1. Finish off a full fortnight of Christmas
The fine folk over at Global Village have extended the 12 days of Christmas by another 48 hours. Their generously gift-laden 22m tree is still in full effect, with the falling snow providing the perfect backdrop for your family group shot. And perhaps you’ll still be able track down Santa, who is relaxing after his exertions on the 25th. Either way, this is the ideal opportunity to bust out that Christmas jumper you spent hours picking just one last time.
Dhs15 entry fee. Free for under-threes, people of determination and over-65s. Until Christmas decorations up until Jan 8. Open Sat-Wed 4pm-midnight, Thu-Fri and public holidays 4pm-1am, Monday (except public holidays) is family and ladies’ day. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, globalvillage.ae
2. Delight at The Dubai Fountain
Arguably one of the most obvious but always awe-inspiring attractions our northern neighbours have to offer, you could just see the Fountain in full flow from the spots circling the Burj Khalifa lake like any other tourist. However, play it smart by booking one of the remarkable restaurants offering fine fare and fabulous vistas of this spectacular such as Serafina, The Meat Company, Thiptara, The Burj Club or Asado. With a soundtrack ranging from Michael Jackson to classical to K-Pop, this will always be a Thriller.
Free (Fountain show). Daily, every half hour from 6pm-11pm. Downtown Dubai, visitdubai.com/en/places-to-visit/the-dubai-fountain
3. Or, you could get even closer to the action
We’ve always been a tad jealous of those who had the foresight (and bank balance) to book a boat on the lake for the NYE fireworks at the Burj Khalifa. But you can still be slightly smug by enjoying the next best thing – a new aquatic adventure or three in the midst of the fountain show. Whether you choose to sail on a swan, pedal out on a water bike or paddle around in a kayak, you’re sure of smashing, splashing time.
From Dhs55. Available daily noon-8.30pm. Dubai Mall Promenade, tickets.atthetop.ae/atthetop/en-us/booktickets
4. Improve your mood with The Laughter Factory
This is Dubai’s top comedy club. Fact. The incomparable line-ups it has produced over the years means it’s the proud holder of more than a million Time Out awards. OK, so that last ‘fact’ isn’t entirely true. But what we won’t lie about is how much this celebration of stand-up has perennially made us cry with laughter. Its first tour of 2021 gives you all the chance to Supersize Your Good Mood. The gregarious Geordie John Fothergill is the headline act, with support coming from compère extraordinaire Stephen Grant and Arab Essex girl Ester Manito (now that’s niche comedy right there).
Tickets from Dhs169. Jan 7 & 8, 8.30pm (doors open at 7pm). Mövenpick JBR, thelaughterfactory.com/the-laughter-factorys-supersize-your-good-mood-tour/
5. Enjoy a crisp set of choons from a certain Mr Walker
Not many modern artists choose eschew a stage name but when it comes to Alan Walker, he lets his sets do the talking. The Anglo-Norwegian DJ/producer scored a massive global hit with his 2015 track Faded. But rather than fade out of the limelight, the 23 year old (yes, he really is that young and talented) has continued to find critical acclaim, not least with his debut studio album, Different World. Famously low profile, Walker made face masks cool way before they became a mandatory accessory. Please wear one for his Coca-Cola Arena gig but don’t let it muffle your yelps of sheer joy as he drops yet another massive track.
Tickets from Dhs175. Jan 7, 9pm (doors open at 7pm). Coca-Cola Arena, City Walk, visitdubai.com/en/whats-on/dubai-events-calendar/alan-walker
6. Set sail for an aquatic adventure
Our first experience of Aquaventure involved being coerced by a super-friendly staff member into ignoring a serious bout of vertigo and taking The Leap of Faith. Our pulse set straight to full-on racing, we were soon screaming a child-like ‘Again, again, again!’ This water wonderland is home to a whopping 30 rides and attractions, along with 500m of pristine private beach (should you need to get your heart back to a regular beat). So grab your Super Pass, which also gives you access to The Lost Chambers Aquarium and its 65,000 marine residents, and let your worries wash away.
Dhs169 (adults), Dhs149 (children). Ongoing. Open daily 10am-5.30pm. Atlantis The Palm, Dubai, atlantis.com/dubai/atlantis-aquaventure
7. Live the Vida loca, or find an Address to return to
Both the Vida and Address hotel groups are celebrating DSF with a cracking deal that will surely bring any of you hardened anti-Dubai Abu Dhabians up the E11 quicker than you can sing Ricky Martin’s biggest hit. Each is offering a 20 per cent discount on their room rates along with free access to both Dubai Underwater Aquarium & Zoo and Dubai VR Park. Stay with Vida and they’ll chuck in Dhs100 of shopping vouchers per night, with Address doubling that money. You’d be crazy to miss out.
Until Jan 31. Vida Hotels: vidahotels.com or Address Hotels: addresshotels.com
8. Follow your calling to voco
This fabulous five-star hotel in DWTC is making sure you have no need to shop around for your DSF base. With an early check-in at 8am followed by a late check-out at 8pm the next day, you’ll have a full 36 hours in which to bargain hunt to your heart’s content. They are also serving you up both breakfast and dinner as part of this prime package (served either in your room or at the restaurant), while under-11s eat for free. Oh, and if you have shopped ’til you dropped, there’s the small matter of half-price treatments at its Spa Zen, 25 per cent off F&B at Trèsind and O Lounge, plus the same discount at its gent’s and ladies’ salons. The room rates are an absolute steal, too.
From Dhs280 per room, per night. Until Jan 31. voco Dubai, DWTC, ihg.com/voco/hotels/gb/en/dubai/dxbsz/hoteldetail
9. LOL at another of the Laughter Nights
For those of you old enough to remember Whose Line Is It Anyway?, its host Clive Anderson was something of a trailblazer for legal eagles wanting to swap the courtroom for the comedy circuit. Anubhav Singh Bassi has followed suit, and when his act on stage proved to more satisfying than the one he was producing in front of judge, this Indian stand-up never looked back. A supreme storyteller, he is up in Dubai for a double bill. And the joke-judging jury is unanimous that this guy’s guilty of nothing but being a giggle a minute.
Tickets from Dhs75. Jan 8, 6pm and 9pm (doors open half an hour before each show). Emirates Theatre, Emirates International School, Jumeirah, ticketslover.com/dubai/events/laughter-nights-ft-anubhav-singh-bassi
10. Rev up for a remarkable raffle
As children, the petrol-heads among us blatantly had a full shelf devoted to scale models of our favourite fast cars. So imagine our delirium upon discovering that by simply buying a miniature version of the Fenyr SuperSport you could actually have the chance to drive away the real thing. Built just for you by the UAE’s only homegrown car manufacturer, W Motors, this Dhs6million beast is the top prize in the DSF Supercar Raffle. If you lack patience (each build is a year in the making) or even so much as a driving licence, you could just take home Dhs2million in cash instead. Starting taking those lessons, we say.
Dhs1,500 for the mini model and raffle ticket. Until March 30. www.idealz.com/CR-00041.html
11. Go VAT-free for a whole week with Apparel
Just when you thought the DSF deals couldn’t be any more generous, along comes Apparel to go that one step further. Its ‘24/7 DSF VAT on US’ has already begun but never fear, it runs until January 9 meaning you can still get far more for your money until Saturday. All day, every day you can take advantage of this amazing offer both in store and online at www.6thstreet.com. And it just gets better as there will be Dhs100,000 of Club Apparel points to be won daily, while 24 lucky shoppers across the week will receive 1,250 points (worth Dhs1,250). Plus, seven jammy souls will also have the chance to win 10,000 Club Apparel points (valued at Dhs10,000) when spending a mere Dhs200 or more. We’re totally sold.
Until Jan 9. In stores across Dubai or online at www.6thstreet.com
12. Love the skin you’re in, just like Rihanna
World famous for both her string of unfeasibly catchy tunes and her seemingly spotless complexion, global superstar RiRi has made her cosmetics line Fenty Skin ‘for everyone’. She’s even going as far as building her own ‘Island’ to let you discover her world of wonder in the most immersive way. Throughout said isle there will be hidden ‘treasures’ which can be uncovered by participating in the array of activities on offer. And there will also be opportunities to test out the products as well as enjoy this Bajan beauty’s Caribbean spirit with a DJ and mocktails inspired by Fenty Skin ingredients such as Barbados cherry and Kalahari melon.
Jan 6-16. Open Sun-Wed 10am-midnight, Thu-Sat 10am-1am. Dubai Mall Promenade, fentybeauty.com/fentyskin
13. Be showered in surprises at Jumbo
This giant of an electronics store has always gone big when it comes to bargains. But even those of you with the cloudiest of dispositions will surely embrace the fact ‘It’s Raining Gold’ this DSF. By spending Dhs1,000 on its glorious goods (either in store or online) you will have the chance to win a whopping ONE KILO of gold. Another 45 shoppers will be handed 10g of the shiny stuff apiece, while your Dhs1,000 purchase will also see you given a six-month VIP subscription to The Entertainer. Use your Deem credit card to buy your tech and you’ll get 10 per cent cashback up to Dhs200. They’re living life large at Jumbo.
Until Jan 30. In stores across Dubai, and online at jumbo.ae
14. Admire amazing art at Al Seef
Alongside shopping for some unique gifts at Al Seef this week, take time out to witness the work of two creative talents. Firstly, Maxime Cramatte, aka Satwa 3000, has produced an art installation taking inspiration from the old parts of Dubai and using everyday objects. Meanwhile, world-famous Arabic calligrapher and painter Khalid Al Saai has conjured up eye-catching projections to give a fresh feel to the heritage buildings this district is abundant with. Simply marvellous.
Until Jan 23. Open Sun-Thu 6pm-midnight, Fri-Sat 2pm-midnight. DSF Market at Al Seef presented by Al Foah, visitdubai.com/en/whats-on/dubai-events-calendar/al-seef-market
15. Take your hats off to Hatta
When we were first offered the chance of a road trip up to Dubai’s northern exclave from the capital we immediately got our motors running and headed out on to the highway. And, many years on, we’re still looking for adventure (in whatever comes our way). We love little more than a weekend up here kayaking, hiking and cycling to our hearts’ content but while the DSF Market at Hatta Wadi Hub is on, there are bounteous bargains, fine food and exciting entertainment to be had, too. A special part of everyone was born to be wild after all.
Until Jan 9. Open daily 4pm-10pm. DSF Market at Hatta Wadi Hub, visitdubai.com/en/whats-on/dubai-events-calendar/dsf-festival-markets
