Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) will return for its 32nd edition with 45 days of shopping promotions, concerts, outdoor activities and family entertainment across the emirate.
Organised by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), the festival will run from December 4, 2026, to January 17, 2027, covering the festive season, New Year’s Eve and the first half of January.
The extended programme will give residents and visitors opportunities to explore shopping offers and events at malls, outdoor venues and other destinations across Dubai.
New beachfront experience at Sunset Beach
One of the additions to this year’s festival is the first DSF edition of etisalat Beach Canteen at Sunset Beach.
The beachfront destination will combine food and beverage options with live entertainment, interactive workshops and other activities.
Other returning attractions are expected to include etisalat DSF Nights, DSF x Hatta Wadi Hub, DSF Auto Season and etisalat MOTB, alongside mall activations, raffles and retail promotions.
The festival will also continue into January, with etisalat MOTB and DSF Auto Season among the experiences planned for the closing weeks.
Shopping offers and raffle prizes
Shopping remains central to DSF, with participating retailers expected to offer promotions, limited-time deals and mall experiences throughout the festival.
Raffles and prize draws will also feature in the programme, although details of the offers, prizes and participating retailers have yet to be announced.
The organisers said the full DSF 2026-2027 programme would be revealed in the coming month, with further details on entertainment, shopping offers, prizes, partnerships and events.
What to expect from DSF 2026-2027
The festival’s previous edition featured more than 100 events, according to the organisers, alongside concerts, outdoor attractions and automotive experiences. Shoppers won more than AED 11 million in prizes during the last edition.
One of last season’s headline attractions was the Red Bull Tetris World Final at Dubai Frame, which featured 4,000 synchronised drones in what the organisers described as the world’s first playable sky-based Tetris game.
This year’s programme will build on the festival’s mix of retail promotions and entertainment, with events spread across different parts of Dubai.
His Excellency Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of DFRE, said: “This year marks an important new chapter as we want to build on everything people already associate with DSF while continuing to create the unexpected moments that keep the festival fresh, relevant and worth returning to. There is much more to reveal, and we look forward to sharing what is ahead for the 32nd edition.”
tanvir@dubainewsweek.com
