Dubai has turned into one big celebration hub, and you’re invited. Dubai shopping festival 2025-26 has been kicked off on December 5, 2025 and will continue until January 11, 2026, and will offer 38 days of pure excitement and fun to the city. There are countless things to do at Dubai Shopping Festival 2025-26, whether it is concerts in Dubai, drone shows, or shopping deals for an unforgettable experience. No matter what your taste is, there’s literally everything for everyone.
This guide covers the top 10 things to do at Dubai Shopping Festival. There will be free drone shows at night, the opening concert of Halsey, street culture festivals, open-air cinema in the mountains, and discounts on top brands. Plus, there are chances to win brand new cars and cash prizes up to AED 100,000. DSF 2025-26 is basically 38 days of non-stop entertainment and amazing deals.
Ready to plan the perfect Dubai Shopping Festival experience? Let’s dive into the top 10 things you absolutely need to add to your itinerary.
What & When is the Dubai Shopping Festival 2025-26?
Dubai Shopping Festival is the world’s longest-running retail festival. DSF 2025-26 makes Dubai a 38-day entertainment hub, from December 5, 2025, to January 11, 2026, featuring over 800 brands with discounts, concerts in Dubai by international stars, amazing drone shows, amazing fireworks, life-changing prizes and family-friendly entertainment all over the city. This festival is a combination of shopping offers, international performances, cultural impressions, and open markets, and is one of the most popular events in Dubai.
Top 10 Things to Do at Dubai Shopping Festival 2025-26
| Experience | Dates |
| DSF Drones Show | Dec 5 – Jan 11 |
| DSF Fireworks Nights: Free Spectacular Shows | December 5, 2025 – January 11, 2026 |
| e& DSF Nights | Dec 5 – Jan 11 |
| DSF Mega Raffles | Dec 5 – Jan 11 |
| e& MOTB (Market Outside the Box) | Jan 1-11, 2026 |
| Sole DXB | Dec 12-14, 2025 |
| Franz Ferdinand Concert | December 13, 2025 |
| Sonu Nigam Live | December 27, 2025 |
| Cinema Dome Hatta | Dec 5-31, 2025 |
| Shopping Deals at 800+ Brands | Dec 5 – Jan 11 |
1. DSF Drones Show Presented by Emarat
- When: December 5, 2025 – January 11, 2026 (Every Night)
- Timing: Evening hours
- Cost: Free to watch
Each evening throughout the festival, you watch hundreds of drones light up the night sky in amazing shapes in Dubai. These spectacular air shows narrate the intriguing stories with light performances through the choreographed lights that can be seen in various places within the city. The shows are the best way to entertain a family without any charges and create memories that can be shared on Instagram. Dubai Festival City Mall and Dubai Creek are the best places to view these DSF drone shows.
2. DSF Fireworks Nights: Free Spectacular Shows
- When: December 5, 2025 – January 11, 2026
- Where: Festival Bay (Dubai Festival City Mall) and Hatta
- Cost: Free to watch
Enjoy your evenings with spectacular fireworks shows in 2 beautiful settings all over DSF. The Dubai Festival City Mall also has a festival Bay where they have firework shows which light up the waterfront providing magical moments to families and couples. Another spectacular fireworks of Hatta against the mountain background also provide a unique desert-meets-sky view. This is one of the best free things to do in Dubai.
3. e& DSF Nights at Dubai Festival City Mall
- When: December 5, 2025 – January 11, 2026
- Where: Festival Bay, Dubai Festival City Mall
- Cost: Free entry to the venue (individual concert tickets may apply)
Dubai Festival City Mall becomes an entertainment centre with international performers such as Nora Fatehi, Mahmoud El Esseily and Ruby. Special offer, December 6: purchase one Nora Fatehi ticket, and get one free for as low as AED 150. This is an outdoor place of entertainment that is a combination of concerts, family shows and free fireworks. The big performances will get crowded very fast, so it is best to arrive early enough to have a seat, particularly around the weekends when the festive mood is at its best.
4. DSF Mega Raffles
- When: December 5, 2025 – January 11, 2026
- Where: Purchase tickets at ENOC service stations, ZOOM stores, and Global Village Dubai
- Ticket Price: AED 100 per ticket
Transform your shopping into a life-changing experience with DSF Mega Raffles, with 25 daily winners who will win Nissan vehicles or AED 100,000 cash prizes. All the participants are given a bonus of a chance to win AED 400,000 on the last day of the festival. The tickets will be sold at ENOC service stations, ZOOM stores, and Global Village Dubai between October 1, 2025 and January 11, 2026. The more you buy, the more you stand to win.
5. e& MOTB (Market Outside the Box)
- When: January 1-11, 2026
- Where: Dubai Design District (d3)
- Cost: Free entry and free parking
You can enjoy modern urban street culture at MOTB in its 13th season, which includes 25-plus international food options, cool boutiques, and Instagram-worthy items. This is an outdoor market with the latest fashion, art installations, live music, and DJs in the creative environment of Dubai Design District. Explore original fashion and browse world street cuisine, as well as experience the Dubai art scene.
6. Sole DXB: Street Culture Festival
- When: December 12-14, 2025
- Where: Dubai Design District (d3)
- Ticket Required: Yes (purchase in advance)
Sole DXB returns with a packed schedule of live performances, DJ sets, sports tournaments, talks, and workshops. Sole DXB unites global artists and sportsmen with basketball games, hip-hop performances, and exclusive merchandise drops. Whether you’re a sneakerhead or just intrigued about the modern street life in Dubai, this festival offers the real-life experiences between fashion, music and art.
7. Franz Ferdinand Live
- When: December 13, 2025
- Where: Coca-Cola Arena
- Genre: Indie Rock
The Scottish indie rock icon, Franz Ferdinand, will be performing in Dubai with their hit songs such as Take Me Out and Do You Want To. The world-class acoustics of Coca-Cola Arena will result in high-energy performances, crowd sing-alongs, and catchy rhythms. Located at Dubai Mall/Burj Khalifa Station by the Dubai Metro, this evening will offer an unforgettable memory.
8. Sonu Nigam Live
- When: December 27, 2025
- Where: Coca-Cola Arena
- Genre: Bollywood/Indian Classical Fusion
Sonu Nigam is one of the most popular Indians who has come back with a magical evening of Bollywood hits, ghazals, and soulful music. The legendary voice of Sonu Nigam gives the classics in Kal Ho Naa Ho, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and Fanaa. The concert is a family-friendly and couple-friendly event in Dubai. You can click here to learn the complete details about this concert.
9. Cinema Dome Hatta
- When: December 5-31, 2025
- Where: Hatta Wadi Hub
Visit the outdoor cinema dome in the beautiful mountains of Hatta, which is a first of its kind at ROXY Cinema. Watch some blockbusters such as the Zootropolis 2, Wicked: For Good and Now You See Me: Now You Don’t in the comfortable bean bags and enjoy the starlit skies. The ticket bookings are highly recommended as it’s a limited edition attraction in partnership with the Dubai Shopping Festival. You can click here to know the complete details about the attraction and movie screenings.
10. Mega Shopping Deals: 800+ Brands Offering Discounts
- When: December 5, 2025 – January 11, 2026
- Where: Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Festival City Mall, Ibn Battuta Mall, BurJuman Mall, and other major shopping destinations
- Timings: Malls typically open 10-11 AM and operate until 11 PM – 1 AM
- Cost: Free entry to all malls
DSF 2025-26 will feature over 800 international and local brands with unmatched discounts in Dubai, and they will be found in the world-class malls. There are also luxury fashion at Dubai Mall and outdoor marketplaces for all tastes and budgets. Fashion events, celebrity events, and shop-and-win, e.g. DSF Super Shopper (win up to AED 1 Million), are some of the special events in Dubai. Dubai Shopping Festival 2025-26 represents the perfect fusion of global entertainment, amazing shopping, and an unforgettable experience that demonstrates the best things to do at Dubai Shopping Festival 2025-26.
There are mesmerising drone shows to light up the night sky, Grammy-nominated superstars on world-class stages, raffle prizes, and experiences in the mountains that are unique to every visitor. Whether you travel to Dubai for the shopping, the entertainment, or both, DSF offers countless things to do in Dubai that will create memories to last a lifetime.
