Live music, fiestas, and Dubai’s ultimate pop culture event (that’s Comic Con, FYI).

It’s going to be a HUGE weekend, so we’ll see you out there making the most of it!

Thursday April 6

Head to a free concert

Tonight and tomorrow you’l find free concerts at Amazium Plaza, in front of Motiongate Dubai, in Dubai Parks & Resorts. Dubbed Queen of the Stage, Myriam Fares will be joined by Waleed El Shami tonight, and on Friday night you’ll get to see Emirati sensation Shamma Hamdan and Khalid Fouad. The shows will run from 8pm to 11pm both nights, and remember that there’s free parking at Dubai Parks after 6.30pm daily.

Amazium Plaza, Dubai Parks & Resorts, 8pm to 11pm tonight and tomorrow, free. Tel: (04) 820 0000. More info on Facebook. 

A girls’ night out at the theatre

This weekend at The Junction you’ll be able to see Queens of Drama, a series of five short plays that weave in and out of the female mind, bringing up topics that are often not discussed.

The Junction, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz, 7.3pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, Dhs100. Tel: (04) 338 8525. More info on website.

Attend a Mexican fiesta

Head to La Tablita tonight to learn more about Mexico’s masked “Lucha Libre” superheroes. There’ll be mambo beats and live entertainment from Latin singer Edikson to get you in the groove, screenings of old wrestling movies, colourful masks and a scaled-down wrestling ring for awesome photo opps. Tuck into a buffet with live stations including a taqueria, seafood corner, street food bites, and more. 

La Tablita, Hyatt Regency Dubai Creek Heights, Dubai Healthcare City, Thurs April 6, 7pm onwards. Dhs 180 per person inclusive of Mexican waters. Tel: (04) 317 2222. More info on website.

Get down to Global Village

It’s the last weekend to catch the region’s largest cultural extravaganza until it closes for the summer. Head down there one last time for festivals, rides, shopping and entertainment from 70 participating countries in the infamous open-air theme park.

Global Village, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, Dubai, Sat to Wed 4pm to midnight, Thur and Fri 4pm and 1am, Dhs15. Tel: (04) 362 4114. More info on website.

Feel better on Friday morning by doing this Thursday night

The Shangri-La Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road is now open until midnight every night, and it’s offering a special relaxing massage to unwind you into a slumber-ready state. So yes, why not skip the after-work drinks and book a massage at 11pm tonight? Massages cost Dhs480 for 60 minutes or Dhs680 for 90 minutes with a facial – and you get a free sleep kit to take home with you.

Chi, The Spa, Shangri-La Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road (near Safa Street), until midnight, from Dhs480. Tel: (04) 405 2441. More info on website.  

Friday April 7

Hit up Comic Con

From A-list celebrities to world-renowned artists and great lashings of Cosplay – any fans of gaming, manga, movies or collectables should head to Dubai World Trade Centre this weekend for Comic Con. Read our full guide to the event here. Oh, and keep an eye out for our mates from Stuff Middle East, as they’ll be there too. Events run from 12.30pm to 9pm today (and you’ll also be able to head down on Thursday and Saturday).

Dubai World Trade Centre, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, Dhs100 for day pass, Dhs300 for a three-day pass, Dhs500 for a VIP three-day pass. Tel: (04) 4573212. Metro: Trade Centre. More info on website.

See the band that helped give birth to the dance music you listen to now

Brit band New Order’s career spans four decades, ten studio albums and a handful of NME Awards. And they’re playing in Dubai tonight. As the New Yorker put it in 2015, such is their influence on “the large, hybrid musical territory we might call ‘synth pop’ or ‘dance rock’ that entire careers are impossible to imagine without [them].” We’re looking forward to it.

Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, Garhoud, 8pm. Tickets are available in four categories: General Seating (Dhs349), General Standing (Dhs399), Fan Pit (Dhs599) and a VIP option including of a full beverage package (Dhs999). Buy tickets here. More info on website.

Hear the sounds of the Middle East

The Step Music Festival at Dubai International Marine Club will see 12 hours of top Middle Eastern tunes take over Dubai Marina today. Running from 2pm to 2am, you’ll get the chance to hear everyone from Dubai hip hop crew The Recipe to Beirut-raised MC Malikah and Lebanese rockers The Wanton Bishops. We’re also looking forward to seeing Dubai-based Layla Kardan take the stage too:

Step Music Festival, Dubai International Marine Club, Dubai Marina, 2pm to 2am, tickets from Dhs185. Buy tickets here. More info on Facebook. 

Tell us about it, stud: Go see Grease 

If you love John Travolta, accidental pink dye jobs, and 1948 Ford De Luxe Convertibles as much as we do, you’re in for a treat… Grease the musical is in Dubai this weekend. Who’s behind this production? Well it’s UK Theatre Company Curve, and they’re promising to sing all the hits.

Dubai World Trade Centre, from April 7 to 13 (8pm tonight). Tickets from Dhs150 to Dhs975. Buy tickets here.

Chill out to the sounds of some local talents

The Daily in Rove Downtown is joining forces with Freshly Ground Sounds to bring you some of the UAE’s best modern urban musicians, every Friday this month. Head to the neighbourhood eatery for chilled-out tunes from the likes of alternative-folk band Physical Graffiti, indie-pop group The Deer Hum, folk and pop band As Per Casper, Josh Monteath and his guitar, and singer-songwriter Aman Sheriff.

The Daily in Rove Downtown Dubai, every Friday in April from 4pm onwards. Free entry. Tel: (04) 5619000. More info on website. 

Saturday April 8

Relive the fashion of the 50s

Running alongside Grease the musical is Go Vintage DXB, an exhibition of the fashion and accessory trends of the 1950s, as well as the cars, music and movies. It’s free to enter, and will take you back to a time before charcoal lemonade was a thing, and when milkshakes were the healthy drink of choice.

Dubai World Trade Centre, from April 6 to April 13, 12pm to midnight daily, free to enter. More info on Facebook. 

Try out a cooking class

Feeling guilty about how many times you’ve swiped ‘order’ on Deliveroo? The Italian cooking course at Solo Italian Restaurant is perfect for novices, hosted by head chef Doxis Bekris. Under his expert guidance, you’ll learn how to whip up a delicious three-course meal that you can easily recreate at home.

Solo Italian Restaurant & Bar, third floor, Raffles Dubai, Sat 11.30am to 2pm, Dhs300 with soft drinks. Tel: (04) 314 9720. More info on website.

Check out The Void

Inside a giant white pavilion on The Beach you’ll find The Void, a virtual reality experience that you’re free to walk around. This means you feel the environment around you as weave your way through a New York apartment in pursuit of ghosts (we tried it and were impressed).

The Beach opposite JBR, 10am to midnight, daily, Dhs110 per person. More information and tickets on website. 

Go to a free theatre workshop

There’s an open day at the excellent not-for-profit Courtyard Playhouse today, and you can pop in for free any time to check it out and try some workshops. From 11am to 12pm and 1pm to 2pm there are workshops, and from 12pm to 1pm and 2pm to 3pm there will be improv shows. Just arrive at least 15 minutes before each show to get a seat, and put your name on the guest list here to give the theatre a heads up that you’ll be coming.

The Courtyard Playhouse, Al Quoz, 11am to 3pm, free. More info on Facebook.

Watch a Spanish La Liga match

Ole, ole, ole! Novo Cinemas is screening a select list of La Liga fixtures, including the Madrid Derby, Milan Derby, and El Clasico matches. Tonight, football fans in Dubai can watch Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid, kicking off at 6.15pm.

Playing in Dubai at Novo Cinemas in Ibn Battuta Mall, Dubai Festival City and Dragon Mart 2. Tickets start from Dhs35, available from the Novo Cinemas website and cinema box office.

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