Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) is gearing up to celebrate its most monumental edition to date. Dubai will transform into a wonderland of endless excitement, joy and togetherness from December 6, 2024, to January 12, 2025. The jam-packed calendar spanning 38 days is filled with exhilarating daily entertainment, captivating retail offers, free-to-attend twice-daily drone shows, grand raffles with mega prizes and breathtaking daily fireworks.
Today, the Dubai Shopping Festival is the city’s biggest and most highly anticipated annual festival, showcasing everything that makes the city extraordinary, including world-class events, entertainment, gastronomy, concerts, immersive experiences, fireworks, and drone shows, to name a few.
“DSF’s landmark celebration is a testament to the visionary leadership that has transformed our city into a global hub of innovation. With 38 days of endless entertainment — including star-studded performances, astonishing drone shows, immersive light displays, and awe-inspiring fireworks — DSF’s 30th anniversary promises to be an incredible experience for all, at the ultimate time to be in Dubai,” stated Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment.
Biggest-ever collections of stores and deals
From the incredibly popular 321 Festival kicking off Dubai Shopping Festival’s opening weekend in style to the hottest markets and dining pop-ups, including e& MOTB and CanteenX, the festival promises a new 30th-anniversary layer of excitement. The festival will feature the biggest-ever collections of retail stores and shopping deals from over 1,000 global and local brands. In addition, it will offer guests spectacular raffles and one of the most diverse and dynamic line-ups of artists to ever perform in its 30-year history.
The highly anticipated 321 Festival will return bigger and better than ever to kick off the Dubai Shopping Festival in spectacular style during its epic opening weekend on December 6 and 8. The 321 opening night will feature legendary icons Georges Wassouf and Kadim Al Sahir on December 6, in what promises to be an unforgettable musical journey.
Firework displays and drone shows
Dubai’s skyline will light up every single night throughout the 38 days of the Dubai Shopping Festival with free firework displays by Al Zarooni Group at Dubai Festival City Mall (DFCM) at 8:30 pm. Meanwhile, Hatta’s skies will sparkle every Friday and Saturday.
For its 30th anniversary celebration, the Dubai Shopping Festival also will elevate entertainment to a new level with twice-daily, free-to-watch drone shows by Emarat and AO Drones at Bluewaters Island and The Beach, JBR. Audiences will experience a magical fusion of technology and storytelling as an astounding 1,000 drones deliver two captivating performances each night at 8 pm and 10 pm.
The anniversary edition of the Dubai Shopping Festival also brings a greater version of the Dubai Lights immersive installations, transforming some of the city’s most iconic destinations into enchanting light districts with one-of-a-kind, interactive installations.
Packed calendar of concerts
The final night of 321 will showcase the very best of South Asian music and culture with Coke Studio Live on 8 December, featuring a stellar roster of superstars, including Hasan Raheem, Kaavish, Kaifi Khalil, Abdul Hannan, Umair Butt, Gharwi Group, QuickStyle, Shae Gill, Zain Zohaib, and several others.
Dubai Shopping Festival will also roll out the red carpet for the world’s biggest A-list performers and celebrities in a show-stopping line-up of electrifying concerts, enchanting live experiences, and extraordinary entertainment. Kicking off the packed calendar will be 30 Seconds to Mars on December 12 at Coca-Cola Arena. Egyptian superstar Sherine Abdel Wahab will take to the stage on December 13, followed by Latin pop star Ricky Martin on December 14.
Celebrate New Year’s Eve in Dubai
This year’s edition will also raise the bar even higher with new-to-Dubai concepts such as Dubai Shopping Festival Nights at Dubai Festival City Mall, DSF Auto Season, THE UNCOMMON x DSF, and DSF x Hatta, among several others.
Visitors can also look forward to joyful festive experiences, world-class New Year’s Eve celebrations, sensational adventures at thrilling theme parks, high-octane outdoor adventures, and iconic beachside destinations.
When it comes to New Year’s Eve, Dubai sets the stage for all to experience epic world-class celebrations. From record-breaking fireworks and glamorous beach galas to electrifying concerts with A-list stars, the city pulls out all the stops to ensure a memorable start to 2025. Rooftop lounges offer spectacular views, while family-friendly gatherings promise activities for all ages. Visitors can also camp out in the open desert and welcome 2025 under a sky full of stars.
Read: Qatar welcomes 4 million visitors by October 2024, 41.8 percent from GCC
Global sporting events return
Dubai’s streets will also roar with the excitement of global sporting events with an impressive line-up across the city. One of the marquee Dubai Shopping Festival events will be the Dubai Racing Carnival, returning to the Meydan Racecourse on December 6 with world-class races every Friday, complemented by live entertainment and exquisite five-star dining.
Meanwhile, the Dubai Marathon will take place on January 12 on Umm Suqeim Road, offering participants a challenging 42km course, a shorter 10km route, a fun-filled 4km run for families – all set against the backdrop of iconic landmarks such as Madinat Jumeirah and Jumeirah Burj Al Arab.
With glitz, glamour, and celebrations galore, there’s no better place to ring in the festive season than Dubai. The city promises to transform into a holiday paradise with festive markets, tree lightings, winter wonderlands, and spectacular holiday events filling every corner.
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