Sponsored: This is how you celebrate two decades of awesome…

Happy birthday Virgin Megastores, now you are 20 — usually, it’s our job to get the presents for the individual having the birthday, but we’re perfectly happy for you to flip that tradition on its head. We love presents.

But first, we’d like to take this opportunity to say that you’re looking great for 20 years old. You first opened your UAE doors in City Centre Deira two decades ago, and were the first-choice destination for getting our hands on the latest cellophane-wrapped CDs and DVDs. Since then, you’ve grown of course, now we see your iconic, instantly recognisable red and white signs popping up everywhere — currently, there are 15 stores across the UAE, and your shelves are filled with evermore wonderous trinkets and articles of fascination.

We go in to grab a new book, and are immediately hijacked by the street fashion and the glittering gadgets, the 3D printers, skateboards, record players, gig tickets, snapbacks and anime figures, iPhones, popsocks, drones, arcade machines and electric guitars. You are hallowed ground for tech and pop-culture fans, and fertile soil for our favourite impulse buys. You are more than a shop, which is why you choose to give back on your own birthday.

The Twenty Plenty Ride

From October 11, you’ll need to keep your eyes on the @virginmegastoreme account for clues about where the Virgin-branded ‘Twenty Plenty’ swag wagon will be headed each day. Like Santa, but with a little more class (and beating him by two months) this ride will be dishing out (100) gifts each day, on a first-come-first-served basis.

The Big Red Siren

On the official anniversary day, October 21, the giveaways escalate with the allure of The Big Red Siren. On that day, at the Dubai Mall store — three shoppers will get to till, hear a siren and win the full total of their shopping basket (up to the value of Dhs10,000) for free, plus an additional Dhs1,000 voucher, because why not, you only turn 20 once.

You can find out more and where your closest store is at virginmegastore.ae

Tech Fest

Also kicking off on October 11 (and taking place all the way up to October 30), Tech Fest returns for another year of savings on your gadget cravings. Enjoy promotion, discount, combo bundles and even raffle interactions with premium brands such as BOSE, Razer, MSI, Beats, Jabra, Casio, MG, DELL and more. To be in with a chance of getting your hands on some of these huge prizes, you’ll need to be signed up to the free Virgin Megastore Circle Loyalty programme, and either

  • Spend any amount of money for a chance to win daily prizes
  • Spend Dhs500 for a weekly draw entry to win a tower of gifts
  • Spend Dhs1,000 for your chance to win shopping sprees, valuable prizes and even a MG ZST car

Images: Provided