The hottest must-visit events of January 2022 in Dubai

If you are planning to visit Dubai or are staying here throughout January, there is a lot of festive fun to look forward to. Highlights of this month include the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), the first vegan festival in the MENA region, as well as fireworks and drone shows all over the city.

In fact, the 27th edition of DSF started on 15 December 2021, however, you still have a chance to enjoy the crazy sales until 30 January. In particular, there will be an organized mega-sale in the iconic Dubai Mall, offering up to 90% discounts for one day only on Saturday, January 15. Those wanting to pick up a bargain are welcome to check the insanely low prices just 24 hours before it starts on mydsf.ae, which is the official website of the DSF, or on the social handle @StyledByDubai. The highly-anticipated sale will begin at 10am and you can shop both online and in-store while stocks last. Initially, DSF was launched to promote local business but it has transformed into the world’s longest-running retail festival. It includes a long list of deals and prizes, live concerts and family entertainment shows. Over 1,000 brands and 4,000 outlets are participating in the city-wide shopping extravaganza, including Dubai Outlet Mall, WAFI Mall and Ibn Battuta Mall, just to name a few.

DSF also hosts a fantastic drone show for free twice a day until January 30 on Bluewaters Island, home of the Ain Dubai wheel, and The Beach opposite JBR.  It takes place at 7pm and 9.30pm and offers 3 different shows that run on rotation, with music and drones creating various spectacular visuals. The shows are as follows:

1. Ya Salam Ya Dubai by Rashed Al Majed and RedOne, representing a day in the life of Emiratis from the past to present.
2. This is Our Time by Hussain Al Jassmi, Almass and Mayssa Karaa, featuring displays of technological innovations from robotics and AI to the space programme.
3. Titanium by David Guetta and Sia, showcasing the DSF drones to their maximum capacity.

Not forgetting a series of DSF fireworks that are held in 3 family-friendly locations:

1. At Al Seef at 8.30pm until 12 January (daily).
2. At The Beach from 13-22 January, with 2 firework displays at 7pm and 9.30pm on Saturday and Sunday, and a daily show at 9.30pm on Monday-Friday.
3. In The Pointe mall on Palm Jumeirah at 9pm.

Furthermore, the world fair Expo 2020 will host the first Vegan Food Festival in the Middle East from January 14 to 30, bringing flavours from across the globe in collaboration with Veganuary and Vegan Days. Attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy an eco-marketplace with a vegan and organic spa, visit the sustainable stalls, attend chef talks and experience entertainment. Aimed at bringing together a vegan community, the festival will take place at Expo 2020’s Festival Garden and will bring many of the most famous international F&B brands together. These include Holy Carrot, Evergreen Organics, Chuck Chick and Floozie Cookies, among many others. On January 29-30, Expo 2020 will also host the largest vegan pop-up market in the region, featuring over 60 homegrown ethical brands with accessories, fashion and jewelry, along with various handcrafted goods. As of 4 January 2022, the world fair has registered a total of 8,958,132 visits, boosted by the winter season events of December 2021. Read the latest precautions for visiting the exhibition here.