The organizers of Kalayaan 2026, the Filipino community celebration held at the Dubai World Trade Centre on June 7, have issued a statement clarifying that their event is not connected to any other gathering bearing the same name on the same day.
In an official “Celebration Recap” posted online, Emirates Loves Philippines, Infinite Communities, and The Filipino Channel (TFC) said their Kalayaan 2026 took place exclusively at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Halls 1 and 2, on June 7, drawing a crowd of 60,000. The organizers said they wanted to emphasize that they are “not affiliated with any other Kalayaan 2026 events that may have occurred on the same day,” adding that any information or announcements related to those events were independent of their organization. The statement did not name any specific event.
The clarification was posted around the same period that a separate gathering, billed as Kalayaan Sport Fest 2026, ran into trouble. The sport fest had been scheduled to take place at the Salah Al Deen Sports Hall in Al Mamzar, Dubai. Several people who said they had signed up to take part reported that the event did not push through as planned, prompting questions online about its status.
In its own statement, the Kalayaan Sport Fest 2026 Organizing Committee apologized to those affected. “We would like to sincerely apologize for what happened during this event,” the committee said. “It was truly heartbreaking on our end for the people who attended, those who joined the job fair, as well as our vendors and sponsors.”
The committee said it valued every individual and organization that took part and acknowledged the disruption caused. “We understand the inconvenience and disappointment caused, and we are committed to addressing concerns accordingly and appropriate arrangements will be provided to those affected,” it said.
Pointing to the venue as the source of the problem, the committee said the situation “eventually became something beyond our control.” It said its team did its best to keep the event going despite the challenges, adding: “What happened was unfortunate, but our team will not stop working and moving forward. We will continue to stand, recover, and fight back stronger.”
Kalayaan, which means “freedom” in Filipino, marks Philippine Independence Day and has grown into one of the largest annual gatherings of the Filipino community in the UAE. The June 7 celebration at the Dubai World Trade Centre featured performances, cultural showcases, food, and community activities across a full day of programming.
