Sultry weekends are begging us to stay indoors in Dubai, but resist the urge to cosy up with the latest Netflix binge! Our city doesn’t stop for anything, not even hot and humid weather. We’ve got a perfect list of comedy shows, concerts, brunches and immersive events to draw you out of your climate-controlled concrete caves and celebrate life in Dubai! Here’s 12 things to do in Dubai this weekend.
1. Laugh out loud at a stand-up comedy show
Get the laughs in early this weekend on Thursday at a stand-up comedy special by Dubai-based comedian Yash Bhardwaj. Called Post Traumatic Zoom Call Disorder (PTZD), this one outlines his journey of how being laid off on a Zoom call during the pandemic led him to his purpose and career in comedy through quick wit and razor-sharp punchlines that have wowed audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe and the Melbourne Comedy Festival. Joining him on stage will be other local comic talents Rebecca How, Ahmed Taher and Rushdi.
📅: May 29, 8pm
📍: Social Distrikt, Dubai Mall Fountain Views, Downtown Dubai
🎟️: AED 80 per person, buy tickets here
2. Have a wild sleepover in an indoor rainforest
This is the slumber party to rule all slumber parties. Although we doubt there’ll be much slumbering when you’re surrounded by 3,000 exotic animal and plant species. Green Planet, the indoor biodome in City Walk, has restarted its ‘Camping in the Rainforest’ experience and it’s a perfect weekend activity. From late-night guided tours to breakfast sessions of feeding animals, this camping experience is for night owls who want to answer the call of the wild. Find details about tents and activities here.
3. Grab unlimited grills at Punjab Grill’s lavish Weekend Brunch deal
This Michelin Guide-recognised restaurant at Anantara Hotel is offering up its fine-dining delights. Their Great Indian Weekend Brunch Deal serves up a feast of unlimited platter of kebabs and grills, bottomless pitchers, house beverages and frozen margaritas (there’s a cinnamon-flavoured one). Vegetarian options are part of the deal too as are desserts.
📅: Saturdays and Sundays
📍: Punjab Grill, Anantara Downtown, Business Bay
🎟️: AED 350 for food only and AED 450 including drinks per person
📞: Call 050 194 1107 for bookings
4. Watch Kygo Live In Concert
The Norwegian DJ and music producer, best known for house music tracks and pop collabs like It Ain’t Me with Selena Gomez and Lose Somebody with One Republic, is bringing his infectious tunes to Dubai this weekend. Catch him at the Coca-Cola Arena
📅: May 31; doors open at 8pm
📍: Coca Cola Arena
🎟️: AED 249 per person onwards, book here
5. See the international stage show STOMP
Can junk turn into jam-worthy music? At STOMP, the Oliver Award-winning stage show from the UK’s Brighton will entertain Dubai audiences this weekend as performers turn bins, lids, brooms and kitchen sinks into instruments that create thumping good music accompanied by powerful choreography and energetic humour. It boasts a record-breaking 23-year Broadway run, so you’re in for some world-class performances.
📅: May 29-31
📍: Dubai Opera
🎟️: AED 290 per person onwards, book here
6. Head to this delicious beer and burger festival
Stables, the SZR pub has a flipping good month-long food festival in store for burger lovers and beer connoisseurs with eating competitions and a limited-edition drinks and food menu. It’s your chance to dig into 10 uniquely crafted burgers paired with a selection of international craft hops. More info here
7. Sweeten up your weekend at the Museum of Candy
This popular immersive experience is perfect for sugar-coating the week’s bitter stresses. Snack on ice cream, cotton candy and gummy bears as you walk through colourful 15 candy-themed rooms packed with games, photo-ops backdrops and engaging history and facts about all your favourite sweet treats. Get tickets here
8. Stack up on points at this real-life video game experience
Chaos Karts, the augmented reality go-karting experience, is just what the doctor ordered to press pause on the daily rat race. This heightened version of a video game lets you zoom around in physical go-karts on digital tracks, collecting points and power-up items. Think Mario Kart but in real life, it’s twice as thrilling! Get tickets here
9. Limber up with some beachside Yoga
Sun, sand and sea breeze to accompany that shavasana, what could be more relaxing?
Sole Mio, the Italian beach club, has regular Sunday morning seaside yoga classes. These community classes include access to towels, changing rooms and showers as well as free entry for kids. Nominal class fees are used to fund beach cleanups to get rid of microplastics, so it’s good for you and Mother Nature.
📅: Every Sunday
📍: Kite Beach, Jumeirah
🎟️: AED 60 per person; book here
10. Hike the 10km trail at Mushrif Park
There is no better time than this splendid break in weather we’re having to explore Dubai’s first-ever in-city hiking trail. Walk through a ghaf tree forest at this national park this weekend, where hiking trails of various difficulty levels and terrains have been built for hikers of all abilities. More info here.
11. Enjoy the surreal beauty of nature at this immersive art museum
Too hot to be out in nature in Dubai doesn’t mean you’re out of options! Digital art inspired by the eternal beauty of nature will envelop you at the Arte Museum in Dubai Mall. Multi-sensory installations create magical little worlds of light, sound and scent that create instagrammable backdrops. There’s also an Arte Tea Bar you should check out where drinks and desserts are garnished with media art. Get tickets here
📍: Arte Museum Dubai, The Dubai Mall, Level 2, opposite Galeries Lafayette
🎟️: AED 149 per adult and AED 79 per child
12. Catch a film from the Cannes Festival at Cinema Akil
To A Land Unknown, Mehdi Fliefel’s powerful film, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival’s Directors’ Fortnight, is being screened at Cinema Akil for the next month. The film tells the gripping tale of two young Palestinian men who’ve fled their home in Lebanon but find themselves trapped in Athens as refugees.
📅: June 1, 9:45pm
📍: Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz
🎟️: AED 57 per person, book here