Ritzy parties and invite-only exclusive soirees are the standard in Dubai, which is why we were pretty chuffed by the debut of Break The Block, Dubai’s first-ever block party, in November 2022 at d3 (Dubai Design District). After shaking up how the City of Gold parties, the festival is now back for a second round on January 26, 2024 to prove that it’s no one-hit wonder. This time, Dubaiites can let their hair down with urban music, street culture and some lip-smacking food at Expo City’s Al Forsan Park.
Break the Block 2024 has also switched from its inaugural tw0-day festival format to just one day. However, it’s set to be one unforgettable day with 10 hours straight of partying from 6pm to 4am. Great grub, greater music, and a killer alfresco venue – we can’t think of a cooler shindig to celebrate the onset of winter and Dubai’s great outdoors season. Get tickets here for AED 195.
Here’s what to expect at Break the Block
1. Music
On the music front, local and regional DJs and music artists will raise the roof with an electrifying mix of trip-hop, techno, and electronic and house music. Expect performances by Jungle, an electronic music duo from London, English DJ Nightmares On Wax, and Dubai’s own vinyl expert Shadi Megalla. Other artists taking to the decks include Arabic hip-hop expert Saud G, open-format DJ Mike Daniel from Canada and Jade, a Beirut-native DJ.
But the musical showstopper is going to Beirut-based culture and entertainment group Factory People’s popular Hot Mess party, which will turn up the volume and wrap up the celebrations in the wee hours of the morning with one of the hottest ragers of the year.
2. Food
Local restaurants such as High Joint, Taqado, Kaak W Somsom, Oro and Mini BBQ will be slinging a memorable feast of burgers, tacos, hotdogs, pizzas and a lot more.
3. Art and culture
Break the Block’s 2022 premier also had events celebrating hip-hop dance and skateboarding subculture. Slam In The Block saw local dance crew Slam Fam perform killer freestyle and B-Boy moves in dance battles. Meanwhile, Dubai’s skater boys and girls zoomed around d3 and broke out their best tricks during chilled-out skateboarding sessions. Whether the 2024 instalment will feature these cultural elements hasn’t been confirmed.
What’s a block party?
A block party is a phenomenon common in cities like New York and London that sees entire neighbourhoods spill out onto the streets to celebrate specific festivals or just as a social mixer. Think of it as a backyard bash that takes a life of its own.
Tickets are available online here and at the door; the event is open to only those aged 16 years and above.