photo cutout board picture’ by setting up a 50-metre-long wall at Al Majaz Amphitheatre Island to serve as a frame in which 72 children posed for a world-record cut-out board photo. The illustrations that were used to decorate the board reflected the basic rights of children, as indicated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child.