Ho-Ho-Hope you’re feeling Festive, mamas? It’s time to have fun at some of Dubai’s most sparkly Christmas events
Feeling festive yet, mama? You definitely will be after reading our guide to some of the best Christmas events in Dubai! From Christmas markets to carol singing, special movie screenings to kids fun galore plus food, Santa and all the other lovely stuff associated with the Festive Season, it really is the most wonderful time of the year so get ready to have a very jolly holiday!
Bab Al Shams:
Attending a tree lighting ceremony in the lead-up to Christmas is always magical – and when you add spectacular desert vistas, gingerbread houses, a soundtrack of carols and a visit from Santa plus hot chocolate for the kids and a glass of mulled wine for mama – it definitely gets our vote!
Friday, 8 December, 5.30 – 7.30pm. Free Entry. Bab Al Shams.
Tel: (+971) (0) 4 809 6194
Fairmont The Palm:
This hotel knows how to do festive in style – and their annual tree lighting ceremony is gorgeous. The Safa Community School choir will be singing, Dubai 92’s ‘catboy’ will be welcoming guests on the mic and there’ll be a mini Christmas style market on the terrace plus the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the man in red too.
Wednesday, 6 December, 5pm. Fairmont The Palm. Free Entry
Tel: (+971) (0) 4 457 3457
BOUNCE After Dark Snowfest is the place for the cool kids aged 14 and above to have fun, go wild and let loose! With a truck load of snow and a surprise visit from the main man in red, as well as flashing lights and pumping beats from BOUNCE’s noise-shattering sound system, BOUNCE is throwing the most AWESOME party of the festive season!
Thursday, 14 December, 8-11pm. 80 AED per ticket. Bounce, Building 32, Street 4B, Al Quoz 1.
Get your ticket, visit www.bounce.ae/christmas or call (+971) (0) 4 321 1400.
Our favourite new indoor play space is putting on a ‘Tinkering Christmas Tree Workshop’ and offering kids the chance to put a very cute creative spin on Christmas by creating their own personalised dowel and rubber band trees to take home – so cool!
Thursday 7, December 3.30pm – 4.30pm and Friday 8, December 10am – 11am, 1pm – 2pm, 4pm – 5pm. AED 70 per child plus entry fee to the play space.
Spaces limited so get there early to avoid disappointment.
www.olioli.ae
Read More: OliOli, Dubai’s New Indoor Play Space Is All Kinds Of Amazing
We’re big fans of Dubai Garden Centre and their new Saturday souk – especially now that it’s taken on a festive theme for the rest of December. From market stalls to delicious food and a really lovely vibe, there’ll be so many free activities for the kids to enjoy too – think music sessions, Christmas story telling, workshops, face painting plus the chance to visit Santa in his grotto and get a very special gift. Magic.
Saturday 9, 16 & 23 December. Free Entry. Dubai Garden Centre Sheikh Zayed Road.
Tel: (+971) (0) 4 590 4000
The ultimate festive season celebration is back!
What better way to get into the mood than by belting out a few festive tunes?! Take the whole fam for a Christmas carol sing-a-long with a difference, in the stunning Dubai Opera setting, where the London Concert Orchestra Show Band, Capital Voices and West End soloists will perform all the classics including All I want for Christmas * It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year * Jingle Bells * Winter Wonderland * Jingle Bell Rock * Baby it’s cold outside * Silent Night and many more. Time to get those sleigh bells ringing!!
Thursday, 14 December – Saturday, 16 December, 3pm, 8pm, and 11pm shows available. From 150 AED per ticket. Dubai Opera, Downtown.
Buy tickets online at www.dubaiopera.com
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Reform Social & Grill! Not only will this Sassy fave be serving up delicious festive food for the next few weeks, the gastropub will also play host to a family winter fair on 9th December, where you can bring the little ones to visit Santa’s Grotto, jump for joy on a bouncy castle, pick up some Christmas presents at Tiny Bean Events’ festive market stalls and sip on mulled wine. Perfect.
Saturday, 9 December 12pm – 7pm. Free Entry. Reform Social & Grill, The Lakes.
Tel: (+971) (0) 4 454 2638
Spread across 1,750 square metres, Madinat Jumeirah’s winter wonderland returns once again this year to delight adults and littlies with snow ball fights, a North Pole train, gingerbread house decorating, and much more. Hooray!
Friday, 15 – Monday, 25 December, 3pm-1am (weekdays), 12pm-1am (weekends). Free entry. Madinat Jumeirah.
www.jumeirah.com/en/offers/jumeirah-festive/
Santa’s workshop has been beautifully recreated at Poseidon’s Court, Atlantis The Palm this Christmas. From all the glitter and magic to treats galore including gingerbread houses, mince-pies and gorgeous gift hampers plus kids activities such as glitter tattoo-making, gingerbread house crafting and sand art – rumour has it there’s also a chocolate river to marvel at (and not fall into!!).
Friday, 1 December – Monday, 8 January. Atlantis The Palm. Free Entry.
Tel: (+971 (0) 4 426 2000
Like the idea of making and decorating gingerbread houses with the brood, but not got the culinary prowess? We’re with you Mama, which is why we’re planning to take our little ones along to this class at Manzil Downtown!
Friday, 1 December, Saturday, 2 December & Friday, 9 December, 10am-1pm or 3pm to 6pm. 125 AED per person. Meeting Rooms, Mezzanine Level, Manzil Downtown.
Tel: (+971) (0) 4 888 3444
Now in its sixth year, this fabulously festive event is set to return to Media City on 8th December. Take along the kiddos to ignite some Christmas spirit, with Santa’s Grotto, a Winter Market, the chance to chuck a few snowballs, Christmas Tree Lighting and much more!
Wednesday, 6 December – Saturday, 9 December, 4-10pm. From 30 AED per ticket. Dubai Media City Amphitheatre.
www.dubaiwinterfestival.com/tickets/
Take the whole fam to this festive-themed brunch at Pullman, JLT – and expect a visit from the man in red! The brunch is running every Friday until Friday, 22 December – and there are some brilliant discounts on the usual packages, meaning you can celebrate for less!
Every Friday until Friday, 22 December. 109 AED per adult (soft drinks) or 179AED (house beverages); 50 AED per child (6-12 years old); Free (kids under 6 years). (+971) (0) 4 567 1100.
What’s Christmas without a panto, mamas?! Plan a festive family outing to Ductac where Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will take to the stage to offer the kids plenty of fun and the opportunity to get involved too (it’s behind yoouuuu!…).
20-29 December. AED 90 – 180 per ticket. Ductac, Mall Of The Emirates.
Tel: (+971) (0) 4 341 4777
Featured imaged sourced via Jumeirah Hotels page, Image 2 sourced via Pexels, all other images sourced from each respective business mentioned.
