Festivals, events and sports in Dubai
Dubai has a rich and diverse calendar of high-profile events taking place throughout the year ranging from sporting activities, through to cultural festivals, as well as music and shopping events. Below is an overview of some of the key events taking place each year in the emirate.
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SUMMARY OF EVENTS | |
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| Date | Event | Type |
| Jan – Feb 2010 (dates tbc) | Dubai Shopping Festival | Culture / entertainment |
| 22 Jan 2010 | Dubai Marathon | Sport |
| Jan – Mar (annually) | Dubai International Racing Carnival |
Sport |
| 1 – 7 Feb 2010 | PGA Dubai Desert Classic | Sport |
| 10 – 19 Feb 2010 | Dubai International Jazz Festival | Culture / entertainment |
| 14 – 27 Feb 2010 | Dubai Tennis Championships | Sport |
| Mar 2010 (dates tbc) | Dubai Desert Rock Fest | Culture / entertainment |
| 17 – 20 Mar 2010 | Art Dubai | Culture / entertainment |
| 27 Mar 2010 | Dubai World Cup | Sport |
| June – Aug 2010 (dates tbc) | Dubai Summer Surprises | Culture / entertainment |
| 11 Aug – 11 Sept 2010 (approx) | Ramadan | Religious festival |
| 11 Sept 2010 (approx) | Eid Al Fitr | Religious festival |
| Dec 2010 (dates tbc) | Dubai Rugby Sevens | Sport |
| Dec 2010 (dates tbc) | World Offshore Powerboat Championship |
Sport |
| Dec 2010 (dates tbc) | Eid Al Adha | Religious festival |
| Dec 2010 (dates tbc) | Islamic New Year or “Al-Hijra” | Public holiday |
Location: Nad Al Sheba Racecourse
Date: November – end March
Horse racing at the Nad Al Sheba track features local and international steeds and their jockeys. Following Muslim beliefs, no betting is allowed, however various competitions offer cash prizes.
Location: Various venues
Date: January – Februray (annually)
The Dubai Shopping Festival is the ultimate experience for serious shoppers, but it also offers more than just shopping and fantastic discounts. During this period Dubai comes alive with a carnival atmosphere, and various events are held around the city. DSF has now matured into a major retailing and entertainment extravaganza.
Location: Various (start and finish adjacent to the Dubai World Trade Centre).
Date: 22 January 2010
The Dubai Marathon is one of the first marathons in the calendar year and attracts global attention.
Dubai International Racing Carnival
Location: Meydan Racecourse
Date: January – March (annually)
The Dubai International Racing Carnival attracts some 200 horses from 14 countries throughout the season. In addition to the racing, the Dubai Racing Club organises glamorous social occasions, including the ever popular Fillies & Fashions competition. The Carnival is a sporting and social event not to be missed.
Location: Majlis Course, Emirates Golf Club
Date: 1 – 7 February 2010
The annual Desert Classic is recognised as one of the finest sporting events in the Middle East. Every year Dubai welcomes the likes of Tiger Woods, Colin Montgomerie, and Ernie Els for the four day event which is part of the European Professional Golf Association Tour.
Dubai International Jazz Festival
Location: Dubai Media City
Date: 10 – 19 February 2010
The first Dubai International Jazz Festival took place in January 2003 and was a huge success which has helped attract world-class musicians such as Jamie Cullum in 2007 and the Bee Gees Robin Gibb in 2008. The festival lasts ten days, presenting over 120 artists to an audience of 28,000. The action centres around Dubai Media City and, once the concerts have finished, jam sessions often continue at hotel bars.
Location: Dubai Tennis Stadium
Date: 14 – 27 February 2010
Dubai’s professional tennis tournament is held on outdoor hardcourts. The tournament organises both men’s and women’s events for the biggest names in tennis such as Roger Federer, Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova and Lindsay Davenport, at the purpose-built stadium.
Location: Dubai Festival City
Date: March 2010 (dates TBC)
The Dubai Desert Rock Festival is now a two day event celebrating the different styles of rock music in the world on one stage; acts for 2009 included Opeth, Chimaira and Arch Enemy.
Location: Madinat Arena, Jumeirah
Date: 17 – 20 March 2010
Art Dubai aims to bring the world’s leading artists, galleries, and collectors together in Dubai in a celebration of all forms of contemporary visual art. As Dubai becomes an important art market, an advisory committee will ensure that the art on show is exciting and diverse; that collectors can buy with complete assurance and that the exhibition reflects the many cultures for which Dubai has become such an important hub.
Location: Meydan Racecourse
Date: 27 March 2010
The Dubai World Cup has been held annually since 1996 and is the richest horse race in the world with a prize fund of US$6 million. The race was the creation of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai. This horserace meeting is a social highlight of the year and the 2,000 metre title race attracts top thoroughbreds from the USA, UK, France, Australia and Japan.
Location: Various venues including shopping malls
Date: June – August 2010 (dates tbc)
Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) is the perfect counterpart to the emirate’s hot summer featuring bargains and a stream of children’s entertainment. The 10 week long event mainly takes place in Dubai’s shopping malls and features a range of family focused activities and events.
Ramadan
Location: Various venues
Date: 11 August – 11 September 2010 (approx)
(Ramadan varies each year starts approximately 10 days earlier each year as it is based on the lunar, instead of solar, cycle.)
The Holy Month of Ramadan is the religious festival of fasting for Muslims. It is an ideal and tranquil time for visitors to experience the special religious and cultural atmosphere of Dubai. Practising Muslims will fast during Ramadan from sunrise, and at sunset people flock to the hotels’ Ramadan tents for a traditional Iftar
meal which breaks the fast for the day.
Eid Al Fitr
Location: Various venues
Date: 11 September 2010 (approx)
Eid Al Fitr, also known as ‘Feast of the Breaking of the Fast’, takes place at the end of Ramadan. Each evening there are fireworks displays and Muslims get together to sing and dance to traditional bands. There are also stalls selling traditional food and handicrafts.
Dubai World Championship
Location: Earth Golf Course at the Jumeirah Golf Estates
Date: November 2010
The Dubai World Championship will be held in November at the new Greg Norman designed ‘Earth’ course at Jumeirah Golf Estates. This globally renowned sporting event is set to be the crescendo of The Race to Dubai – The European Tour competition.
Location: Dubai Exiles Club
Date: December 2010
The Dubai Rugby Sevens is the opening round of the International Rugby Board’s Sevens World Series and also one of the Middle East’s most popular social weekends of the year. Featuring 16 of the best Sevens nations in the world, the Dubai Rugby Sevens has grown into a sporting event that attracts fans from around the globe. A new rugby complex called “The Sevens” is now the new permanent home of the competition and to other sporting events.
UAE National Day
Location: Various locations
Date: 2 December (annually)
A three-day holiday in the first week of December marks the founding of the UAE in 1971 when it gained independence from the UK. Parks and public places host cultural activities and at night the city is decorated in lights.
World Offshore Powerboat Championship
Location: Dubai International Marine Club
Date: December 2010 (Dubai Grand Prix)
Combining the glamour, power and spectacle of intense competition, the UIM Class 1 World OffshorePowerboat Championship races, take place over two days in mid December. Top teams from around the world compete in this glamorous and powerful spectacle of intense competition.
Dubai International Film Festival
Location: Various venues
Date: December 2010
The Dubai International Film Festival is an annual week-long, non-competitive, celebration of film from around the world. Reflecting Dubai’s cosmopolitan and multicultural character, the festival celebrates excellence in Arab and world cinema by screening a repertoire of critically-acclaimed and award winning films. 2008 saw Nicholas Cage and Brendan Fraser attend the starstudded event.
Islamic New Year or “Al-Hijra”
Location: Various
Date: December 2010
Celebrated throughout the Muslim World, the Islamic New Year or “Al-Hijra” occurs on the first day of the month of Muharram which begins on Hijra in the Muslim calendar.
Updated January 2010
