Must-watch events in UAE in 2026: From multi-cultural festivals to global showstoppers

From New Year's Eve spectacle to historic sporting events to major cultural celebrations, milestones, and influential gatherings, 2026 is shaping up to be a landmark year in the UAE filled with moments that will capture global attention.

The year promises excitement across many fields.

Here’s a big-picture look at major events happening in the UAE in 2026 (some dates are already set, others are anticipated or part of regular annual calendars).

Major events, conferences & expos in the UAE in 2026:

Global Village Dubai (2025–2026 Season)

Date: November 2025 – April 2026
Venue: Dubai
Details: Global Village combines cultural pavilions, shopping, dining and live entertainment from dozens of countries. One of Dubai’s most visited attractions, it highlights multicultural exchange and family-friendly tourism.

Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) 2025-2026

Date: December 5–January 11, 2026
Venue: Dubai

Details: One of the region’s biggest retail and entertainment festivals, DSF features citywide sales, concerts, fireworks and family attractions. It plays a major role in driving tourism and consumer spending during Dubai’s peak winter season. DSF features major discounts, raffles, concerts, and city-wide celebrations for the New Year and beyond.

Dubai Marathon

Date: February 1, 2026 (race day)

Venue: Dubai

Details: The Dubai Marathon is the Middle East's most prestigious road race, a World Athletics Platinum Label event known for its exceptionally fast and flat course along Umm Suqeim Road, offering great potential for personal best times or Olympic qualifiers. The route passes iconic landmarks like the Burj Al Arab. It features a full marathon (42.195 km), a 10 km race, and a 4 km fun run, attracting runners from over 140 countries.

World Health Expo (WHX)

Date: February 9-12, 2026

Venue: Dubai World Trade Centre

Details: The World Health Expo (WHX) 2026, formerly Arab Health, takes place in Dubai, UAE, primarily from February 9-12, 2026, at the Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC), with related events like WHX Labs at the DWTC from Feb 10-13, bringing together global healthcare professionals, exhibitors, and innovators for networking, procurement, and learning about the latest health tech and services. 

SITE Global Conference 2026

Date: February 12-15, 2026

Venue: The Ritz Carlon Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal
Details: The SITE Global Conference brings together leaders in incentive travel and experiential events. The 2026 theme, “Wonder, Awe & Curiosity”, highlights immersive destination experiences, sustainability and innovation, reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s position as a global meetings and incentives hub.

Flying taxis are coming

Date: March 2026 (tentative)

Venue: Dubai

Details: Soon, hopping between some of Dubai’s busiest landmarks could take just 10 minutes — and no, that’s not science fiction. The city’s long-awaited low-cost flying taxis are officially set to launch in 2026, following extensive tests in 2025, promising to lift commuters above gridlock and straight into the future.

The first wave of routes will connect four major hotspots:

• Dubai International Airport (DXB)

• Atlantis The Royal on Palm Jumeirah

• Dubai Mall in Downtown Dubai

• American University in Dubai (near Dubai Marina)

The exact takeoff date is still under wraps. The first vertiport, however, is expected to be completed by the end of March, paving the way for test flights and final preparations. If all goes to plan, Dubai’s daily commute is about to get a whole lot shorter — and a lot more sky-high.

Dubai 2026 World Stamp Exhibition (FIP Specialised)

Date: February 4-8, 2026 (dates to be confirmed)
Venue: Dubai
Details: Organised under the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie, this world-class exhibition attracts elite stamp collectors, postal administrations and dealers. It showcases rare collections, competitive exhibits and educational programmes, underlining Dubai’s growing profile in niche global cultural events.

Taste of Dubai

Date: February 6 to 8, 2026
Venue: Dubai
Details: Thes annual events blends gastronomy and community. Kicking off from Friday February 6 until Sunday February 8 2026, this is the food festival of all food festivals if you weren’t already in the know. Some 25,000 visitors to the venue, the Dubai Media City Amphitheatre, are expected to get a taste of impressive schedule including celebrity-led workshops, free food samples and live entertainment over three days. Taste of Dubai, an annual food festival in Dubai, forms part of the city's larger festive calendar, showcasing top restaurants, celebrity chefs, live music, and culinary experiences for food lovers, occurring usually around the winter season. It's a major event for foodies, offering tasting portions from various eateries, cooking demos, and a vibrant atmosphere.

Dubai Jazz Festival

Date: February 2026 (expected)
Venue: Dubai
Details: The festival is expected to be hosted at the Dubai Media City Amphitheatre, running for multiple nights featuring international headliners and supporting acts. Details will be released closer to the date. 

Dubai World Cup

Date: March 28, 2026
Venue: Dubai (Meydan Racecourse)
Details: The Dubai World Cup is the world’s richest horse race. This massive horse racing spectacle is a global competition and highlights luxury fashion.

Eid Al-Fitr 2026

Date: First day of Shawwal (around 3rd week of March 2026)

Venue: UAE | Worldwide

Details: It falls on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar. Eid Al-Fitr, one of the two main festivals in Islam (the other being Eid Al Adha), is celebrated by Muslims worldwide as it marks the end of the month-long, dawn-to-dusk fasting during Ramadan. The two major Islamic holidays are marked by prayers, family gatherings and public celebrations. They are also key periods for domestic travel, retail activity and community events across the UAE.

Eid Al-Adha 2026

Date: 10th of Dhu Al Hijja (around last week of May 2026)

Venue: UAE | Worldwide

Details: Eid Al-Adha is the second of the two main festivals in Islam, alongside Eid Al-Fitr. It falls on the 10th of Dhu Al-Hijja, the twelfth and final month of the Islamic calendar. Celebrations and observances are generally carried forward to a number of days.

GITEX Global 2026

Date: October 2026
Venue: Dubai World Trade Centre
Details: GITEX Global is the Middle East’s largest technology exhibition, covering AI, cybersecurity, fintech and startups. It attracts governments, tech giants and investors, reinforcing Dubai’s role as a regional innovation hub.

UAE National Day

Date: December 2, 2026
Venue: Nationwide
Details: National Day commemorates the founding of the UAE in 1971. Celebrations include fireworks, parades, cultural shows and official ceremonies, reflecting national unity and pride across all seven emirates.

UN Water Conference 2026

Date: December 2–4, 2026
Venue: UAE
Details: Co-hosted by the UAE and Senegal, the UN Water Conference focuses on accelerating investments in water security, climate resilience and sustainable water management. It brings together governments, financiers and experts as water scarcity rises on the global policy agenda.

Unified GCC Visa

Date: 2026

Venue: Gulf (6 countries)

A Schengen-style visa for the Gulf is finally on the runway. Officially called “GCC Grand Tours,” the long-awaited unified visa is set to launch in 2026, opening up seamless travel across all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. 

That means one visa, multiple destinations: the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman—no extra paperwork, no border-hopping stress. Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al-Khateeb, revealed in November that the visa could roll out as early as next year, following four years of coordination among GCC nations. 

Even better, travellers are expected to apply through a single digital platform, putting multi-country Gulf trips just a few clicks away. The exact launch date and visa conditions are still under wraps, the direction is clear: the Gulf is gearing up for easier, smarter, and more connected travel—turning the region into one grand, border-light adventure.