After a rocky year, we can end 2020 on a joyful note with a spectacular celebration of family fun, exciting retail promotions, life-changing prizes, and citywide events. That’s right, Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) is here, bringing with it a mind-boggling array of attractions.
Until January 30, 2021, the longest-running event of its kind features incredible performances, fun-packed experiences, as well as innovative and immersive activations in its 26th year – literally hundreds of things for you to enjoy in a safe environment with precautionary measures in place.
Let’s dive in to see what’s in store this year.
Offers galore
This shopping festival, more than 1,000 brands are participating across close to 4,000 outlets in the emirate offering discounts up to 75 per cent.
For extra sparkle this festive season, buy gold jewellery, diamonds, pearls and watches in participating outlets to put you in a raffle to win 25 kilos of gold. There is a minimum spend of Dh500 per purchase to enter.
And come December 26, 12 Hour Sale featuring 25-90 per cent discounts across 100 plus participating brands will begin. Spend Dh300 or more at MAF malls to get a chance to win a MILLION Share points and become the 12 Hour Sale winner.
Visit mydsf.ae for more details on best offers.
Tickle your taste buds
If you are a foodie, you are spoilt for choice this DSF. A wide variety of dining experiences awaits you with food trucks, pop-up outlets in outdoor markets and fine dining restaurants offering culinary delights and special offers.
A whole week, from December 24-30, dedicated to chocolate? Yes, please! The DSF Market at Al Seef presented by Al Foah will come to sweet life with different tasting experiences, workshops, signature products, and much more.
Food cart fun doesn’t get better than Fluff Bites @fluffbitesdxb, which is serving scrummy wheel cakes – a famous Eastern Asian stuffed pancake – at the ever-popular Etisalat OTB Market (Outside the Box) at Burj Park in Downtown Dubai.
Love seafood? Then you’ll be in heaven at the Lobster Roll @LobsterRoll food stand, also at the Etisalat OTB Market. Freshly cooked lobster meat served on a grilled hot dog-style bun with plenty of toppings. Divine!
You can also ditch cooking the turkey yourself this year and opt for a traditional Christmas Day Brunch at the Meydan starting at just Dh375. Children aged 0-5 years dine for free, while youngsters aged 6-12 years get 50 per cent off.
Fun and frolics
The skies will explode with colour at Dubai’s eclectic beachfront La Mer this DSF with spectacular fireworks displays at 9.30pm from December 24-25. Make an evening of it and book a table at your favourite restaurant in La Mer to soak in the festive spirit.
Hogwarts fans are in for a treat at Mall of the Emirates this weekend (December 24-26) with the Harry Potter Allstars show. Harry vs Draco, an energetic, fast-paced show with synchronised street choreography and mind-blowing flips, tricks and breakdancing, is adapted from the Allstars semi-final winning dance performance on Britain’s Got Talent.
The DSF fun wouldn’t be complete without the kids getting to meet and greet Modhesh and Dana. Head to Deira City Centre, City Walk, and City Centre Mirdif on December 24-26 with camera phones at the ready to capture a fabulous family memory.
If you plan to do your festive shopping at City Walk, why not make a day of it and take the kids to The Green Planet and be transported into a natural ecosystem filled with weird and wonderful plants and animals.
Drop by the DSF Market at Al Khawaneej to enjoy a unique three-storey WonderMaze with three exciting experiences in each level. Pop into the craft-making workshops at the market – this week’s theme is The Mad Hatter – and create your own mask or a bookmark. Or take part in the Cosplay Competitions dressed up as your favourite character at the main stage for a chance to win a prize.
Fancy stepping into a living art class inspired by the sculptures of Antoni Gaudi? Stilt walkers appear as if one of Gaudi’s abstract ceramic mosaics has come to life this week, mysteriously roaming the Al Seef district. Watch them in action for a chance to interact and pose for fun portraits. Social media gold! (December 24-26).
Enjoy chills and thrills with an edge-of-your-seat experience at Dubai Opera’s Cirque De Glace. Running from December 24-25, the show combines the world of Cirque with beautiful ice dance, jaw-dropping lifts, and high-speed throws.
Haven’t visited The Point yet or experienced the Palm Fountains? Head down this weekend for an even better photo opportunity as the venue hosts Rainbow Wings’ roaming act.
Settle in for a memorable night on December 25 as Egypt’s top music exports Mohamed Hamaki and Mahmoud El Esseily delight, with an unforgettable evening of chart-topping numbers and audience favourites.
Or take a break from it all and rejuvenate yourself with a staycation. Double Tree Hilton is currently offering a fantastic 10 per cent discount on best available rates.
Get lucky with raffle draws
Win big with this year’s DSF. Shop at any of the participating malls of the Dubai Shopping Malls Group to be a part of the Shop, Spin and Win promotion that offers up to Dh400,000 in cash prizes every week. The first raffle draw is this Saturday at participating DSMG malls (dubaimallsgroup.com).
Meanwhile, this year’s INFINITI Mega Raffle includes cash prizes and the chance to drive away in a shiny new Infinity QX60 car, plus a whopping Dh200,000. All shoppers need to do is spend Dh200 at selected locations and ENOC stations to be in with a chance to win. A total of 45 vehicles are being given away this DSF with one lucky winner on the final day set to bag an incredible Dh500,000.