Things to do in Dubai this weekend

What’s On has a list of things to do in Dubai this weekend, including brunch, drinks deals, festive events, live entertainment and new openings.

You know that moment on a Thursday afternoon when your work buddy asks what you’re doing this weekend and your mind goes blank? Well worry no more, friends, because What’s On has the perfect solution, whatever mood you are in.

THURSDAY

Taste of Dubai
This month sees the return of Taste Of Dubai, a weekend-long festival celebrating everything the emirate’s food scene has to offer. Visitors are served up the chance to see world-class chefs at work, learn something new at cookery classes, and meander among the stands sampling dishes from Dubai restaurants such as Eataly, Gaucho, Katsuya, The Scene, Perry & Blackwelder’s Original Smokehouse, and The Act. As well as live music from a Bon Jovi tribute band, competitions and cookery classes, this year’s event also has a Beverage Theatre where mixologists will rustle up cocktails. Last year’s event was packed out so book your tickets early – and make sure you arrive hungry.

Dubai Media City Amphitheatre, Dubai, Thur 4pm to midnight, Fri noon to midnight, Sat noon to 11pm, Dhs75. Tel: (02) 2348490. Metro: Nakheel. tasteofdubaifestival.com

Kebabs and curry festival
Claypot restaurant is taking diners on a tour of north, south, east and west India with its special kebabs and curries menu this month.

Citymax Hotels, Kuwait Street, Bur Dubai, 7pm. Tel: (050) 1007065. Metro: Al Karama. facebook.com/ClaypotDubai

French nights
Try a selection of sharing platters inspired by the French Riviera at Sea Fu.

Four Seasons Resort Dubai, Jumeirah Beach Road, Jumeirah 2, Dubai, Thur, Fri and Sat 5pm to 7pm. Tel: (04) 2707777. Taxi: Four Seasons Resort. fourseasons.com

Michael Bublé live
Mining a repertoire of old swing songs, made famous by the likes of Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Nina Simone and Van Morrison, Bublé has proved that you don’t always have to break new ground and be cutting edge to achieve success. Prior to bringing his To Be Loved world tour to Dubai for an ambitious two-night run, the 39-year-old singer explains how he’s reached the top.

Dubai International Stadium, Dubai, 8.30pm, Dhs295. Tel: (04) 5516708. Taxi: Dubai International Stadium. louderentertainment.com

Marshall Jefferson
Aside from a three-year music break in the early 1990s, Jefferson has never not been relevant. There was house, acid house, and then Jefferson created the warmer, groovier, more dubby deep house – a term that’s dominated underground electronic music in recent years.

Dek On 8, Media One Hotel, Dubai Media City, Dubai, 9pm to 3am, free. Tel: (04) 4271000. Metro: Nakheel. facebook.com/SuperheroesDubai

New Afternoon Tea
Pick at deliciously dainty finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, and – perhaps best of all – hot toasted crumpets at the new quintessentially British afternoon tea from Rhodes W1.

Grosvenor House, Dubai Marina, Dubai, Wed to Sat 2.30 to 5pm, Dhs190 to Dhs340. Tel: (04) 3176000. Taxi: Grosvenor House. rw1-dubai.com

Street Jam
The second Dubai Street Jam takes place at The Fridge in Alserkal Avenue, showcasing the most promising rap and hiphop acts in the UAE, including Alonzo & Freek, Niyah and more.

Alserkal Avenue, Al Qouz 1, Street 8, Dubai, 7pm, Dhs30. Taxi: Alserkal Avenue. alserkalavenue.ae

FRIDAY

Guinness and Oyster Festival
Irish dishes such as seafood chowder with Guinness bread and beef pie are on the St Patrick’s Day menu at The Beach House.

Anantara Dubai The Palm Resort, The Palm, Dubai. Tel: (04) 5678304. Taxi: The Palm, East Crescent. dubai-palm.anantara.com

Bob Geldof live
The hail, wind and rain that lashed his Dubai gig last year haven’t deterred Sir Bob Geldof from returning to play a St Patrick’s Day concert in 2015. This year, the Irish rocker takes the stage on Friday the 13th. What could possibly go wrong?

The Irish Village, Al Garhoud, Dubai, 9pm, Dhs120. Tel: (04) 2395000. Metro: GGICO. theirishvillage.com

JLT outdoor cinema
The upcoming programme in the laid-back surrounds of JLT park – located between clusters O and P – is packed with independent movie screenings and cool kids’ animations. There are plenty of food options too courtesy of Wokyo, the Panifico food truck and Maria Bonita. All screenings begin at 7.30pm; just bring cushions and blankets and settle in for the night under the stars. Tonight, it’s Spirited Away.

Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai, free Fri and Sat 7.30pm. greateventsdubai.com

Al Badia Picnic Brunch

The manicured fairways at Al Badia Golf Course provide an excellent backdrop to an al fresco feast. Pick up your traditional basket – stuffed with sandwiches, salads and sweet treats – and take a seat on a picnic blanket or a cushion surrounding a low table. No paper plates here – tables are laid with china and cutlery. This brunch has all the charm of an old-school picnic, with no danger of crumbs in your lap. Perfect.

Al Badia Golf Club, Dubai Festival City, Dubai, Fri and Sat 11.30am to 3.30pm, Dhs275 with soft drinks, Dhs375 with house drinks. Taxi: Al Badia Golf Club. albadiagolfclub.ae

Mini cycling tour
If you enjoyed watching the thrills and spills of last month’s Dubai Tour, all 663km of it, why not have a go at a slightly less labour-intensive version taking place in Ras Al Khaimah this month? Registration is now open for the UAE Mini Cycling Tour, the first of its kind for recreational cyclists and open to riders of all abilities. The four stages of the race are spread over Friday March 13 (in RAK), and Saturday March 14 (in Dubai), and cyclists are invited to attempt the whole tour or individual events. Stages range from 40km to 100km.

Shawka Cycle Track, Ras Al Khaimah, 7am, Dhs200. premieronline.com

Farmer’s market experience at Na3Na3
Calling all Farmer’s Market enthusiasts! Organic farmer suppliers are invited to setup a booth at Na3Na3 showcasing their fresh organic produce to the public. Visitors will be able to meet those that created the organic food as well as sample it for themselves! Na3Na3’s chefs will even cook it for you after you have chosen your favourite ingredients

The Address Dubai Mall, Downtown Dubai, Dubai, Fri 12.30pm to 4pm, Dhs295 (soft drinks), Dhs380 (house drinks). Tel: (04) 8883444. theaddress.com

Opera on screen
Bizet’s classic opera Carmen comes to the Dubai screen fresh from its run at New York’s famous Metropolitan Opera House last year. It will be shown at The Courtyard Playhouse in Al Quoz for one night only on March 13.

The Courtyard Playhouse, Al Quoz, Street 4b, Dubai, 7pm to 10.30pm, Dhs100. Tel: (055) 967927. Taxi: Next to Lime Tree Café. courtyardplayhouse.com

Groove on the grass
Boutique festival Groove On The Grass returns to Emirates Golf Club this month for their first show of 2015 – with Sweden’s Ida Engberg leading the charge of international guests.Through releases on Pickadoll, Truesoul, Drumcode and Crosstown Rebels, Ida has cemented her place as of one of techno’s leading ladies. The wife of Swedish techno king Adam Beyer, Ida holds her own on the production front too. Last year’s massive five-track Devil Dance EP, for example, typified exactly why the techno talent has such a large worldwide following. Minus signing Jon Gaiser gets his groove on with a live performance of his album False Light, with label mate Barem completing the international line-up.

Emirates Golf Club, Dubai, 7pm to 3am, Dhs180. Metro: Nakheel. grooveonthegrass.com

White Day Party
Quite away from their night time entertainment, Pacha Ibiza Dubai’s new event kicks off at 2pm, and is an extension of the post-midnight happenings on your average party night, where music is the focus. Hungry revellers will be able to tuck into a selection of nibbles and light bites, but for the most part they want eyes front to the DJ box where they’ll find Marc Mashall, violinst Nico and resident DJ Rico.

Pacha Ibiza Dubai, Souk Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai; Friday 2pm. Tel: (04) 5670000. Taxi: Madinat

Learn to wakeboard
Dubai-based watersports company Sea Riders is holding wakeboarding clinics with champion wakeboarder Matt Crowhurst throughout March. Wakeboarding has become the go-to action sport in Dubai with dozens of adrenaline junkies waking up before sunrise to take advantage of the calm and empty waters. Matt’s hands-on approach means he’ll be riding right alongside you, guiding you through each new trick, giving you pointers and tips along the way. You’ll be doing 360 surface-switch flip kicks before you know it. What do you mean that’s not a thing?

Dubai Marina Mall dock, Dubai Marina, Dubai, daily 6am to 6pm, from Dhs370. Metro: Dubai Marina. searidersuae.com

SATURDAY

King of Mus
Casa de Tapas hosts a Mus tournament for people of all experience levels, starting at 1pm. Mus is the most played card game in Spain, played between two opposing pairs of players. Get there early to find out more and be seeded.

Dubai Creek Golf And Yacht Club, Dubai Creek. Tel: (04) 2956000. Taxi: Dubai Creek Golf And Yacht Club. facebook.com/casadetapasdubai

Prime Dubai Designer Market
The local fashion and entrepreneurial scene come together for a new monthly event of buying and selling pre-loved designer and vintage wear. Hailing itself as ‘a platform for fashion enthusiasts and Dubai’s rising young designers to showcase their collections and talent’, it is held at Beach Park Plaza.

Drake live
Fans of the hip hop star can expect to hear all their favourite tracks, including ‘At the Bottom, to Here’, ‘The Motto’, and ‘Hold On, We’re Going Home’. They might even be treated to a sneak preview of his highly anticipated fourth album ‘Views From The 6’, due this spring.

Dubai International Stadium, Dubai, 5pm, Dhs320. Tel: (04) 5516708. Taxi: Dubai International Stadium. drakedubai.com

The art of sculpture
An exhibition of ten world-class sculptors working in bronze, marble, stone, wood and acrylic.

The Majlis Gallery, Al Fahidi neighbourhood, Bur Dubai, Sat to Thur 10am to 6pm. Tel: (04) 3536233. Taxi: Bastakiya. themajlisgallery.com

Pearl Pop Up
Robert Wan hosts a Pearl Bar Pop Up at The Mine, offering personalised jewellery with a variety of more than 150 pearls and 50 coloured threads.

The Mine, Street 8, Al Quoz, Dubai; 11am to 7pm. Tel: (04) 379 1704. themine.ae

Fly with confidence course
Did you know around 25 per cent of people who fly regularly have at least some fear of flying while about one in 10 people have a full blown phobia? In response to BA is holding a one-day course led by British Airways pilot Captain Steve Allright. The session addresses a number of areas of concern including how an aircraft operates, turbulence and other technical aspects of flying. There will also be a specialised phobia counsellor on hand to offer breathing and relaxation techniques. All course participants will qualify for a 10 per cent discount on any British Airways flight in any cabin class.

flyingwithconfidence.com

Sikka Art Fair
Wander among alleys and wind towers, and step inside any of the restored villas that have been transformed into open studios by the Artists In Residence Dubai programme or occupied by a multitude of local creative organisations. As well as art, the fair welcomes musicians, so expect a few live performances too. Plus, there are plans for poetry readings, film screenings and other entertainment in the evenings. For children, the fair will host interactive arts workshops, and there are interesting culture walks taking place during the day.

Al Fahidi Historical Area, Dubai, free. Tel: (600) 560000. Metro: Al Fahidi. dubaiculture.gov.ae

Hybrid Heroine
A collection of digital images celebrating influential women of today and yesteryear goes on display this month. Dubai-based Jennifer Stelco has created illustrations of two influential female figures and morphed them into a single picture to portray powerful women in history. Jackie Onassis meets JK Rowling, Pink blends with Pocahontas, Princess Diana is paired with Motown group The Supremes, while Lady Gaga joins artist Frida Kahlo. The collection, Hybrid Heroine, will be exhibited at the Cartoon Art Gallery and images can be bought in A1 size (60cm by 80cms).

The Cartoon Art Gallery, 4b Street, Al Quoz 1, Dubai. Tel: (04) 3266467. Metro: First Gulf Bank. cartoonartgallery.org