Thursday 21
Wax on, wax off! Sisters Lounge is now offering a slightly less painful way to get smooth, hair-free limbs. Lycon wax is a big hit with celebs, as it removes hair at only 1mm and is far less painful than ordinary wax. So get in line and book yourself an appointment.
Sisters Lounge (02 2222 501)
Get Bavarian: Good old Germany. Excellent cars, hilarious trousers and a decent national football team. What better reasons for a month-long party? Where better to celebrate Oktoberfest than at the city’s only German restaurant, where pretzels, Bavarian drinks and an enthusiastic oompah band are all on offer this weekend.
Brauhaus, Beach Rotana Hotel (02 697 9074)
Help some kids out: The Beach Rotana’s annual Make A Difference Day returns, with family-themed activites aplenty to get stuck into. The entry fee includes a raffle ticket, meaning there’s also the opportunity to leave with more than just a do-gooding grin.
Dhs30. 3.30pm-6.30pm. Beach Rotana Hotel (02 697 9074)
Bop to some ’90s pop: It’s been something like 20 years since the 1990s kicked off, dragging with it multi-coloured tracksuits and some preposterous invention dubbed ‘the information superhighway’. The decade was also a time of infectiously excellent music, and two of the era’s finest pop groups – The Christians and The Blow Monkeys – will be stirring up the nostalgia tonight at Sundowner. Be there, perhaps.
Dhs100. Crowne Plaza Yas Island (02 656 3001)
Friday 22
Meet Uma: Uma Thurman made her name as director Quentin Tarantino’s muse in his celluloid masterpieces Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill. She’s booked to appear at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival for a public chinwag, but if you want the chance to see her in the flesh you’d do well to get there as early as possible, as entry is on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Free. 2pm. Abu Dhabi Theatre, Breakwater
Stare at violence: Sure, if you fancy seeing grown men having a grapple, you could always snatch someone’s shisha and see how long it takes him to catch you up. But for a slightly more sophisticated punch-up, check out the latest round of the Abu Dhabi Fighting Championship, happening tonight.
From Dhs250. Doors open 5pm. Adnec www.timeouttickets.com
Have fun with the family: As part of Souk Qaryat Al Beri’s ongoing ‘Festival at the Souk’, Friday evenings are family friendly. With street performers, jugglers, free face painting, magicians and life-sized Teletubbies, this is a freebie worth making an evening of.
6pm-10pm. Souk Qaryat Al Beri (020 558 1670)
Visit Sundowner at twilight: Chill out at Crowne Plaza Yas Island’s pool bar, Sundowner, where resident Dj Chris Smith will be spinning the decks. So just enjoy the sunset!
Free. 5.30pm-9pm. Sundowner, Crowne Plaza Yas Island (02 656 3053)
Saturday 23
Try a taste of Turkey: The Sheraton’s Turkish Food Festival is happening right now, so head down and gorge yourself silly on grilled meats and fattening confectionery. There are also mosaic artists doing their thing, but our guess is you’ll be too busy assaulting the lamb kofte to even notice.
Sheraton Abu Dhabi (02 677 3333)
Become a black belt: Ladies who want to toughen up and tone up can head down to one of the Shokotan karate classes at the Abu Dhabi Ladies Club.
7pm-8pm. Abu Dhabi Ladies Club (02 666 6888)
Show the kids a comedy classic: It’s Family Day at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, which means there’s a special programme of films to keep the littl’uns amused. After a reel of cartoons from around the world, the Charlie Chaplin classic The Circus will be screened for their viewing pleasure. They just don’t make ’em like that any more!
7pm-8pm. Abu Dhabi Ladies Club (02 666 6888
See some environmental art: There are people in this world who are happy to stand by and chuckle as we pollute our waters and kill off pandas to make novelty slippers. Others love the planet so much, they’re prepared to put on an art show themed around conservation and recycling and things. Green Art, a three-week show being held in the capital, is run by the latter.
Free. Emirates Heritage Club (02 6790 272)
Sunday 24
Conquer the waves: Rev up those engines and take a ride on the Corniche waters. Renting one of Sea Tourism’s powerful Jet Skis is about as much fun as you can have on a Sunday, and the rental price includes a full briefing and lifejackets.
Dhs280 per hour. Sea Tourism (02 681 3064)
Get cultured: Back at the Souk’s little festival it’s Cultural Sunday – and free for all. Expect free henna painting, Arabian storytelling, oud performances and ‘an on-site photo booth’. Not sure how the last item fits into the scheme of things, but worth checking out.
6pm-10pm. Souk Qaryat Al Beri (020 558 1670)
Visit a hotel art show: Middle Eastern artist Hashim Amla paints beautiful depictions of heritage scenes from across the region. Head up to the mezzanine floor of the Millennium Hotel for a week-long exhibition of his works, which starts today.
Millennium Hotel, Khalifa Street (02 614 6000)
Join a traffic jam: It’s Singles Traffic Jam night at Eight Bar & Restaurant, where cheesy pop and free drinks for the ladies is the general vibe.
8pm-2am, Souk Qaryat Al Beri (02 558 1988)
Monday 25
Have a really posh barbecue: Visit the newly reopened Barbecue Al Qasr, which is set on golden sands and surrounded by dramatic scenery. Also some of the best steaks and desserts we’ve tasted in a long time.
Emirates Palace (02 690 7999)
Punch a pal: Take out your aggression by repeatedly swinging blows at a friend (while they cower behind a punch pad of course) at the Beach Club’s weekly boxing fitness session.
Dhs35-45. 7pm. Beach Rotana Hotel, Tourist Club Area (02 697 9000)
Eat an icy yoghurt: Whoever had the idea of freezing yoghurt and marketing it as a healthy alternative to ice cream deserves a big slap on the back for this culinary stroke of genius. The healthy, icy treat has finally come to the capital with Yogoday store at Marina Mall.
Yogoday, first floor, Marina Mall (02 645 4858)
Tuesday 26
Watch some wickets: The South African cricket team take on Pakistan in this Twenty20 match. Expect some giant skying sixes to be smashed in this action-packed, shortened version of the game.
8pm. Abu Dhabi Cricket Stadium, Sas Al Nakhl, www.timeouttickets.com
Enter an F1 quiz: Who came third in the 1993 Brazilian Grand Prix? If you know the answer to this or any other motorsports-related question, you warrant a place on one of the teams at Hemingway’s Tuesday night F1 quiz.
8pm, Hilton Abu Dhabi (02 681 1900)
Wednesday 27
Get a second dose of cricket: If you missed yesterday’s Twenty20 clash between South Africa and Pakistan, don’t despair as they’re at it again for the second Twenty20 encounter in Abu Dhabi. Howzat!
8pm. Abu Dhabi Cricket Stadium, Sas Al Nakhl, www.timeouttickets.com
Pop into a pop art exhibition: If you haven’t made time to see the stunning RSTW show at Manarat Al Saadiyat yet, you’re missing out on the best art event of the year. If you have already been along, surely it’s worth a second visit?
Free. 10am-8pm, until Jan 24. Manarat Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Island (02 643 5781)
Enjoy some Oktoberfest action: The original Oktoberfest began in Munich in 1810 as a five-day celebration marking the marriage of King Ludwig the First to Therese of Bavaria. Head along to the Crowne Plaza Yas Island Teutonic-themed party, tell your friends this fascinating fact, and watch them move to another table.
6pm-late. Stills, Crowne Plaza Yas Island (02 656 3166)
Join the queues at Ferrari World: At 7pm this evening, the motorsports themed extravaganza that is Ferrari World flings open its giant doors for the public to stream in and make themselves dizzy on what are promised to be some of the most spectacular rides on the planet. Expect it to be very busy, but it’ll be worth it for what could well be the best visitor attraction in the UAE.
7pm-late. Dhs165 for children, Dhs225 for adults. Yas Island, www.ferrariworldabudhabi.com
