Top 10 Festivals In Dubai You Must Attend

The thrills of Dubai are not just limited to architectural monuments, malls, desert safari, light shows in Burj Khalifa, and exotic nightlife. The city of gold expands its Islamic culture through many religious events and Dubai festivals throughout the year. One of the most popular and holy festivals of Islam culture is Ramadan, when Muslims celebrate the revelation of the Holy Koran. The Muslim community and residents keep fasting and abstain from food and drink from dawn till dusk. 

Festivals in UAE are full of colorful lighting and excitement, where the whole city shares celebration vibes. Also, the competitions make the Dubai festival fun for spectators. These festive events attract thousands of participants starting from the Middle East and cover tourists worldwide. The listing below is a few couples of Dubai festivals and events that you must add to your list:

Dubai Shopping Festival

Dubai city enjoys the shopping festival, portraying the wealthy crowd of the UAE- United Arab Emirates. The Dubai Shopping festival was inaugurated in 1996 as an annual shopping festival, primarily held in the year’s first quarter. Every store in the city’s mall offers unbelievable discounts for mass sales, and visitors celebrate the event with maximum shopping. Extra fun adds up with ramp walks, game shows, parades, concerts, and food events and firecrackers fill the sky at night at the creek park.

Join Dubai Shopping Festival 2023 between December 15, 2022, to January 29, 2023.

The Dubai Marathon

The biggest annual marathon organized in Dubai city as ‘The Dubai Marathon’ attracts thousands of runners from around the world. The event started in 2008 as the world’s richest marathon, and the prizes were one million dollars for the one who set a world record and $250000 for first place winners in both men & women categories. The route fixed for the marathon is 42.2 Km long. At 6 AM, the race begins for elite & wheelchair athletes and the public at 7 AM. Registration is required for the marathon online and the races, which are held mainly in January.

Dubai Marathon 2023: 12 February (Sunday)

Dubai International Film Festival

The biggest film festival in Dubai and the Middle East is the Dubai International Film Festival. It attracts movies from the Arab world and many other academy-award nominated movies. It is celebrated at 3-4 posh locations around Dubai and involves many interns, cinephiles, volunteers, viewers, and celebrities. Along with Q&A, presentations, conferences, and special appearances. The best film festivals in the world bring red-carpet glamor. 

Dubai International Film Festival 2023: 25th January – 5th February.

Dubai International Jazz Festival

Celebrate a musical night with the Dubai Jazz festival, which was started in 2003 at Dubai media city amphitheater for over three days. Over the years, the festival has attracted more than 500000 visitors from different parts of the world. It features Award-winning artists, Jazz and Contemporary Music groups, and Legendary musicians covering music history. The festival was held in February. 

Taste Of Dubai 

Food lovers in Dubai celebrate one of the biggest festivals, ‘Taste of Dubai.’ The event attracts.s guests from all over the world and started in 2007. It involves the aroma of different cuisines with fascinating live cooking demonstrations. Also, Dubai’s best cafes & restaurants serve their signature dishes to promote their menu items and give the authentic taste of Dubai to world tourists. 

Taste of Dubai 2023: 3rd February – 5th February 

Dubai International Boat Show

Cruise and boating are major attractions in the city; Dubai International Boat Show is considered the city’s classiest event. Many Luxurious yachts from all over the world come for the event and stand with prominent brands in the yacht world. For VIPs attending the boat show at Marina Art Gallery exhibition, live music will be organized and entertainment throughout the day. The Dubai international boat show starts at 3 PM and continues until 11 PM. 

2023 Dates: 1 March to 5 March

Swim the Burj

One of the fascinating structures of Dubai is the one and only Burj al-Arab, known as the most iconic landmark of Dubai.

Swim the Burj is a popular event that gives an opportunity to view Burj Al Arab closely. It includes swimming around the Burj al Arab in either 1,600 m or 800-meter race categories. All the revenue earned from the event is donated to charities every year.

Dhow Race

To honor Dubai’s past and glorify the primary commercial activity, pearl diving, an annual event organized as AL Gaffal Dhow Race. The traditional Emirati boats of Dubai, known as dhows, are used by the Fishermans for pearl diving, establishing Dubai as a famous trading port. Emiratis show Nationalistic pride by participating. 

Dubai World Cup

The list is incomplete without mentioning the world’s richest horse race Dubai World Cup, an event worth almost USD 10 million. In the presence of the world, the best jockeys, trainers, and Horses race takes place at the Nad Al Sheba Racecourse. A superb track provides racegoers to join the event in a unique and fantastic venue. The world cup is usually held in march month.

Dubai World Cup 2023: Saturday, 25 March

Final Words!

The festivals in UAE bring closure of joy and portray the amazing culture of Islam. For more exciting information like the Dubai festival, stay with us at Dubai Local to explore more exciting places, restaurants, malls, gyms, and detail about the services offered in them.