Dubai celebrated the 'Festival of Lights' across the city as various shopping malls and entertainment destinations put on an array of festive themed events and activities. Diwali is a time for celebration, family and fun, and Dubai had come alive throughout the month with activities curated especially for India's biggest festival.
From various offers on gold and jewellery promotions to musical performances by some of the biggest Indian artists and photography tours that ensured Dubai's Diwali festive spirit was captured well and there was something for everyone to enjoy.
Saeed Al Falasi, Executive Director, Retail and Strategic Alliances, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of Dubai Tourism, said: "Diwali marks a very significant date in the Indian calendar and has long been a festival that has been celebrated across the city. This year as promises were bigger and better than ever before - through a carefully crafted calendar, Dubai offered an abundance of activity to ensure that everyone had an opportunity to enjoy a very happy Diwali."
If you're looking for something to do this Diwali month, here are just some of the events that have taken place or are soon to take place all around Dubai. Visit https://www.visitdubai.com/en/ or follow @visitdubai for more information.
Dubai Parks and Resorts
Bollywood Parks at Dubai Parks and Resorts will be buzzing for a whole month from the 5th October to 5th November with an array of activities to delight visitors this Diwali. Head down with the family to experience bright and colourful decorations all around the park, a market selling Diwali-themed snacks and delicacies, special dance performances and intricate rangoli art displays. From the 19th - 21stOctober, a special daily firework show lit up the sky behind the Rajmahal Theatre. To culminate the festivities, Dubai Parks and Resorts celebrated a fun 'Diwali Dhamaka' day on the 20th October, where the centre of attraction was none other than Mika Singh, popular Bollywood and Punjabi singer. Opening the concert was ROOH with an after party at Rock On. Families also enjoyed a firework show and the rides and attractions at Bollywood Parks Dubai.
Bur Juman
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Bur Juman was revelling in the colours of India from 12th - 21st October. The festivities were kicked off with City 101.6 RJs, Malavika, Sid and Meghana from 5-7 pm on 13th October, who successfully got the crowds to the celebratory mood with an afternoon filled with fun games and exciting prizes. From 15th - 21st October, both kids and adults enjoyed beautiful pottery art in a traditional themed tent and tried out the henna painting as well as arts and crafts from 4-10 pm, while on 19th, 20th and 21st October, the mall came alive from 6-8 pm with the beats of traditional and modern Indian dance performers.
Wadali Brothers - Live in Concert
On 13th October, from 8-10 pm, the renowned Sufi singers the Wadali Brothers performed live at DUCTAC, Mall of the Emirates for the first time in Dubai and for one night only, exclusively through Emirates NBD Classics. This humble yet highly talented duo is as inspirational as the songs they sung, have won awards for their powerful renditions and written verses.
City Centre Al Shindagha
On the 13th - 22nd October (3-9 pm daily), families enjoyed mesmerising entertainment and experiences that include henna artists, kids' workshops, a rangoli artist and roaming entertainment. Additionally, there was a chance to win 10g of gold daily!
Desi Fiesta
From 6 pm - 1 am on 27th October, the Desi Fiesta will explode at the Media City Amphitheatre with a powerful live concert from headline act, Armaan Malik. Malik is one of Bollywood's shining stars, with hits including Main Hoon Hero Tera from the movie Hero, and Kehta Hai Pal Pal, Aaja Na Ferrari Mein and Besabriyaan from Ms. Dhoni. Other musicians entertaining at the fiesta include Momina Mustehsan, Shahnah Kholgade and Neha Dhupia and food trucks will be on hand to appease appetites throughout the evening. Dinner and dancing - the perfect recipe for a fun-filled desi evening! Visit https://desifiestadxb.com/ for tickets (AED65 to AED225).
Dubai Festival City
Every hour starting at 7 pm (till closing) from 18th - 22th October, Dubai Festival City Mall celebrated the Festival of Lights every evening with a special projection during the IMAGINE Show on Festival Bay. Dine with your friends and family at one of the many restaurants on Festival Bay and capture a picture of the world's largest permanent projection mapping screen as it sparkles with vibrant lights and colours this Diwali.
Visit www.festivalcentre.com for more information.
Diwali Unseen Trails Tour
Budding photographers - took the best of the opportunity by the captivating tour of Bur Dubai on 19th October, organised by photography centre, Gulf Photo Plus and the food experts from Frying Pan Adventures. For this one-night-only event to mark Diwali, families were led through the streets of Bur Dubai, watching the neighbourhood come to life with a kaleidoscope of colours as night falls. Along the way, they were taught how best to capture the sights with your camera, as well as being treated to some of the best dishes that Bur Dubai had to offer, including chicken tikka and Indian sweets.
Masood Boomgaard "African Indian"
Masood Boomgaard, renowned South African stand-up comedian performed "African Indian", packing out the Junction Dubai, Al Serkal Avenue over two shows on 21st October. One of the brightest stars in South African comedy, Masood showed off his witty take on a range of topics from technology and sports to relationships, celebrities, parenting and everything else in between. "African Indian" had something for everyone and offers a combination of rapid fire one liners and more elaborate story-styled jokes. Boomgaard celebrated its tenth year in comedy this year; "It's a milestone for me and I plan to give Dubai the very best of me." Visit www.platinumlist.net for tickets (AED 120).
2.0 - Audio at Burj Park
On 27th October, Burj Park will be taken over by the audio launch of the much-awaited 2.0, Indian superstar, Rajinikanth latest film, directed by Shankar and with music composed by the world famous Indian composer, A.R. Rahman. This not-to-be-missed event will feature a live performance by A.R. Rahman in the presence of Rajinikanth, co-star and Bollywood A-lister, Akshay Kumar and others. With the stunning Burj Khalifa in the backdrop, Burj Park is gearing up to host one of the most highly anticipated events of the year in anticipation of one of the biggest Indian blockbusters in history. Don't miss out!
MTV Unplugged: Ayushmann Khurrana and Ali Zafar
On 27th October from 8pm - 2am, Ali Zafar and Ayushmann Khurrana will come together to perform live on stage at the MTV India Unplugged concert at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium. Famous for starring in television shows and films and also being singers, they'll be belting out some of their biggest hits. Zafar is a singer-songwriter and has also worked as a composer - his first big hit was Channo and his songs have also appeared on Bollywood film soundtracks like Karachi Se Lahore. Khurrana is best known for his singles like Pani Da Rang and O Heeriye. Don't miss these super stars while they're in town! Tickets cost from AED 49 to AED 649
https://www.facebook.com/events/1503779429735952/
Reef Mall
Reef Mall hosted pottery decoration activities for adults and children between 4-10pm from 13th-21th October. Check out an array of shopping outlets as well as the largest Fun City in the UAE! Multi-cuisine dining at the food court and trendy cafes offer great little spots for a quick meal in the midst of browsing your favorite stores.