Dubai:With 2021 officially in full swing, residents and visitors are invited to explore Dubai Shopping Festival’s (DSF) super selection of sales, hotel staycation deals and family entertainment for a mega weekend packed full of fun and great activities across the city.
 
Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), organisers of DSF, has created a wonderful collection of events for a wonderful weekend that has something for everyone to enjoy.

 
LEISURE AND ENTERTAINMENT
Located at Burj Park, Downtown Dubai, the Etisalat Market OTB has been extended until 9 January, meaning residents and visitors, friends and families have even more time to explore the outdoor venue’s great selection of food, homegrown and international vendors and live entertainment. Plus this weekend, Etisalat Market OTB will host a great Flash Sale with prices reduced by as much as 90 per cent on a wide range of musti-have and unique items. 
  
The Dubai Shopping Festival Market at Al Khawaneej will welcome residents and visitors to its latest theme: “The Enchanted Garden, where it all comes together”. Inspired by Alice in Wonderland, The Enchanted Garden venue will host daily musicals of the “The Enchanted Garden, where it all comes together” theatre show with the audience able to meet characters Alice, The Mad Hatter and Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. A Mad Hatter’s Tea Party will host themed activities including making a crown, a paper bag character and a paper teacup making session plus a chance to make the Mad Hatter’s Hat. Visitors to the venue’s Arts area will be able to make the White Rabbit’s pocket watch, as well as different character masks and greetings cards while the Crafts area will feature a host of different and fun activities. A movie will be screened at 8pm each night and there will be an Enchanted Storytelling Tree, three daily Game Shows themed around Alice in Wonderland and the chance to launch lanterns on the Wishing Lake once the sun sets. Also it’s your last chance this weekend, 7-9 January, to see The Enchanted Garden Projection Show running every hour from 8pm to 12pm. “The Enchanted Garden, where it all comes together” theme will run until 30 January. Opening times are Sunday to Wednesday, 6pm to 12am and Thursday to Saturday, 4pm to 2am. Foodies, families and fun-seekers are also invited to The Hub nearby at the Quranic Park in Al Khawaneej to enjoy delicious bites from local eateries. A one-stop-shop for hungry visitors with fresh sushi rolls from Sushi Bar, chocolate treats from Choco Fondue and a variety of other treats, The Hub is open every day from 4pm until 30 January. 
 
The Dubai Shopping Festival Market at Al Seef Presented by Al Foah will host Coffee Week from 7 to 13 January. Visitors can savour coffee culture at its best with the finest barista experiences offering delicious drinks from gahwa to cappuccino. There will also be latte art workshops, entertainment, food and more all brewed to perfection at the Dubai Creek venue. Al Seef will also host the Underground Fiesta Jam, a live music spectacular featuring a full marching band. The feet stomping percussion extravaganza will be held from 7 to 9 January from 6pm to 10pm. The perfect family fun destination, a kids’ workshop will show youngsters how to make DIY sun catchers and paper spinners while the live Gaudi on Stilts show will bring the paintings and sculptures of Antoni Gaudi to life and the LED Ballerinas will perform incredible light and dance shows. Budding singers will enjoy karaoke nights while Al Seef will host displays of authentic Emirati food and cultural entertainment including traditional dancers plus henna art, basket weaving and more. Artwork by illustrator Dina Sami will illuminate the area’s traditional buildings and families and also budding photographers can explore the REFLECTIONS Light Art Cubes installation, which offers mirror perspectives of the traditional architecture of Al Seef. Market timings are weekdays from 4pm to 10pm and weekends from 2pm to 12am.
 
Escape the city and head to Hatta Wadi Hub for a thrilling family weekend up in the Hajar mountains. Visitors who make the drive from Dubai will discover cultural activities, live music from homegrown artists, the souk, lots of great kids’ activities plus locally made food at the historic oasis town’s market from 4pm to 10pm. This weekend there are also movie nights from Thursday to Saturday at 7.30pm each night.

Tourists and residents can also discover the best of old Dubai with a visit to Al Rigga  and Al Muraqqabat Markets which offer a program that combines homegrown artists, kids’ activities, and entertainment for families. Entertainment will include buskers; stage shows and roaming acts in addition to fun kids’ activities. 
 
The skies above The Beach opposite JBR and Bluewaters will come alive with the twice nightly DSF Drone Light Show. Three hundred drones will take to the air at 7pm and at 9.30pm during the free shows that will run until 30 January. The first performance, titled ‘Dubai, A City of Adventure’, will show how there’s so much to see and do in Dubai, with everyone’s favourite characters Modesh and Dana going on a journey to explore what the city has to offer. Performance two, titled ‘Dubai, From the Past to the Present’ will show the city’s journey from old Dubai to new Dubai, and will feature the official DSF song by Rashed Al Majed, ‘Dubai Kawkab Aakhar’ which translates to ‘Dubai is another planet’.
 
SALT CAMP x DSF, the city’s newest and tastiest food popup, will serve SALT’s famous meat treats and a range of sweets from new dessert concept SUGAR. Located at Dubai International Finance Centre (DIFC), visitors to SALT CAMP x DSF will find workshops during the day and live music and performers in the evening. There will also be art installations, photo booths and games plus a SALT CAMP shop selling camping gear, clothes and gadgets. SALT CAMP x DSF is held daily from 12pm to 12am until 30 January. Visitors can book a time slot to visit SALT CAMP x DSF via the website www.sevenrooms.com/reservations/saltcamp.
 
The Dubai Mall Promenade will host The Island by Fenty Skin until 16 January. Celebrating
the launch of pop star Rihanna’s Fenty Skin makeup brand in Sephora stores across the GCC, The Island by Fenty Skin is packed with attractions and interactive experiences all named after products in the beauty line which include: Fenty Skin Total Cleans’r Cove, Fat Water Falls and Hydra Vizor Sundeck. Guests can navigate their way around The Island by Fenty Skin by scanning specially installed signs that will direct them to different locations and features.

RAFFLES

DSF is full of ways to win great prizes and this edition features the highest value raffle in DSF’s history, the DSF Supercar Raffle which will give away a AED6 million W Motors Fenyr SuperSport to one lucky winner. Shoppers who buy a special scale model of the Fenyr SuperSport for AED1,500 will receive a coupon to enter the draw to win. The scale model cars are available to buy online only, at  www.mydsf.ae and www.idealz.com. 
Residents and visitors can also land a brand new car, plus cash prizes, with two  of DSF’s best loved raffles – the INFINITI Mega Raffle and Nissan Grand Raffle. With draws to scoop an INFINITI QX60 or a Nissan vehicle taking place at Global Village each day of DSF, the raffles are two of the biggest and best ways to win this weekend and throughout the retail celebration. 

To enter the INFINITI Mega Raffle, raffle tickets priced at AED200 can be purchased at selected ENOC and EPCO petrol stations, Zoom stores and Dubai Metro stations. Shoppers who spend AED200 at The Gold Souk, Global Village and participating shopping malls will enter a raffle to land an INFINITI QX60 and AED200,000. Plus, one lucky raffle winner will walk away an incredible AED500,000 on the final day of DSF. Shoppers who spend AED25 on non-fuel items at any EPCO or ENOC petrol station in Dubai will enter the Nissan Grand Raffle, which also includes a weekly AED10,000 prize. 

Dubai Shopping Malls Group’s (DSMG) Spin & Win raffle is giving away cash prizes of up to AED100,000 each week of DSF. With every spend of AED150, AED200 and AED300, customers will be entitled to red, blue or yellow vouchers respectively. Shoppers with red vouchers can win a total of AED250,000, whereas blue voucher holders can win a total of AED350,000 and yellow voucher holders AED400,000. Also, 24 lucky winners will be selected from a raffle draw to spin the wheel for a chance to win prizes ranging from AED2,000 to AED20,000. Shoppers visiting their nearest community mall will have the chance to win cash prizes during weekly Spin & Win events held on 11, 18, 25 and 30 January.

Dubai Gold & Jewellery Group (DGJG) is giving away gold to lucky shoppers throughout DSF. Customers who buy jewellery at any of the 180 participating DGJG outlets, including stores in the Deira Gold Souk, Meena Bazaar and many of the city’s malls, will enter a raffle. Customers who spend AED500 on gold jewellery will receive one raffle coupon, with customers who purchase diamonds, pearls, or watches worth AED500 receiving two raffle coupons. Every other day during DSF, four winners will share 1kg of gold equally. On the final day of DSF, 3kgs of gold will be shared equally among 12 winners as part of a mega prize draw.  

CONCERTS 
Coca-Cola Arena will welcome the stage artist, DJ and producer Alan Walker on 7 January. Alan is one of the world’s most popular EDM musicians and a huge influence on the genre. Tickets start from AED249 and can be purchased at www.dubaicalendar.com and www.bookmyshow.com. 

RETAIL
The Club Apparel x 6thstreet.com DSF 24/7 VAT On Us promotion will run until 9 January. Shoppers can take advantage of the mega promotion at Club Apparel stores across Dubai and online 24 hours a day at www.6thstreet.com. Club Apparel members can also win thousands of Club Apparel points by spending AED200 or more. A total of 24 shoppers will each win 1,250 Club Apparel points, worth AED1,250, and seven lucky customers will win 10,000 Club Apparel points, worth AED10,000.

Shoppers can enjoy a huge selection of deals and offers at malls and stores across the city as part of the DSF Sale Season, which runs to 30 January and features 3,500 outlets offering savings of 25 per cent to 75 per cent.
 
Taking place until 30 January, the DSF SHARE Millionaire promotion will see one fortunate shopper win an amazing One Million SHARE Points each week. Visitors to the Mall of the Emirates, City Centre Mirdif and City Centre Deira malls who spend more than AED300 will enter a special weekly draw. Shoppers need to download the SHARE Rewards app and scan shopping receipts to the value of AED300 or more to have a chance of winning.

On 7 January, fashion lovers can find a great DSF Surprises offer with savings of up to 90 per cent off all items at the U.S. Polo Assn store in City Centre Mirdif. The deal includes T-shirts, shirts trousers and more while stocks last.
 
HOTELS
Start the  new year in the best possible way with a super staycation at some of Dubai’s best hotels. Whether you’re looking to relax at a beachfront getaway or explore Dubai’s amazing shopping opportunities, there’s a hotel deal to suit every guest.

Residents and visitors can kick start 2021 with a great DSF stay at the Voco Dubai hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road. Guests will enjoy complimentary breakfast and dinner, served either in the room or in the restaurant, with kids aged 12 and under eating for free during their stay. There’s also 50 per cent savings on spa treatments and 25 per cent off on salon services. The offer runs until the end of DSF on 30 January.
 
Guests looking to ease their way into the new year and enjoy big savings on a waterfront staycation can check into the Sheraton Jumeirah Beach Resort using the code “DSF25”. Families and couples will enjoy special room rates as well as 20 per cent off F&B, sports activities and a Buy One, Get One Free offer on spa treatments during their stay. 

 
Located in the heart of Dubai in the buzzing Al Barsha community and close to Mall of the Emirates, the Grand Cosmopolitan Hotel has a host of super DSF offers for a great holiday filled with shopping and poolside relaxation. Offers include a Stay 5, Pay for 4 Nights deal, kids aged 12 years and under eating for free during their stay, 25 per cent off the price of a suite and guests who book Half Board enjoying a stay on Full Board. The deal is available until 30 January.