159 days of pure culture filled with shopping, world cuisines and brilliant live entertainment… 

Global Village fans, the countdown is finally over. Dubai’s multicultural theme park will return for its 24th season on October 29 2019 and run until April 4 2020. That’s 159 days of pure culture filled with shopping at the internationally themed markets, tasting unique dishes and drinks from around the world and an array of attractions and live entertainment shows.

If you haven’t experienced Global Village yet, this is the season to.

Here’s what to expect at this year’s 24th season of Global Village:

The Pavilions

You can’t miss the jaw-dropping pavilions as you make your way to Global Village.

Each of the pavilions house items from a different countries homeland, so expect to find traditional clothing, accessories, food and drink stalls, handicrafts, cultural shows and much more at each.

This year, there’s a whopping 26 shopping pavilions for you to visit – with Korea and Azerbaijan joining the Global Village family.

They will be joining pavilions from destinations such as India, Pakistan, Europe, Americas, Bosnia & the Balkans, Thailand, Bahrain & Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine & Jordan, Afghanistan, Syria, Japan, Philippines & Vietnam, China, Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Turkey, Iran, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and UAE.

Apart from the new pavillions, Global Village will also now feature it’s very own dancing fountain experience, together with lights and live music. See the fountain show daily at Arabian Square.

Eagle eye Global Village fans will also notice that two new Canal Bridges have also been added: the Hungarian Széchenyi Chain Bridge and the famous Tower Bridge of London, which will host the Tower Troupe aerial acrobatics show.

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Pavilion

If you need to give yourself a break from the shopping and the food, head to the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museum attraction. 

If you haven’t heard of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! – it’s an American franchise that showcases items and events that need to be seen to be believed. Items here include the world’s only floating hand-carved wooden Ferrari, the smallest assembly-line manufactured road-legal car ever made, a behemoth Megalodon shark jaw, a large iron Gibeon meteorite, and more unbelievable artifacts and exhibits.

There will also be interactive experiences as well a Ripley’s Marvelouse Mirror Maze featuring 100 mirrors, LED lights and sounds.

Global Village’s Carnaval

Global Village’s Carnaval is back this year, and it’s bigger and even more exciting than ever.

You will find over 100 rides, games that test your skill, arcade games and much more The latest addition to the Global Village’s Carnaval is Transylvania Towers – a suspended rollercoaster that takes riders on a journey through a formidable haunted house.

However, if getting scared out of your boots isn’t for you, maybe the Miami Surf will strike your fancy. The dizzying water-ride is a colorful new family attraction sure to get your hair wet if you’re brave enough to tackle it.

Or if you like thrills, head to Moscow Max, which mimics the G-force motions of a jet plane. We recommend that you skip this one if you don’t like heights, as you will hover 18 metres above the ground. Oh, and do this pre-snack time too, as it includes 360-degree rotations. Gulp.

Little ones can ride on an all-time favorite – the tea cups – another new addition to Global Village.

Entertainment

While you will find several entertainment stages in most of the pavilions at Global Village, don’t skip out on the entertainment at the Global Village Main Stage where 20 nights of concerts with international stars on the line-up await.

Expect to catch shows such as Richard Loring’s African Footprint: South Africa’s longest-running musical, to world-renowned Ballet Revolución and even a K-Pop show called “K-Pop Krazy”, the world’s first K-Pop musical.

Food and drink stalls

From freshly fried luqaimat (crunchy dumplings) from UAE, to piping hot vada pavs from India, to adobo from the Philippines, you have over 170 stall options to pick from at Global Village this year – which means even the pickiest of eaters will be spoilt for choice.

Fan of Indian street food? Global Village now has added an Indian Chaat Bazaar section where foodies will be able to dig into a variety of different dishes from all corners of the Indian subcontinent.

This year will also see the return of the Floating Market, with 38 new outlets and an interactive stage.

Workshops

The younger guests to Global Village this year will also be able to partake in interactive workshops and festivals. The workshops will be hosted by Globo (Global Village’s resident clown) and his gang and little ones will also get to meet their favourite characters including Ben & Holly, PJ Masks, Angry Birds, and Chhota Bheem.

Important information:

Dates: Tuesday October 29 2019 to Saturday April 4 2020, daily

Timings: 4pm to midnight from Saturday to Wednesday, and 4pm to 1am on Thursdays, Fridays and public holidays. Do note though, that Mondays are for families and ladies only.

Ticket cost: Dhs15 per person. Children below 3, guests above 65, and people of determination enter free along with one companion.

Global Village, Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road, October 29, 2019 to April 4, 2020. globalvillage.ae

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Images: Supplied and Getty