Here are our top picks on things to do this weekend.
Order your festive turkey on time this season with our ultimate guide.
Free entry into the Dubai Safari Park
The UAE’s much-awaited wildlife park Dubai Safari will be officially open to the public in January. For two weeks until then, visitors will be given free entry, Hussain Nasser Lootah, director-general of Dubai Municipality, told Gulf News.
Location Al Warqa 5 on Aweer Road Cost Free for two weeks till public opening (See detailed ticket prices for after the opening here) Read more about the park here
Bad Xmas Jumper gets you a discount
With Christmas Jumper Day this Friday, make sure to wrap up in your favourite season cheesy jumper and get 20 per cent off your brunch bill. Head to Loca Dubai or Abu Dhabi for a true Mexican jolly fiesta.
Location Loca Dubai and Loca Abu Dhabi Cost Dh270 per person (20 per cent off for bad Xmas jumpers) Date and timings Friday, 12pm to 5pm
Jumble has opened!
Located just off Shaikh Zayed Road close to the Sharaf DJ metro station, Jumble is an unconventional gaming experience. Featuring an intricate urban maze, it promises to mess with your mind and push you to your limits through a series of mindboggling mental and physical challenges.
Read more about Jumble and all its other details here.
Sail and dine in Dubai
Take to the water in one of Boardwalk’s BBQ Donuts – one of a kind in the city – an ideal option for a unique date night and a must-do when visitors are in town. Guests can go for a sail on any day of their choosing from 12 noon to 9pm, whilst tucking into the delicious options on the a la carte menu.
Why not try ‘Afternoon Tea’, served up in a contemporary manner whilst sailing down the Creek? Guests can feast on the views as well as sandwiches, sweets, petit fours and traditional scones served with an array of decadent homemade jams and rich clotted cream.
Location Boardwalk, Dubai Creek Marina Cost Dh225 for adults and Dh100 for children; Afternoon tea package Dh150 per person Contact 04 295 6000 or email boardwalk@dubaigolf.com.
Festive Celebrations at Yas Mall and Marina
Shoppers can revel in the festivities at Yas Mall from December 14 to 25, as they walk among lush trees, visit the special ginger bread house, or shop the festive market. Yas Marina’s ‘Let it Snow’ Festival, will run until December 16. Merry-makers of all ages can strike a pose with the jolly old man from the North Pole, who will be arriving by boat to kick off the festivities.
Over the weekend of December 15 and 16, the promenade will host its large winter market with over 40 stalls offering a mix of unique and affordable gifts and crafts. Visitors can also enjoy action-packed snowball fights and build mini snowmen out of real snow, enjoy Elf Boat rides, and indulge in some gingerbread decoration
Location Yas Island Entry Free Website
Flash Back 54 at Moe’s on the Fifth
Full of Studio 54 props, feather displays, live music, glitter and sparkles, make this Thursday a night to remember at Moe’s on the Fifth. The evening is all about bringing the alluring discotheque trend back into fashion, just like the legendary former nightclub in Manhattan, New York.
Flash Back 54 takes place once a month, with classic disco and disco-house tunes performed by the infamous artist, singer and DJ, Simonne Cooper entertaining the crowd with her incredible vocals. Her voice has taken her to the biggest clubs in New York, Ibiza, Miami, London and Sydney, sharing the main stage with the likes of Tiesto and performing alongside some of the House Music Industry’s biggest names including Erick Morillo, Roger Sanchez and Carl Cox.
Location Moe’s on the Fifth, Level 5, Sheraton Grand Hotel, Shaikh Zayed Road, Trade Centre Area Cost Free entry Timings 9pm until 3 am Date Thursday, December 14 Contact 04 333 3055
BGT finalists perform at The Mall
For two days, December 14 and 15, the Britain’s Got Talent Finalists ‘Vadik and The Bear’ will perform for visitors and the experience comes packed with laughter and action. Daily from the December 14 to 24, Santa will meet with and take photos with young guests visiting the mall.
Location The Mall, World Trade Centre Abu Dhabi Timings All the weekend events will take place from 5pm-10pm
Winterfest at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is gearing up to host ‘Winterfest’ for the fifth year in a row. Taking place from December 15 to January 6, park visitors can enjoy an exciting and novel line-up of family-friendly activities. From Bjorn the Polar Bear to Elf School, or the gigantic snow slide to a spectacular ice-skating show featuring seven award-winning international skaters, to a colourful tree lighting ceremony — park-goers are in for a frosty and festive experience this winter.
Location Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Island Cost Dh295 onwards Dates December 15 to January 6 Website
Movies
Richie
Cast: Nivin Pauly
Released on December 8
Daddy's Home 2
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Will Ferrell, Linda Cardellini, John Cena, John Lithgow and Mel Gibson
Released on November 30
Paddington 2
Cast: Ben Whishaw, Hugh Bonneville and Hugh Grant, Sally Hawkins
Released on November 30
Staying in?
Not up to braving the crowds in Dubai?
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