Twelve great things to do in Abu Dhabi this weekend

Make waves at Yas Marina

The Wipeout WKND is bringing water activities, music, pop-up bars and food stalls to Yas Island. Friday will see the area taken over with an adults-only event from 4pm until 11pm. If you’re up for a laugh, and the chance to cool off, you can take on a huge speed slide, Wipeout obstacle course, gladiator-style water jousting, a salt-water swimming pool and more in the buzzing waterfront area. Then on Saturday, things take a more family-friendly turn, with activities suitable for all ages being held from 10am until 6pm. Across the weekend, there will be mini SUP football tournaments, colourful inflatables, a large swimming pool and games on the grass. Water way to spend a weekend (we apologies for the terrible pun).

Dhs100 (adults, 50 percent off for registering in advance), Dhs50 (Under 18s, 50 percent off for registering in advance). Fri Oct 11 4pm-11pm, Sat Oct 12 10am-6pm. Yas Marina, Yas Island, www.yasmarina.ae/wipeout.

See some spectacular live music

While we’d be lying if we said classic music was out go-to of genre, but that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate it. The experience of watching an orchestra, the booming sound, watching the harmony between a huge group of people who work together to produce beauty is inarguably profound. Taking to the stage on October 10 and 11, The Russian national orchestra will be performing for music fans in Abu Dhabi at the Cultural Foundation. On the night the ensemble will be led by Grammy Award-winner Mikhail Pletnev and renown pianist Lucas Debargue. We’re already looking for our bow tie so we can sit and watch this one.

From Dhs195. October 10 and 11, 7pm. The Cultural Foundation, Qasr Al Hosn, Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street www.ticketmaster.ae

Get your hands dirty at Tough Mudder

At over 10km long, the Tough Mudder obstacle course is known throughout the world for its tests of strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie. You’ll need to work as a team as you take on monkey bars, slides, ditches filled with icy water, high walls and many more fun, but often very difficult, challenges. There’ll be prizes for the fastest times, and those aged between 14 and 17 will need to do the race with an adult aged over 18. But if you don’t like the sound of the above, there’s also a 5km Tough Mudder with 13 obstacles and a mini 1.3km Tough Mudder race for those aged between seven and 13. So why not give it a go? After all, who doesn’t love an excuse to get covered in mud and pretend to be a caveman-like warrior for the day? You can find out more and sign up by visiting www.toughmudder.ae.

Fri Oct 11. Al Hudayriat Island, www.toughmudder.ae.

Enjoy Dhs10 drinks all weekend

Looking for a great deal for a night out? Well here’s one you don’t want to miss. Stars ‘N’ Bars is celebrating a milestone this weekend and they’re inviting you to the party. For the tenth anniversary, the popular Yas Marina venue is running a special promotion offering drinks for Dhs10. Taking place from October 10 to 12, you can enjoy drinks for Dhs10 from 5pm to 8pm. Looking to make a night of it? You can also get unlimited drinks for Dhs110 on Friday October 11 from 9pm to 11pm. What’s more, you can also enjoy some complimentary birthday cake when you visit (for as long as it lasts). We don’t know about you, but we’re already in the mood for a birthday party this weekend.

From Dhs10. Oct 10-12 5pm-8pm. Yas Marina, Yas Island (02 565 0101).

Try a vegan brunch package

It’s getting easier to be a vegan in Abu Dhabi and we think that’s great. That being said, if you’re going out for a meal with friends who aren’t vegan and trying to find something that suits everyone, it can be tricky. Giving you another option for a Friday brunch, the Chef’s Brunch at Giornotte has a special package on offer just for vegans. As part of the vegan package you can enjoy a range of dishes including vegan kofta, hot dogs, pizza and more.It sounds great, also, tell us more about the vegan kofta.

From Dhs299. Fri 1pm-4pm. Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal, Khor Al Maqta (02 818 8282).

Party at Buddha Bar Beach

Abu Dhabi’s Buddha-Bar Beach has already established itself as one of the places to be in the city for a night out. With its great location on the beach of Saadiyat Island and entertainment six days a week it’s always a good option for a night out. This Friday, DJ Ravin, the man behind Buddha-Bar’s original music will be on hand to provide a great soundtrack. Who wants to head along and have a dance, then.

Free. Fri, Oct 11. St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi (02 498 8888).

Enjoy a brunch outdoors

It’s the season when all the best brunches are returning to Abu Dhabi, and our weekends are quickly getting booked up with fabulous feasts. Well another date to add to your diary is the relaunch of Brunch at the Palace is back this Friday. Set out in the grounds of Emirates Palace, one of Abu Dhabi’s most iconic and luxurious hotels, the brunch is designed to look like a gourmet street food market. Offering dishes from all over the globe, chefs are on hand to serve up an amazing selection of meats, seafood, salads, mezze, sushi and more. They had us a street food.

Dhs370 (soft drinks), Dhs465 (house beverages), Dhs695 (bubbly), Dhs185 (kids between six and 12), free (kids five and below). Fri 12.30pm-4pm. Emirates Palace, West Corniche (02 690 9000).

See a new art exhibition

Things are always changing in Abu Dhabi and progress is great. But as the city embraces modern times the capital also places importance on preserving the culture and traditions of the UAE. Giving you an insight to the old souks that used to be found throughout Abu Dhabi and the UAE, a new exhibition has opened in the city. UAE Old Souk by Bahraini artist Abbas Almosawi showcases a range of paintings sharing scenes of the old shopping centres that used to be the heart of the community in this city. Open until October 23, you can see the selection of paintings on the concourse at The Galleria Al Maryah Island. We love the vibrant colours.

Free. Sat-Wed 10am-10pm, Thu-Fri 10am-midnight. The Galleria Al Maryah Island, www.adah.ae

Enjoy a film distraction-free

Going to the cinema is one of our favourite things to do, but it doesn’t always go off without a hitch. People talking, answering their phones, even bringing their little kids to adult films – we’ve all experienced it. If all this puts you off going to the movies then there’s some good news for you. As we announced in August, Vox Cinemas have launched ‘distraction free’ screenings and now they’ve finally arrived in Abu Dhabi. VOX Cinemas at Nation Towers will become the first cinema in the capital to offer the screenings for film goers who want to enjoy the film without any distractions. So what’s it all about? For ‘distraction free’ labelled screenings latecomers will not be allowed to enter, phones will have to be switched off or put on silent mode and you won’t be allowed to talk while the film is showing. VOX says anyone found to be breaking the rules will be thrown out of the screening. We know, we can’t wait to see it happen, either. We’ll see you at the film – we’ll smile while eating popcorn silently.

Various locations, including Nation Towers, West Corniche, uae.voxcinemas.com.

Get a free drink at McGettigan’s

Rugby-mania has taken Abu Dhabi by storm as the 2019 edition of the Rugby World Cup is underway. Top bars and pubs across the city will be showing all the matches live from Japan but if you watch matches at McGettigan’s you can take advantage of some great offers and amazing prizes. The venue is offering a free beverage to everyone wearing their country’s rugby jersey during the matches, as well as extended happy hours to cover all the rugby games. That’s a great deal if you ask us.

McGettigan’s Abu Dhabi, Al Raha Beach Hotel & Resort, Channel Street (02 652 4333).

Sign up for a sushi challenge

Think you can handle 2kg of sushi rolls in one sitting? This challenge is for you. Sumo Sushi & Bento is running The Grand Yokozuna Challenge and if you’re proud of your appetite, it’s time to sign up. The challenge involves eating 2kh of sushi rolls. Think that sounds easy? Well you have to do it in 15 minutes. And if you complete it – you get it free. If you fail it’ll set you back Dhs79. The competition runs until Thursday October 24 at locations in the UAE, so put the sushi where your mouth is and see how you get on. If you do complete it, you’ll be entered into the final competition – where the top five contestants will be go head-to-head for a grand prize of Dhs2,000. All five finalists will win a sushi tray of their choice for a year (if you still like sushi after all that). Good luck.

Dhs79 (if you lose). Sep 25-Oct 24. Various locations across the UAE, www.sumosushibento.com.