Abu Dhabi: More than 15,000 people gathered on a public beach in the capital to participate in the second day of the Womad festival, being organised for the first time in the Middle East.

The three-day festival, which ended on Saturday, succeeded in bringing musicians and artists from across the world to Abu Dhabi, giving expatriates a good chance to catch a glimpse of their homelands, through live music and performances, and at the same time giving music lovers a treat.

"People's reaction and interaction has been excellent. The festival is not only about music, but also about bringing together different cultures and starting a dialogue and understanding," Chris Smith, director of the festival, told Gulf News.

The festival, which was free to attend, was organised by the World of Music, Arts and Dance (Womad) foundation and the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage.

As the sun set in the capital, a crowd - made up mostly of Asians who were waiting for a performance by the Dhol Foundation, an Indian band based in the UK - gathered on the public beach at the Corniche.

"I brought my children to educate them about the Indian rhythms that they are not familiar with as they were born here and rarely have a chance to enjoy such an environment," said Surajadeen, an Indian man who came from Sharjah with his family to attend the event.

As the Dhol Foundation began its performance, the standing crowd started to jump, sway and dance. The drums lifted the audience and energised them during the show, which lasted more than 45 minutes.

When Abdullah Chhadah took the stage with the Syriana band, he took the crowd to another level of excitement through his adaptation of Syrian, Turkish, Azerbaijani and Andalusian musical traditions.

A group of young Arabs sat on the sand and swayed to the rhythm.

"The festival is so thrilling and is opening a new door for us to enjoy music in a different way and discover a new type of music," said Waleed Ali, a student from Jordan who came with his friends.

The Iranian community, meanwhile, had a great time singing along with The Kamkars, who sang traditional Kurdish songs.

"I really miss home," said an Iranian woman to her son, while enjoying the music.