Free things to do in Dubai this weekend

A Spooktacular Halloween — monsters, games and Thriller in the park

Step through a smoky Halloween arch into a family evening of roaming monsters, a haunted maze, games and face painting at JLT Park Amphitheatre. Catch the Thriller flashmob at 18:00 or 19:00, with costumes encouraged and younger visitors welcome to choose the gentler activities.

31 Oct · 31 October 2026, 16:00–21:00. Thriller flashmobs at 18:00 and 19:00.

Jumeirah Lakes Towers · Check visit details

All ages welcome

Family Sundays — Shapes, Stories and Memories

Create photo collages, clay keepsakes and cubist characters together, and contribute to a shared river mural. This family art-making day includes materials and sensory activities for toddlers.

1 Nov · Sunday 1 November 2026, 11am–3pm

Jaddaf Waterfront · Booking required

All ages; children and families

GPP × SUBKO — make a coffee-toned cyanotype zine

Explore an unexpected meeting of photography and food: wash a pre-exposed cyanotype zine, use coffee to tone its prints, then assemble and personalise the finished booklet through writing, drawing and collage. A Subko coffee tasting concludes the session.

31 Oct · Saturday 31 October 2026, 3pm–6pm.

Al Quoz · Check visit details

No age limit published; check suitability with organiser

Rumi Ornamentation — build your own flowing decorative patterns

Explore the rhythm, repetition and balance of Rumi ornamentation in a two-hour hands-on workshop with SOCO. Learn to construct decorative motifs and bring them together into patterns inspired by traditional ornamental arts. The Dubai Culture session is taught in Arabic and English for ages 16 and above.

31 Oct · Saturday 31 October 2026, noon–2pm. Advance registration required.

Al Rashidiya · Booking required

Ages 16+ · Arabic and English

Salah Elmur & Asim Gurashi — art stories and Sudanese sounds

Hear Salah Elmur discuss his art, memories and Sudanese landscapes with writer Melissa Gronlund, then experience live music by Asim Eltayeb Gurashi. The evening premieres an Art Jameel sound work drawing on Sudanese folk and Sufi traditions.

31 Oct · 31 October 2026, 17:00–20:00 (Dubai time). The conversation opens the evening; the performance closes it.

Al Jaddaf · Booking required

No numerical age restriction published; confirm child suitability

The Empty Seat at the Table — stories, images and a shared taste

Artist Mirna Bamieh combines narration, projected images and sound in a lecture-performance about Palestinian food traditions, memory and displacement. The event concludes with a shared offering of bread, Gazan dukka, olive oil, labneh and olives.

1 Nov · 2026-11-01, 17:30–18:30 (Dubai time). Booking required.

Al Quoz · Booking required

No age limit published; check suitability with organiser

Dubai LangChain Meetup — build an AI-powered app

Work through real examples of AI agents and applications during a six-hour community meetup at Middlesex University Dubai. The hosts help developers, data scientists and curious AI enthusiasts build a first app, with all levels of LangChain experience welcome.

31 Oct · 31 October 2026, 09:30–15:30 (UAE time). Advance registration required.

Dubai Knowledge Park · Booking required

No numeric age limit published; technical workshop

Dubai Ride 2026

Cycle through the city on a free community ride, with family and longer-route options.

1 Nov · 1 November 2026, advertised start06:00 GST. Use the organiser registration page and confirm your allocated start point and finish time.

Sheikh Zayed Road · Booking required

Amritha Murali Live in Dubai

A Carnatic vocal concert presented by Musico Dubai, with violin and percussion accompaniment. Free reserved admission; any food or drink purchase is optional.

1 Nov · 19:00 GST

Al Karama · Booking required

All ages

ADIGA — Sudanese fusion under the evening sky

Hear Dubai-based Sudanese trio ADIGA weave traditional Sudanese melodies into experimental contemporary grooves. This one-hour live performance in The Yard is part of Alserkal’s What the Food programme.

31 Oct · 2026-10-31, 20:30–21:00 Dubai time.

Al Quoz · Booking required

No age limit published; check suitability with organiser

Build Your Own Ramen Bowl — a paper feast for creative kids

Turn paper, card and colourful craft materials into a three-dimensional ramen bowl with imaginary noodles, vegetables and toppings. The Jamjar brings this playful drop-in making activity to The Yard during What The Food.

31 Oct · 31 October and 1 November 2026, 16:00–18:00; drop in while materials are available.

Al Quoz · Check visit details

Children’s activity; no numerical age range published

Cultivating a National Cuisine — from garden to Emirati table

Join artist-chef Moza Almatrooshi and Emirati chef Asayel Mohammed for a conversation about how landscapes, gardens and inherited knowledge shape cooking. Explore the meeting of artistic research, home-grown ingredients and an evolving national cuisine.

31 Oct · 2026-10-31, 16:00–16:30 (Dubai time). Booking required.

Al Quoz · Booking required

No age limit published; check suitability with organiser

Designing for Food — the stories behind the things on our tables

Explore how inherited kitchen objects become contemporary design with Miriam Tarabay and Caroline Petit-Mason. From porcelain to traditional Lebanese tools, this conversation follows an idea through craftsmanship, cultural memory and the objects we use around food.

1 Nov · 2026-11-01, 15:00–15:30 Dubai time.

Al Quoz · Booking required

No age limit published; check suitability with organiser

House to House — discover the kitchens of old Dubai through poetry

Poet Shamma Al Bastaki joins Selma Abu Alia to explore the food memories of Dubai’s Creek communities. Hear how conversations with elders became poetry, and how shared meals, celebrations and everyday kitchens shaped the city’s food culture.

1 Nov · 2026-11-01, 15:30–16:30 (Dubai time). Booking required.

Al Quoz · Booking required

No age limit published; check suitability with organiser

Math Spooky House — potions, spiderweb crafts and family puzzles

Explore a Halloween-themed family activity day with hands-on potion experiments, spiderweb crafts, art and playful maths puzzles. The Russian School of Mathematics welcomes children and their parents to this standalone seasonal event at Dubai Knowledge Park Conference Hall.

1 Nov · Sunday 1 November 2026, 11am–2pm. Free registration required.

Dubai Knowledge Park · Booking required

Children and their parents; numerical age limits not published

What Salt Keeps — discover the Emirati craft of preserving fish

Hear Nazek Al Sabbagh and Leen Al Zaben explore maleh, fish preserved with salt and sun, and the family knowledge passed from mother to daughter along the Emirati coast. Learn how the craft connects old Deira with a new generation.

1 Nov · 1 November 2026, 16:00–16:30 (Dubai time).

Al Quoz · Booking required

No age range published; confirm suitability with organiser

When Food Becomes a Lifeline — Armenian recipes, memory and mutual aid

Hear Lebanese-Armenian chef and humanitarian Aline Kamakian explore how family recipes preserve culture, and how shared meals support communities in crisis. Her keynote connects Armenian food heritage with the humanitarian food response after the Beirut port explosion.

31 Oct · 2026-10-31, 15:00–15:30 (Dubai time). Booking required.

Al Quoz · Booking required

No age limit published; check suitability with organiser

Wild Relatives — follow seeds from the Arctic to Lebanon on screen

Watch Jumana Manna’s documentary at a Cinema Akil screening in Alserkal Avenue’s Yard. The film follows seeds travelling between the Arctic and Lebanon, connecting distant landscapes with the people and plant lives that depend on them.

1 Nov · 2026-11-01, 20:00–22:00 (Dubai time).

Al Quoz · Booking required

No age range published; confirm suitability with organiser

A Roof, a Crate, a Cup of Coffee — uncover the UAE’s food gathering places

Architect and researcher Omar Darwish uses archival photographs and records to explore how markets, cafés and restaurants took shape in the Trucial States. Discover how roofs, stalls, crates and street-side chairs created places to gather, and how everyday architecture carries social history.

31 Oct · 31 October 2026, 15:30–16:00. Free advance booking required.

Al Quoz · Booking required

Al Marmoom camel racing — free live racing spectacle

Watch racing camels and their robot jockeys thunder along Al Marmoom’s track. The official October programme has free spectator sessions with multiple races, offering a memorable look at a living Emirati sport.

31 Oct · 17 Oct 06:30–10:00; 18 Oct 06:30–10:30; 19–20 Oct 06:30–10:00; 24 Oct 07:00–09:30; 25 Oct 07:00–09:10; 26 Oct 07:00–09:20; 27 Oct 07:00–09:10; 31 Oct 07:00–10:40 and 14:00–17:00. UAE local times.

Al Marmoom · Check visit details

Artist’s Room: Lulua Alyahya — Jameel Arts Centre

Discover small, atmospheric paintings that mix people, animals and Gulf landscapes with humour and dreamlike settings. This is Lulua Alyahya’s first solo exhibition in the UAE.

20 September 2026–31 January 2027. Planned visits: Sun, Mon, Wed, Thu, Sat 10:00–18:00; Fri 12:00–20:00. Closed Tuesdays. These are the hours shared by the venue’s two published schedules; confirm later visits with the organiser.

Al Jaddaf · Check visit details

All ages admitted; exhibition content varies

Artist’s Room: Shezad Dawood — New Dream Machine Project — Jameel Arts Centre

Encounter a three-metre rotating light sculpture, smaller handmade prototypes and archive material tracing an experimental artwork between Morocco and Britain. An accompanying looped film programme runs until 1 November.

20 September 2026–31 January 2027. Planned visits: Sun, Mon, Wed, Thu, Sat 10:00–18:00; Fri 12:00–20:00. Closed Tuesdays. These are the hours shared by the venue’s two published schedules; confirm later visits with the organiser.

Al Jaddaf · Check visit details

All ages admitted; exhibition content varies

Artist’s Room: Walid Siti — Jameel Arts Centre

Explore mountain-like sculptures, architectural models, drawings and sketchbooks spanning forty years of Walid Siti’s work. A new large sculpture connects the mountains of Kurdistan with memory and exile.

20 September 2026–31 January 2027. Planned visits: Sun, Mon, Wed, Thu, Sat 10:00–18:00; Fri 12:00–20:00. Closed Tuesdays. These are the hours shared by the venue’s two published schedules; confirm later visits with the organiser.

Al Jaddaf · Check visit details

All ages admitted; exhibition content varies

Haunted Timesylvania — family magic, crafts and Halloween fun

Step into Times Square Center’s playful Halloween celebration for free creative activities, trick-or-treating and stage entertainment with Magic Phil and friends. A seasonal family outing with several things to do together in one indoor venue.

31 Oct · 29 October–1 November 2026, noon–7pm. Magic Phil is scheduled at 6pm on 30 October–1 November; other activities have their own times.

Al Quoz · Check visit details

JLT Cinema Under the Stars — free family movie nights

Settle on the grass for a full film under the JLT skyline. Free Saturday screenings begin at 7:30pm, with Goosebumps on 31 October and Elemental on 7 November. Bring a blanket and your own snacks; choose a film suitable for your children.

31 Oct · Saturdays at 19:30, through 30 January 2027. Finish varies by film.

Jumeirah Lakes Towers · Check visit details

Film-specific age suitability; check the programme

Kamruzzaman Shadhin — The River Remembers — Jameel Arts Centre

Step into a monumental textile installation whose coloured threads trace two Bengal rivers. Brass disks carry family memories and migration stories within the woven landscape.

30 March 2026–1 November 2026. Planned visits: Sun, Mon, Wed, Thu, Sat 10:00–18:00; Fri 12:00–20:00. Closed Tuesdays. These are the hours shared by the venue’s two published schedules; confirm later visits with the organiser.

Al Jaddaf · Check visit details

All ages admitted; exhibition content varies

Library Circles: Rend Beiruti — Dubai’s neighbourhood grocery stories — Jameel Arts Centre

Photographs, maps and archive documents reveal how the baqala has shaped everyday Dubai. This research display follows neighbourhood grocery shops from historic streets to newer communities.

16 September 2026–11 January 2027. Planned visits: Sun, Mon, Wed, Thu, Sat 10:00–18:00; Fri 12:00–20:00. Closed Tuesdays. These are the hours shared by the venue’s two published schedules; confirm later visits with the organiser.

Al Jaddaf · Check visit details

All ages admitted; exhibition content varies

Salah Elmur — Just as the Heart of a Mango is a Stone — Jameel Arts Centre

Vivid paintings, photographs and sketches connect Sudanese family archives with remembered landscapes. The exhibition follows Elmur’s memories of life near the Blue Nile through three chapters.

Exhibition: 31 October 2026–14 March 2027. Opening programme 31 October 17:00–20:00 requires separate RSVP; ordinary viewing from 1 November. Planned visits: Sun, Mon, Wed, Thu, Sat 10:00–18:00; Fri 12:00–20:00. Closed Tuesdays. These are the hours shared by the venue’s two published schedules; confirm later visits with the organiser.

Al Jaddaf · Check visit details

All ages admitted; exhibition content varies

A Momentum for the Horizon — Gallery Isabelle

Reverse glass paintings turn clouds and horizons into shifting layers of light, transparency and shadow in Alaa Itani’s Artist Room exhibition.

23 September 2026–4 November 2026. Monday–Friday: 10am–6pm; Sat: 11am–7pm.

Al Quoz · Check visit details

Between a Fold and a Memory — Leila Heller Gallery

Photography and sculptural forms explore Emirati women’s garments and cultural memory, transforming familiar fabric patterns and objects into contemporary art.

23 September 2026–10 November 2026. Sun, Sat: 11am–7pm; Monday–Friday: 10am–7pm.

Al Quoz · Check visit details

Between Land and Sea — Leila Heller Gallery

Sculpture and mixed-media work connect Emirati heritage with the UAE’s coastal and desert landscapes.

23 September 2026–10 November 2026. Sun, Sat: 11am–7pm; Monday–Friday: 10am–7pm.

Al Quoz · Check visit details

Fellow Travellers — Tabari Artspace — Artspace Gallery (now Tabari Artspace)

Paintings and works on paper connect six artists across migration, memory and inherited stories. Curated by Omar Kholeif, the show includes rarely seen works by Sonia Balassanian, Jai Chuhan, Luísa Correia Pereira, Lalitha Lajmi and Irene Scheinmann.

8 October 2026–10 January 2027. Daily: 10am–10pm.

DIFC · Check visit details

Frogs, Jazz & Blisters — Taymour Grahne Projects

New paintings bring together London and Kuwait, family memories and present-day life, in an exploration of belonging across two places.

24 September 2026–10 November 2026. Monday–Saturday: 11am–7pm.

Al Quoz · Check visit details

I Bloom Where You Hold Me — Gallery Isabelle

Collaborative drawings and collages bring bodies, flowers and gestures of care into gallery walls covered with hand-drawn graffiti.

23 September 2026–4 November 2026. Monday–Friday: 10am–6pm; Sat: 11am–7pm.

Al Quoz · Check visit details

In Search of Material Within Material — Leila Heller Gallery

See how found metal, fabric, netting and other everyday materials become textured sculptural and pictorial forms in Manish Nai’s solo exhibition.

23 September 2026–10 November 2026. Sun, Sat: 11am–7pm; Monday–Friday: 10am–7pm.

Al Quoz · Check visit details

Locacola — bottles, street sounds and a different kind of pop art

Sharmila Samant turns a familiar soft-drink bottle into a way of looking at global brands and local culture. Explore an installation combining collected bottles, a street-vendor cart, projected images and a 35-minute soundscape of Indian everyday life.

31 October–30 December 2026. Saturday–Thursday, 10am–7pm; closed Friday.

Al Quoz · Check visit details

No age limit published; check suitability with the gallery

May the Tree No Longer Burn When I Wake — CARBON 12

Explore Amir Khojasteh’s paintings of gardens and seated figures alongside bronze sculptures at Carbon 12.

23 September 2026–5 November 2026. Monday–Saturday: 11:30am–7pm.

Al Quoz · Check visit details

Nada Elkalaawy — The Butterfly’s Burden — Lawrie Shabibi

Paintings assemble flowers, family photographs and ghostly figures into shifting memories. Look for translucent layers and earlier images reappearing beneath new paint.

23 September 2026–23 November 2026. Monday–Saturday: 10am–6pm.

Al Quoz · Check visit details

Provisional Sanctuaries — Shamin Sharum — Tashkeel

Paintings, drawings and small architectural models reveal the improvised prayer spaces hidden within the UAE’s everyday buildings. Shamin Sharum explores how temporary places create belonging in a changing city.

24 October 2026–26 November 2026. Daily: 8am–10pm.

Nad Al Sheba · Check visit details

Rana Begum — Taking Form — The Third Line

Walk around nearly five-metre hanging wool tapestries to see their woven geometric patterns change. Linen paintings, watercolours and wood works continue the exploration of colour and light across two gallery rooms.

23 September 2026–24 November 2026. Monday–Saturday: 11am–7pm.

Al Quoz · Check visit details

Sculptures, Furniture and Works on Paper — Waddington Custot Gallery Dubai

Bernar Venet connects steel sculpture with furniture and works on paper, revealing how mathematical and geometric ideas move across different forms.

26 September 2026–31 October 2026. Monday–Saturday: 10am–7pm.

Al Quoz · Check visit details

Sojourner: The Difference is the Same — Efie Gallery

Sculptures made from century-old railway sleepers, metal and found materials preserve earlier histories while taking new forms.

23 September 2026–13 November 2026. Monday–Saturday: 11am–7pm.

Al Quoz · Check visit details

SYNCHRONICITY by Charlie Koolhaas — XVA Gallery

Discover unexpected visual connections in documentary photographs from China, sculptural translations of city scenes and paintings made over photographs. Charlie Koolhaas explores the humour and beauty of everyday coincidences.

24 October–12 November 2026. Daily 10:00–18:00.

Al Fahidi · Check visit details

The Canticle of the Birds — Taymour Grahne Projects

Ceramic sound sculptures, watercolours, textile works and moving image bring birds and poetic storytelling into the gallery.

24 September 2026–10 November 2026. Monday–Saturday: 11am–7pm.

Al Quoz · Check visit details

The Field of Dreams — Zawyeh Gallery

Bashar Khalaf examines steel, urban objects and public space through paintings and drawings about protection, control and everyday life.

19 September 2026–8 November 2026. Daily: 10am–6pm.

Al Quoz · Check visit details

The Importance of Staying Quiet 6: Open Forms — Grey Noise

Iqra Tanveer and Faheem Abbas explore abstraction, stillness and the qualities of materials in the final exhibition of this six-part series.

23 September 2026–30 December 2026. Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat: 11am–7pm.

Al Quoz · Check visit details

The Living Archive — Firetti Contemporary

Ahmad Tallaa’s portraits, sculptures, artist books and tile installation build layers of sand, pigment and chalk into textured records of human experience.

21 September 2026–11 November 2026. Daily: 11am–7pm.

Al Quoz · Check visit details

The sky held it, the earth remembered — Ishara Art Foundation

Photography, films and suspended silk installations explore rivers, cities and the cosmos as carriers of memory. Works by Shahana Rajani, Rohini Devasher and Sarker Protick connect ecological change with life across South Asia.

11 September 2026–15 December 2026. Monday–Saturday: 10am–7pm.

Al Quoz · Check visit details

What the Sea Leaves Behind — Gulf Photo Plus

Discover photographs and reporting about fishing communities in Bahrain, the UAE and Oman, from coastal change to the knowledge passed between generations of fisherwomen.

23 September 2026–7 November 2026. Monday–Friday: 10am–7pm; Sat: 11am–8pm.

Al Quoz · Check visit details

What We Carry Becomes the Terrain — Aisha Alabbar Gallery

Explore imagined landscapes, paintings, prints and textile pieces connecting memories of Peru, France and the UAE. Embroidered fabrics and lush vegetation reveal how places shape a sense of belonging.

23 September 2026–7 November 2026. Monday–Saturday: 10am–6pm.

Al Quoz · Check visit details

SMCCU Open House — step inside an Emirati heritage home

Explore a traditional Emirati house, discover pearl-diving objects in its mini-museum, try traditional clothing and enjoy rooftop views across Al Fahidi. General entry is free during the winter Open House season.

November–February, 16:00–20:00; check the organiser for the next open date.

Al Fahidi · Check visit details

Mohammed Bin Rashid Library

Visit the public reading collections at this library in Al Jaddaf.

Monday–Thursday and Saturday 09:00–21:00; Friday 14:00–21:00. Closed Sunday.

Al Jaddaf · Check visit details

Ages 5+

A desk for your next creative idea

Read, write and research at the Alserkal Arts Foundation Common Room, with shared resources for cultural practitioners and researchers.

Saturday 10am–6pm; confirm Monday–Thursday hours with the Foundation.

Al Quoz · Check visit details

Al Rawabi — calves, a moo-seum and a working dairy tour

Visit a working dairy farm to meet calves, explore its moo-seum and discover milking and production processes. Al Rawabi offers free educational tours for families at weekends, with the date and time confirmed after your booking request.

Families: weekends, by confirmed booking. Exact tour times not published.

Al Khawaneej · Booking required

Family tours; confirm suitability when booking

Community langar at Guru Nanak Darbar

Share a vegetarian community meal at the Jebel Ali gurudwara. Langar welcomes visitors of every faith and background as part of the Sikh tradition of service.

Daytime langar: breakfast 07:30–10:00; lunch 12:00–15:00. Confirm service before visiting.

Jebel Ali · Check visit details

Dubai Creek Striders — free running community

Join the club’s year-round training community, with sessions around Dubai.

Weekly sessions; confirm the current start time in the club’s schedule.

Zaabeel / locations across Dubai · Check visit details

JLT Park

Enjoy lawns, playgrounds and a jogging path behind Cluster Q.

Open 24 hours, daily.

Jumeirah Lakes Towers · Check visit details

Kutubna Cultural Center

An independent cultural centre with changing art exhibitions and a focus on regional literature and ideas.

Daily 10am–10pm

Nadd Al Hamar · Check visit details

L’Atelier by Gallery 27

Browse contemporary paintings, sculpture and pop art at Gallery 27’s primary L’Atelier space in Dubai Production City.

Monday–Saturday 10:00–18:00.

Dubai Production City · Check visit details

Live Music at LSB JBR

Live bands play at the JBR venue three nights each week, grouped as one recurring program. Food and drinks are optional.

Wednesdays and Fridays from 22:00; Saturdays from 18:00.

Jumeirah Beach Residence · Check visit details

Meet your next favourite artist.

Discover contemporary works by UAE and regional artists at ISOAG Gallery.

Monday–Friday 11am–8pm; Saturday–Sunday 10am–7pm.

Al Safa · Check visit details

Nad Al Sheba Cycle Park

Cycle the illuminated routes and practise on the children’s road-safety track.

Open 24 hours.

Nad Al Sheba · Check visit details

QE2 Travellers Cove — explore an ocean liner’s maritime museum

Step aboard the retired QE2 and explore Travellers Cove on One Deck. The collection follows the ocean liner from its construction in 1967 to its final voyage in 2008. Admission to this maritime museum is free for all visitors.

Daily 10:00–22:00

Mina Rashid · Check visit details

All visitors; no numeric age restriction published

The Farjam Foundation

Explore Boundless Geometry, an exhibition of Rana Begum’s work from The Farjam Collection, through 15 November 2026.

Daily 10am–10pm

DIFC · Check visit details

Town Square Park

Enjoy the central lawns, walking areas and free fountain space in Town Square.

Sunday–Thursday 11am–9pm; Friday–Saturday noon–10pm. Operator says holidays and special events may differ.

Town Square · Check visit details

Weekend Social at The Garden Project

Live music, DJ sets, music bingo, quiz rounds and family games at the golf-club garden. Saturday and Sunday socials are grouped as one program. Food and drinks are optional.

Saturdays and Sundays from 16:00.

Emirates Hills · Check visit details

Zenon Lounge Electronic Music Nights

Electronic DJ performances and digital projections at the Downtown lounge, with no entry fee or minimum spend. Friday and Saturday are grouped as one series. Food and drinks are optional.

Fridays and Saturdays, 20:00–03:00.

Downtown Dubai · Check visit details