Party people, get your sturdiest dancing shoes on. The Butterfly Carnival music festival is fluttering down to Dubai this month for a day of foot-tapping Caribbean and Latin music.
Going down in the books as Dubai’s first-ever carnival, this November 9 event at the Media City Amphitheatre takes its lead from defining events like London’s Notting Hill and Brazil’s fabled Rio Carnivals.
Butterfly Carnival – music, food and costumes
It’ll be a whirlwind of parades, floats and costumed dancers in colourful feathers and glittering headdresses grooving to top reggae, salsa, afro and reggaeton. Over 30 artists and DJs, will take to three different stages spread out across the sprawling amphitheatre lawns. The Little Rio stage will explode with Latin rhythms authentic Brazilian Samba band Escola de Samba, and reggaeton and salsa DJs.
Cha-cha-cha your way over to the main stage to catch performances by Jamaican DJ and dancehall legend Beenie Man – the headlining act – and British garage band Heartless Crew. Infectious beats by South African rapper Focalistic and Kamo Mphela set the Afro Loud stage pulsing.
What’s a carnival without some finger-licking good food, right? Stalls and food trucks by Jamaican eatery Ting Irie, Latin cuisine from Mamacita and South African delicacies from Hyperama round off the culinary element of this cultural experience.
Of course, no carnival worth its salt is complete without elaborate costumes. While Butterfly Carnival will get the conga line moving, you’re encouraged to dress up in your most over-the-top outfit with plumed collars, rhinestone masks and vibrant accessories. To make life easier, you can order your ensemble on the Butterfly Carnival website and just focus on partying like there’s no tomorrow.